spiritual implications of everyday things

I am always looking for a spiritual application of every day things.  I like being able to find a way to apply Biblical truths to every day situations in a "neat" way.  Especially when I can find a way to teach that truth to my kids.  Last night, I took Savannah to Walmart to buy a swimsuit.  She's going to some friends' house next week & they're going to an indoor waterpark, so she needs a suit that fits.  Anyway, on the way home, somehow we got to talking about our trip to California last summer.  We began talking about Hollywood (where we spent one morning) and I found it funny that her most vivid memory was the fact that it was a dirty, ugly place.  We saw where movie stars walk (the Walk of Fame--the sidewalk with all the stars that we've all seen a gazillion times on TV & in magazines).  We went to a cool wax museum that the kids were really into.  We saw the Hollywood Hills sign from a distance.  We saw all sorts of beautiful things and yet, she remembered the dirty ugly stuff...and the smell of urine in one area, presumably from the homeless man sleeping nearby on a bench.  The way she posed her question to me struck me as sort of profound.  "Mommy, why was there something so ugly in the middle of a place that was supposed to be so pretty & fancy & beautiful?".

 

After explaining that to her as best I could, I got to thinking about her question & the circumstances of the place she was asking about.  I mean, how often do we live through a hard time & focus solely on the pain of the situation and the difficulty of what we're going through......the dirty/ugliness in the middle of something that is supposed to be so beautiful?  How often do we live through a hard time & question God about WHY we have to survive this awful thing?  Why can't we just have beauty & pretty things all the time?  I went to bed last night thinking about this & then this morning, my devotional reading led me back to a similar line of thinking.  This was what I read.  It's from the "God's Promises Day by Day" book.

 

"1 John 5:4  This is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith.

There is a difference between acceptance and resignation.  Resignation is barren of faith in the love of God.  It says 'Grievous circumstances have come to me.  There is no escaping them.'  Acceptance says 'I trust the good will, the love of my God.  I'll open my arms and my understanding to what He has allowed to come to me.'  Thus acceptance leaves the door of hope wide open to God's creative plan.

-Catherine Marshall"

 

So...do we RESIGN ourselves to allow God's will in our life or do we ACCEPT it & wait with watchful eyes to see how His plan unfolds?  Do we RESIGN ourselves to the ugly, dirty, yucky thing going on in our life or do we ACCEPT the ugly, dirty thing and allow God to be God...allowing Him to do what must be done in our lives to bring us closer to Him?  There is a difference.

 

I have a Bible study book from Priscilla Shirer (you know I love her!) that I was looking through this afternoon and again, God pounded me with verses & quotes from that study book, all in line with this same theme.  I am astounded with how well orchestrated all of this has been.  Either someone who reads this blog really needs this info or God's about to slam my life with some heavy duty circumstances & He really wants me to make sure I "get" this beforehand.  One way or the other, I'm sharing it because I love to share what God shows me.  Ok, so on with what I read.  From the study "He Speaks to Me".........

 

*Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

*Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependance on me.  Isaiah 30:15

*God sees the big picture.  He is in control.

*The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...the one who loves Me will be loved by my Father.  I also love him and will reveal Myself to him.  John 14:21

*Moses had one more request.  "Please let me see your glorious presence."  Exodus 33:18

*God's presence equals God's power.

*In this world, you will have trouble.  But take courage.  I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

*We must learn to see challenges as spiritual exercises designed to make us stronger.

*Consider it joy, my brothers, whenever you experience trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  But endurance must do its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.  James 1:2-4

*We can be so sure that every detail in our lives .... is worked into something good.  Romans 8:28

*Submission does not imply something forced on us, but a willingness on our part to yield.

 

Again, I'm not sure if this is a lesson God is teaching me personally or if it's something someone else needed to read.  Whatever the case, I know I've been put in my place today.  I hope it's helpful to you as well.