Wednesday, March 23, 2016

GOD OF MERCY

GOD OF MERCY
Today I was working on a faux finish that will go on the outside of a building. I had to match a sample that I was given. I’ve been working on it but I just can’t seem to get it right. I started to feel the pressure this morning and I was getting more and more fearful as the day went on. The deadline was growing bigger than the possibility of a solution.

Finally, I had to get both my bosses outside to take a look at the pieces I’d done and get some suggestions. All the suggestions included mixing more paint, starting from scratch and going through all the steps again. Yikes!

But at least I was going to have help. We all went our separate ways for lunch and I took the opportunity to pray. I prayed for Jesus to help me. I really needed Him and I told Him so. I got the article out that I was currently editing. It’s on being comforted under the wings of God. I needed that myself! I read it and made a few corrections and then opened my Bible to the book of Ruth. As I was soaking in her story, the scripture came into my head, “Lift up the hands that hang down,” from Hebrews 12:12.

That scripture coming to my mind was evidence to me of the love of Jesus and the mercy of God to answer my cry for help.

I remembered that I’d posted an article about that in January of this year where I attached a link to a TED talk about nonverbal communication, where people were tested: if they lifted their hands up in a victory pose for just 2 minutes, their blood levels of testosterone went up and they felt more confident.

 I decided now was the time to try it.

I went into the restroom. I laid down my cell phone on the sink and looked at the time. I lifted up my arms above my head as if I’d just won a race and I said out loud, “I have the victory through Jesus Christ, I have the victory through Jesus.” I snuck a look at my phone and I’d only done it for one minute, so I stretched out my arms a little more and said it a few more times till 2 minutes were up. I left the restroom and doggone it if I didn’t really feel more confident. I really did. I felt invigorated and even a little carefree.

It really worked! I lifted up my hands like it says in the Bible and like it was confirmed and demonstrated on the TED talk on the internet.

When my one boss came back from lunch he started working on the pieces with me and we had some good laughs as we both came up with almost the same exact colors. We took them outside to see how they looked against the sample; they were way off! We both looked at each other with wrinkled brows. We shrugged our shoulders and off we went to try again.

The goofy thing is that the piece we were looking at, appeared to have mustard color in it when we saw it outside, and the same color appeared reddish when we had it inside! We got out a fan deck of colors and took the piece outside to match it up, so I’m sure we’ll do better tomorrow.

I hope we come up with something super great. I really trust that we will. One thing’s for sure: I will have a better attitude and my hands will stay lifted up in victory.

Life is better with Jesus for sure and God’s kindness and mercy to me today was well appreciated. “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Is. 54:8).
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands” (Heb. 12:11-12).

If you didn’t get to watch the TED talk before, here’s the link. I think it’s less than 10 minutes long. Enjoy.


Love, Carolyn


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