When the Cell Phone Dies

When the Cell Phone Dies. . . 

“All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy" Pslam 22:26

Do you have those days where you are just going through the motions and at times you do not know how you even drove to work because it was so routine? I have definitely had those days and have gotten stuck into the routine of life. That is when I know I have stopped truly seeking God.

After I get in the complacency of the days, the drudgery begins adding up and begins taking me to the edge of the pit. This is also what happens when I do not stay diligent with my quiet time and prayer life. 

On the contrary, when I keep God at the forefront of my mind, I see God in everything around me. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:12-13 that when we pray we will hear Him, and when we seek Him, we will find Him. I have found this to be so true. When I put God in the middle of my day, I begin to see the trees and the beauty on the path to work or to my son’s school. I love when I see that red bird fly across the street right before I get to that place in the road. 

There is a certain road on the way home from my son’s school. It has a row of houses along each side of the road. They are beautiful homes that are all different and stunning in their own way. . . these are not your cookie cutter homes that just have different paint colors. . .they are truly all different shapes and sizes. I love looking at each one and imaging what they look like inside. Well, one day my middle schooler’s phone was dead and he didn’t have his head down like a normal ride home from school. He was looking ahead and actually looked up towards the sky. He made the comment that he had never noticed the trees hanging over the street and how big they were. My twelve year old was impressed with these big old trees that formed a canopy over the road. It is one of my favorite streets to drive on, however, to my twelve year old it was just another street to get home. . . until the day when his phone died. But he saw the beauty when he decided to seek and experience the world around him. 

I think we all get this way sometimes. We miss the beauty all around us because we have our heads down in the routine of the day or the worries of tomorrow. If we seek God’s wisdom and strength for the moment we are in, I believe we will truly want to praise our Mighty Wonderful Counselor because of the joy He surrounds us with in our everyday lives. 

My breast cancer journey could have been a horrible experience, but I know that God loves me so much and wants to use me just like He wants to use every one of us. So after the initial shock of the “C” word becoming a part of my vocabulary, I decided to get out of my pity party and deep fear, and seek God and my purpose for the suffering. I found blessings that I would have missed if I wasn’t seeking Him. I found people that were on a journey like me and provided comfort and friendship during a unknown time. I found medical caregivers that were so gentle and supportive. God put people in my path that allowed me to see Him. When I lifted my head and looked forward, I was able to see the beauty God had placed on my path. 

2017 was my cancer year, but it was also one of my most joyful years. I experienced God’s grace and mercy on that journey. I not only experienced it, but I understood it on a deeply more intimate level. If I wasn't seeking God, I would not have been able to praise Him during my cancer journey. I truly believe I would have missed the blessings and filled my days with fear instead of everlasting joy. I did have to keep my head up and my eyes open so I would not shut off the blessings and the joy. 

I’m finished with surgeries and treatment now, but the follow up visits have started, and I can feel the fear of the unknown trying to set back in. However, I know the peace and joy that comes from seeking God, and I want to find Him in this next part of this survivorship journey. So I will remember Psalm 22:26 and hold it close to my heart to remind myself to look ahead at the beauty He has created for us to enjoy and rejoice in. 

When you choose to seek God, you choose joy. When you seek God, you will have an overwhelming emotional urge to praise Him because of the everlasting joy you experience. 

Are your days just a routine? What do you enjoy viewing on your daily path? Do you need to change up how you get places? 

I want to encourage you to let your phone go dead like my twelve year old son’s phone did and seek something new; “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13

Dear Lord, 

Open my eyes to the beauty you have put into my routine day. Let me see the small things that I have missed all these years. Let me raise my head and my heart to your blessings. I choose you, and I choose your everlasting joy. I will praise you and lift your name high because I know who you are and what you have done for me. I pray for those that have not lifted their head up and have not found you. I pray that the beauty will enter their lives so they are able to praise you with everlasting joy.