Today, I was working at the Shiner house by myself and was visited by the "Brothers Grimm" who came to "seize" it. Three rough looking men who were missing multiple teeth, had a few tats, and looked pretty scary walked up to my house. They weren't missing any limbs, though. As they approached, I had some pretty heavy fear hit me especially in light of the break-in reports. (Last night, one of the neighbor boys had called and told me that they thought an intruder was at the house.
I think all of the neighbor boys went over to check it out since they had reported an intruder to the police a few nights ago, too. From the confused phone call, I heard about 4 different voices trying to resolve the issue. It was almost funny, but it concerned me about the safety of the house. I really do appreciate their help and watchful eyes; I think that one of the dads was supervising.) I was hopeful that in the event of some bizarre attack by the "Brothers Grimm" that if I screamed loud enough that my neighborhood-watch boys would at the least hear me and call 911.
The main "Grimm" explained to me that they were sent by the mortgage company to change the locks and "seize" the house. (I guess most "repo" men look pretty scary due to the nature of the job, but these guys were a little over the top.) He said that since I had obviously done some work (yesterday, we scraped the old paint off to prepare for fresh paint and cleaned up the yard) and was present that he did not have to do anything other than take some photos for documentation. The mortgage company had not reflected the payments that I made earlier in the week (thank you, family member, for the payments), and the guys had been sent to move forward with the foreclosure. Thankfully, I had stayed to work in lieu of going back home.
As you can probably tell by my posts, I am a social everything. I like being with people. I am a social exerciser by nature. I work best with a lot of people (like in a school)! I do not like being alone. All that alone think time today was really getting to me (I forgot my head phones and had no music!). BORING! Then the "Brothers Grimm" showed up. They ended up being very nice and respectful even though I think they could tell that my radar was going off when they asked if they could look inside the house. I had just mopped; that made for a great, honest excuse. So, they left. I had more time to think.
I am very thankful that God had worked on me about not being a chicken about working alone today. I had stayed, and if I had not then the locks would have been changed. That would have been a time consuming pain in the butt to solve. Mostly, what I kept thinking about when they left was about all the times that I have said, "Never." When I was kid and the repo men came to take things away (our furniture, our car, etc), I swore that that would never happen to me.
When I finished painting all of the bedrooms in the log cabin that husband A and I had had built, I swore that I would never paint another room in my life (same aunt that came to help me today was the one that helped me paint in the log cabin). I swore that I would never go through another divorce after the first. I swore that my children would never have divorced parents to begin with. I swore that I would never let myself get out of shape. I swore that I would never stop writing. I would never have sex before marriage. I said never to a lot of things that ended up happening due to my choices and wages of sin. Never, never, never. Just a bunch of examples of my will, my intentions, my self-discipline, and my failures.
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
If I had just submitted my life 20 years ago to God, then I would not be on the other side of 40 in the position that I am in. I believe that that is done and in the past. I cannot change 20 years, but I can learn from them. I cannot take back any broken and misguided "nevers". All I can do is look at today and say, "Lord, here is my 40 year old life. Take it. It is yours."
The more I keep giving my life to Him, the more He keeps answering my prayers and delivering me from the quagmire that I am in. I don't deserve it, but God shows favor to those who are humble and submissive to Him (not sure how humble I am..). It is a battle, but I only want to serve him. I have to fight to let go of the desires and battles within me. I battle coveting every day, and I have to check my motives all the time.
Verse 7 says that if you submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, then the devil will flee from you. We are not in bondage. We do not have to worry about "nevers" because if we are submitting ourselves to God it is His will and that is good, even if it means painting another darn room. Likewise, Satan can hit the road because he is officially resisted.
Stand firm, keep the faith, and never say never....Just say, "God, your will be done." Resist satan and he will flee from you. You are free!
