Groundwork

Lesson 17--Groundwork

This is the lesson I forgot or rushed past when I 'fell' off of Nitro last month.  LeAnn ALWAYS insisted on creating checkpoints for safety and health prior to EVER getting on the back of a horse.

She spent months with me before I rode Nitro.

The first thing she trained me to do after catching Nitro was to tie him safely to the rail for grooming.  There are certain heights of rails that are safe and others that are too low and create an unsafe environment for training.  Once you tie off your horse, you take an assessment of your horse as you brush him down and clean out his hoofs.  After this, if needed, fly spray; then off to the arena.  In the arena you can lunge him in both directions, saddle him, then take the reins off and have him trot around the arena to 'get all the kinks out'.

Groundwork develops trust between Nitro and me along with a routine in our relationship.  Nitro is a very good horse and likes to know what is next in the routine.  It keeps him calm and easy to work with.  The more time I spend on groundwork with Nitro the closer our relationship, the easier the riding.

Hmmmm......

My ability to manage life day to day might just be related to the amount of time I spend in The Word.  My relationship with God is strengthened by the amount of time I spend with Him.

I am reading a new book  "Sacred Influence" by Gary Thomas.  It is about how God uses wives to shape the souls of their husbands.  In his book I am learning more about how women are more invested in relationships and marriage then men.  We are also very prone to marriage becoming idolatry.  I can identify with this, mostly this is a subconscious thing for me, but as I read about this concept, and watch and listen to women (especially those who are having trouble in their marriage) I see how this is an issue.

Gary Thomas says "While some women define themselves on the basis of how one man or men in general views them and accepts them, as a Christian woman you have the opportunity to define yourself in relation to your Creator." He continues to use the following scripture references;

Deuteronomy 33:27 TOPIC ~ Who does the Bible say is your refuge?  "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

First Peter 1:21 TOPIC ~ In whom does your hope lie?  "Your faith and hope are in God".

Philippians 4:19 TOPIC ~ Where will you find your security?  "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus".

Isaiah 62:5 TOPIC ~ Where will you find supreme acceptance?  "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you".

"If you're trying to find your primary refuge in your husband, if you've centered your hope on him, if your security depends on his approval, and if you will do almost anything to gain his acceptance -- then you've just given to a man what rightfully belongs to God alone."

~OUCH~

So you see,  GROUNDWORK my dear friend!!!  I need to do more of it!!! How about you?

~  ~  ~

I have two more ideas I want to ask you to ponder.

One is accepting the aging and 'ending' process as part of this thing called life.

I am now officially 'retired' and I have heard so many different comments about this, many have opened my mind and heart to an area I have never considered before.

 The concept of being okay for 'it' to be over.  ('It' can be anything)

Like, this 'being over' is a part of it all, His design.

*Those wrinkles and sagging skin, yea, that too.

*Those things you used to be able to do and continue to do but in different ways, with sore muscles and aches and pains after.

*Those medical procedures following a fall or too much use, yea, the way they fixed it did NOT bring it back to the way it was prior.  (I still can't lift my left eyebrow, and guess what, I'm not seeking plastic surgery to make it 'look' better ... I've got a scar, I'm not 20 yrs. old anymore and that's okay).

And the looming question "What are you going to do now?"  It's like I am now OLD, and put out to pasture, just because I planned and put in my years as a teacher; all I am doing (brace yourself, this is practical Cindy now) is stopping the SPS payroll and starting the PEERS Missouri Teacher Retirement, for which I paid in to at the absolute financial maximum; unless I were to become an administrator or get my Educational Doctoral Degree (no thank you).

Secondly and my final idea I would like to share, because it caused one of the most profound changes in my marriage.  (Again, from Gary Thomas--our devotional)

There is no one to blame but myself in sharing this, so don't think I'm pointing my finger at you when I say my view about marriage has NOT been based on Luke 6:35-36.  I have been using the premise that (and I'll bet many of you women, if you're honest with yourself have too) I base love on "because,' not on "anyway."  I love you "because" you're good to me.  I'll love you "because' you're kind, because you're considerate, because you keep the romance alive.

Mr. Thomas continues with saying in Luke, Jesus says we shouldn't love "because"; we should love "anyway."  "If we love someone because he's good to us, or she gives back to us, or he's kind to us, we're acting no better than your average, everyday, common sinner who lives without the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit."

He goes on to say "But if you love a man who disappoints you, who may forget an anniversary or two, who can be a little selfish or a little self-absorbed--now you're loving 'anyway,' and that's what I call my followers to do.  I doing that, you're following the model of the heavenly Father, who loves the ungrateful and the wicked."

Am I willing to love 'anyway'? or am I only willing to love 'because'?  Will I love if he doesn't appreciate me, or if he takes me for granted, or if he isn't nearly as kind to me as I am to him?  If my behavior and fits and tantrums and badgering and raised voice screams "NO"!  then at least I need to admit this:  I'm acting just like someone who has never known the Lord.  "Almost every faithless marriage is based on "because" love.  Christians are called to "anyway" love."

Check back with me in a week and see how this 'anyway' love thing is going, or send me a PM on Facebook because posting comments to my blogs just aren't working.  Sorry.  And share with me how it's working for you.

Blessings!