When God opens a door....RUN through it!
A beautiful and funny thing happened over this past week.....I adjusted to "loss". Over that past six months my life has completely shifted gears. I was an overachieving, overworked, underpaid, single mom, but was successful at all of theose things. Then this weird thing called illness happened, and it included hospitalization twice, lots of meds, which I have strong opinions about (but that's another blog), lost my career as a Zumba instructor, photography career went kaputz, lost my consistent source of income at my "day job", my sweet and faithful dog of 11 years died, my daughter broke her foot, my son-in-law broke his wrist, I became an empty nester, and my car broke down. I kept hearing the words "Really, God?" escaping from my thoughts and coming out my mouth, numerous times, loudly, softly, through tears, through anger. Then I just gave up the living part, went to bed and prayed a whole lot. Well, I'm not sure if praying is the right word for it unless you can include whining, complaining, sobbing, and yelling praying. I talked AT God alot.
This weekend I finally heard Him ask "Cherie, can't you just be still???? AND KNOW????"
During this dark period of ignoring the people who love me, and feeling sorry for myself, and feeling hopeless....even though I know better....a couple of really special and important people did things that pulled me out of the miry clay. I love it when Jesus loves us through other people because we aren't really listening to HIM.
I was VERY ill six months ago. I am having to fight really hard to regain my strength, my brain power, my will to continue on. And all of this time off is giving me time to heal and rest and restore. I was busy complaining so I missed half of it. But this week I really worked on it. Resting. Restoring. Enjoying this time off.
See, I asked God for some of this. I kept telling him I was tired. That I couldn't keep doing all of this. That I was not feeling well. I asked Him to release me. Well, He did! Just not in a way I had anticipated! I have now learned that if God drops something in your spirit, and you have been praying, you need to heed His way out. When God opens a door, even if it doesn't look like the one you expected to open, you better run through it so that He doesn't have to kick you through it!
I got kicked.
I have let all of this recent stress (yes, that stuff that I asked for) rob me of sleep, eating well, exercising, enjoying fresh air, taking pictures, reading good books, and WRITING. What was I thinking? This is the perfect time to start spending MORE time doing those things I love while I await a new calling. Or improve on the old calling, which I am doing.
Empty nesting is a strange thing. I suddenly have what seems to be a very large house for one person. So I set up a photography studio in the "empty" bedroom. I am not using it quite enough yet, but it is giving me a passion and reason to get back to the career that I love--making people smile. Not a bad job. :-) And I recently became a college student. Part of me is wondering what the heck I was thinking going back to school at my age! But I have ample amounts of time to work on school. AND I have this beautiful little grand-daughter that steals my heart away every time I just think about her. AND I have another grandbaby on the way. AND I can spend time with my kids without having to rush or hurry or not really have the time to spend with them that I want to. And I am resting. Letting my body heal.
Now that I see the back side of the door I was kicked through, I see all of the ME work that was tearing me down. It was exhausting being me. The place I came out of was very crowded, dark and stuffy. I know to run through that door now. And it's a lovely, quiet, peaceful place on this side if I will be stop and look at it for what it really is--a door, wide open, full of opportunity, rest, and sweet beauty. The stuff I've been missing on the other side. Run through those open doors. If God opens it up, there's something precious waiting for you on the other side. And it's going to be beautiful.
www.cherielewisphotography.photoreflect.com
This weekend I finally heard Him ask "Cherie, can't you just be still???? AND KNOW????"
During this dark period of ignoring the people who love me, and feeling sorry for myself, and feeling hopeless....even though I know better....a couple of really special and important people did things that pulled me out of the miry clay. I love it when Jesus loves us through other people because we aren't really listening to HIM. I was VERY ill six months ago. I am having to fight really hard to regain my strength, my brain power, my will to continue on. And all of this time off is giving me time to heal and rest and restore. I was busy complaining so I missed half of it. But this week I really worked on it. Resting. Restoring. Enjoying this time off.
See, I asked God for some of this. I kept telling him I was tired. That I couldn't keep doing all of this. That I was not feeling well. I asked Him to release me. Well, He did! Just not in a way I had anticipated! I have now learned that if God drops something in your spirit, and you have been praying, you need to heed His way out. When God opens a door, even if it doesn't look like the one you expected to open, you better run through it so that He doesn't have to kick you through it!
I got kicked.
I have let all of this recent stress (yes, that stuff that I asked for) rob me of sleep, eating well, exercising, enjoying fresh air, taking pictures, reading good books, and WRITING. What was I thinking? This is the perfect time to start spending MORE time doing those things I love while I await a new calling. Or improve on the old calling, which I am doing.
Empty nesting is a strange thing. I suddenly have what seems to be a very large house for one person. So I set up a photography studio in the "empty" bedroom. I am not using it quite enough yet, but it is giving me a passion and reason to get back to the career that I love--making people smile. Not a bad job. :-) And I recently became a college student. Part of me is wondering what the heck I was thinking going back to school at my age! But I have ample amounts of time to work on school. AND I have this beautiful little grand-daughter that steals my heart away every time I just think about her. AND I have another grandbaby on the way. AND I can spend time with my kids without having to rush or hurry or not really have the time to spend with them that I want to. And I am resting. Letting my body heal.
Now that I see the back side of the door I was kicked through, I see all of the ME work that was tearing me down. It was exhausting being me. The place I came out of was very crowded, dark and stuffy. I know to run through that door now. And it's a lovely, quiet, peaceful place on this side if I will be stop and look at it for what it really is--a door, wide open, full of opportunity, rest, and sweet beauty. The stuff I've been missing on the other side. Run through those open doors. If God opens it up, there's something precious waiting for you on the other side. And it's going to be beautiful.
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