* Special Note
New earthly prince requirement upon further reflection of today and some past respect issues with male leaders: must have MMA, UFC, or slight PWT edge in the event of the "Brothers Grimm" or the like disrespecting or scaring me! (Fight Club would be too extreme but Wyatt Earp kind of has it going on!) Great thing about having God as my husband, He could just open up the earth and swallow those dudes. I believe that He would, too!
I think all of the neighbor boys went over to check it out since they had reported an intruder to the police a few nights ago, too. From the confused phone call, I heard about 4 different voices trying to resolve the issue. It was almost funny, but it concerned me about the safety of the house. I really do appreciate their help and watchful eyes; I think that one of the dads was supervising.) I was hopeful that in the event of some bizarre attack by the "Brothers Grimm" that if I screamed loud enough that my neighborhood-watch boys would at the least hear me and call 911.
The main "Grimm" explained to me that they were sent by the mortgage company to change the locks and "seize" the house. (I guess most "repo" men look pretty scary due to the nature of the job, but these guys were a little over the top.) He said that since I had obviously done some work (yesterday, we scraped the old paint off to prepare for fresh paint and cleaned up the yard) and was present that he did not have to do anything other than take some photos for documentation. The mortgage company had not reflected the payments that I made earlier in the week (thank you, family member, for the payments), and the guys had been sent to move forward with the foreclosure. Thankfully, I had stayed to work in lieu of going back home.
As you can probably tell by my posts, I am a social everything. I like being with people. I am a social exerciser by nature. I work best with a lot of people (like in a school)! I do not like being alone. All that alone think time today was really getting to me (I forgot my head phones and had no music!). BORING! Then the "Brothers Grimm" showed up. They ended up being very nice and respectful even though I think they could tell that my radar was going off when they asked if they could look inside the house. I had just mopped; that made for a great, honest excuse. So, they left. I had more time to think.
I am very thankful that God had worked on me about not being a chicken about working alone today. I had stayed, and if I had not then the locks would have been changed. That would have been a time consuming pain in the butt to solve. Mostly, what I kept thinking about when they left was about all the times that I have said, "Never." When I was kid and the repo men came to take things away (our furniture, our car, etc), I swore that that would never happen to me.
When I finished painting all of the bedrooms in the log cabin that husband A and I had had built, I swore that I would never paint another room in my life (same aunt that came to help me today was the one that helped me paint in the log cabin). I swore that I would never go through another divorce after the first. I swore that my children would never have divorced parents to begin with. I swore that I would never let myself get out of shape. I swore that I would never stop writing. I would never have sex before marriage. I said never to a lot of things that ended up happening due to my choices and wages of sin. Never, never, never. Just a bunch of examples of my will, my intentions, my self-discipline, and my failures.
James 4
Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
If I had just submitted my life 20 years ago to God, then I would not be on the other side of 40 in the position that I am in. I believe that that is done and in the past. I cannot change 20 years, but I can learn from them. I cannot take back any broken and misguided "nevers". All I can do is look at today and say, "Lord, here is my 40 year old life. Take it. It is yours."
The more I keep giving my life to Him, the more He keeps answering my prayers and delivering me from the quagmire that I am in. I don't deserve it, but God shows favor to those who are humble and submissive to Him (not sure how humble I am..). It is a battle, but I only want to serve him. I have to fight to let go of the desires and battles within me. I battle coveting every day, and I have to check my motives all the time.
Verse 7 says that if you submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, then the devil will flee from you. We are not in bondage. We do not have to worry about "nevers" because if we are submitting ourselves to God it is His will and that is good, even if it means painting another darn room. Likewise, Satan can hit the road because he is officially resisted.
Stand firm, keep the faith, and never say never....Just say, "God, your will be done." Resist satan and he will flee from you. You are free!
* Special Note
New earthly prince requirement upon further reflection of today and some past respect issues with male leaders: must have MMA, UFC, or slight PWT edge in the event of the "Brothers Grimm" or the like disrespecting or scaring me! (Fight Club would be too extreme but Wyatt Earp kind of has it going on!) Great thing about having God as my husband, He could just open up the earth and swallow those dudes. I believe that He would, too!
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