The Routine

Choices. Trials. Happiness. Lie. Love. Fear. Patience. Disappointments. Faith. Distrust.

Does life suck? No. Is life a cycle? Definitely, inevitably… YES.

I don’t know about you but I did grow up learning that life is a “cycle” yet many times I do forget it. I do forget it when I am happy. I do forget it when I am sad. I don’t remember it when I am trusting and waiting and believing or when I am discouraged, disappointed or worst when I am a failure. And I’m not certain that I could remember it later after I wrote this, or tomorrow when I wake up.

I love the way the wise teacher states this in Ecclesiastes 7:14 CEV,

When times are good,    you should be cheerful; when times are bad,    think what it means.God makes them bothto keep us from knowing    what will happen next.

You see. Life, contrary to the norms, is NOT full of surprises. The fact that we know that life is uncertain should make us not to be startled with what tomorrow will bring.

Honestly, right now. I feel tired. Though I don’t do anything, I am not into studies nor in a workplace, yet I feel exhausted…exhausted not of living nor breathing but on my life’s routine. Well, the routine I’m pertaining to is not the physical everyday to-do-things but of the real life itself. Yesterday was good, a while ago didn’t go my way. Now I am on a small room in front of a four-cornered 15.6” screen, pretending to understand life and how it goes, digging deeper where thoughts and words could meet. And this activity can happen again maybe tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after two tomorrows. I will never know. Amazing, isn't it?! And the same goes with life. Struggles after struggles. Giants after giants.

You may think I’m crazy. And your thoughts are REALLY none of my business. I just want to express what’s inside of me right now (since I misplaced my scratch-like green journal). I would also like to know if I am normal (that is when someone can relate to these writings). I have no one to talk but GOD and myself. HE knows me and my thought and my tomorrow. Maybe now I am down yet HE holds me firmly.

Maybe now I am down but this I have felt before…many times. And many more times, I am lifted, happy, victorious. Well, this feeling should never surprise me. It will eventually passed. I just have to remind myself. Things may not go the way I want it but I believe it’s going the way GOD wants it.  HIS plans cannot be thwarted. HIS intentions cannot be shaken (Psalm 33:11). So should I.

My life is a wheel, not of fortunes, but of GOD’s great love.

Trials produces a more stable faith.

Loneliness is to prove that in GOD is the fullness of joy, overflowing.

Unless my life is all about me, then it’s all up to me. Since my life is all about HIM, then it’s all up to HIM.

Life sucks and can take you by surprise bringing you disappointments. It is a wearisome routine, a never-ending cycle, a continuous ups and downs. This is life not acknowledging GOD and HIS power and HIS sovereignty and HIS great love for mankind.

But life with GOD? Try it. And you’ll be drowned, not with the raging flood of fear, bitterness, inequity and condemnation.

You will be drowned in HIS calm ocean of love, peace, joy, serenity, blessings, a never-ending grace and mercy.

HE makes me glad. HE is singing over me every moment I am down. HE loves to sing over you too. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Comparing: Better or Bitter?

Comparison. Girls? We don’t like that word. I guess the gals too. More often than not, we people who live in this fallen world, compare ourselves to other regarding our skills, talent, personality, gadgets and every other stuff that can be compared of. Hence, it’s either we become jealous, discouraged, inferior or we can become boastful, superior. There could be unstoppable desiring of the things we don’t have and when we can’t have it, we become disappointed, depressed, discontented.

Comparing? Inevitable it is. And so were the consequences.

The good thing is that we can still compare in a better way thereby producing better results. How we are supposed to that?

Reading Exodus 3, the burning bush experience of Moses, we can see that HE is just STARTing to know GOD. When GOD called him, HE is so afraid that he hid his face from HIM. The after-verses depicts Moses as a what-if-man, dispirited and pessimistic. He says he can’t speak, neither become the lead. Yet after 30 chapters of the Book of Exodus, in chapter 33, HE is the exact opposite.

What did he do? Nothing.

What did GOD do? Everything.

You see, as we encounter our Creator, we’d be different. He introduces HIMSELF to us as we continue our walk with HIM. The 40-year journey of Israelite to the Promised Land revealed GOD’s character unto HIS people. The journey draw Moses to be closer to HIM each day as HE ask for guidance and listen to HIS commands. It is the same with ours today. If we just continue our journey with GOD, we will eventually get to know GOD. If we just draw to HIM closer each day, our desires are changed. HE becomes our satisfaction. Our desire becomes HIS glory.

So let us go on comparing—comparing our present selves to yesterday’s. Are there any character improvements? What are we desiring yesterday? How about today?

If we diligently seek HIM every moment, a time will definitely come when we’ll hear HIM that HE’s pleased with us and HE’s willing to give anything we could asked HIM. Amazingly, we will not request for beauty, fame, riches nor our present situation be changed. We will ask for HIM.

We will be like a child pleading for his father.

We will request this one thing.

We will utter this words upon HIM.

“Show me YOU.”

“Just a glimpse of YOU, please?”

“I wanna see YOU, dwell in YOU all the days of my life and just worship YOU and be with YOU forever.”

These are the amazing phrases GOD would love to hear and HE loves to grant.

And HE is really most pleased when we are most satisfied in HIM as John Piper quoted.

HIS presence would be enough.

HIS promises would be enough.

HIS love would always be enough.

Fullness. It is in HIM. It is HIM. It is drawing closer each day to our Father who ultimately cares for us and is crazy in love with us. It is in JESUS who came for us to have a full life. It is in Spirit who leads us and changes us from glory to glory.

GOD wants your heart not your performance.

He wants you more than your achievements.

HE’s hurt when you are hurting.

HE cares when you are aching.

You just have to run to HIM. HE will welcome you with HIS arms wide open.

HE is offering HIS embrace.

HE sees you as you are.

HE loves you as are.

And HE compares not.

modernsopher.tumblr.com