The other day, I saw this picture Tammy took of me with my dad’s truck, and I knew Father wanted me to set it aside. I suspected it was going to end up in a blog post. Turns out, I was right. 😍 I was shocked when I saw my dad’s newest ride because it was my dream truck—baffling how similar my dad and I were. To me…the photo represents many different things…but one is my dream of something greater.
It ties in with several conversations Father and I have had over the last 24 hours.
I have been listening to country music for the last couple of days. Specifically, I am stuck on Walker Hayes and Chris Stapleton. Chris singing Tennessee Whiskey is stuck in my mind. It reminds me of a post I wrote about how Tonto and I were out for a walk. While on that walk, Tonto bumped into me while I was changing my lens and caused me to drop my camera and lens on the concrete. My Canon 50mm lens shattered. I was in shock. Horrified. I didn’t kill him. Didn’t even yell. Knowing my despair, Father began singing that song to me…reminding me of His great love for me. Super sweet and made it all better in my heart.
Walker Hayes brings back memories of my son. He introduced me to Walker’s music while in the Colorado mountains. We were doing some family bonding up in the mountains and he wanted me to hear one of his favorite songs by Walker. I will never forget that trip because Donovan had recently sold his AMAZING Jeep and replaced it with a heavy-duty truck. It was a comedy routine driving up and down that mountain because Donovan seemed to have forgotten he sold the Jeep. We were driving that truck up, down, around, and over these massive boulders like it was his old Jeep. One crazy ride up and down that mountain…all the while jamming out to some good tunes. 🤣
Unanswered Prayers
Listening to country music made me think of Garth Brooks this morning. I have been a fan of Garth for many years. Shocking when he retired to spend time with his kids…but I was so proud of him for making that choice. It was the right one.
This morning, I was thinking of his song Unanswered Prayers. I love the song, but I really dislike the theology behind it. It is lie-based. Mankind’s minds are full of tares. As children, the enemy comes along and plants the weed seeds or tares in man’s garden of the mind. They are fertilized and watered by man, and they overtake the grain seeds or the truth that Father has planted. Man’s true nature and identity are stolen by the great identity thief…Satan. So…man’s thinking is lie-based. The belief system is deception. Father and I call it the fog of deception. Man can’t see the truth clearly because man is blinded by all the fog.
Garth’s song talks about unanswered prayers like Father isn’t speaking…ignoring man’s prayers…or has shut the door. It makes me think of so many in the conservative end of the Christian Religious System who believe Father wrote the Bible…closed the book…sat down…and shut His mouth. Silly. Foolish. They have built their own god. A false narrative of who the Creator of the Universe really is. The one I serve…never shuts up. ALWAYS talking. 🤣
Answers
He once said to me…even in the silence I am still speaking. He means much by that.
Regarding the false belief of unanswered prayers, He is speaking one of three things. Yes. No. Not right now.
Sometimes He says no because we are asking for the wrong thing…or we are asking for the right thing, but we are asking with the wrong motives. When our motives are wrong, He is WAITING (in silence) on us to get our heart motives straightened out. The fault never lies with Him…the fault ALWAYS lies with mankind. Man likes to blame shift and blame Him for all their problems. I would like to assure you…consequences are earned. When our Supreme Judge doles out punishment…it is justified. He is justified in however He chooses to punish man. When man chooses death…He gives them what they wanted…death and curses. Curses are the consequences of man’s foolish choices.
The Rock
It reminds me of a situation I was in with Father years ago.
I was being foolish. Can’t really remember what I was asking Him for and arguing with Him about…but I remember very clearly the paddle on my ass He gave me. Painful.
I wanted something that He did not have for me. During the argument, I saw a vision. I was on the beach at the base of a cliff. It was a MASSIVE rock cliff. By the looks of me, I was about 4, 5, or 6 years old. Standing on the sand, at the base of the cliff, I was trying with all my might…all my strength to move the cliff. I was pushing and shoving on it. Obviously, it didn’t budge. 😳
The next scene was me standing on top of that cliff with Father beside me. We were looking out over the ocean and a tidal wave was coming. It flooded the entire area, and the water even came up and lapped onto the top of the cliff. Had I stayed down below…I would have been swept away and drowned.
The Lesson
After He finished the vision, we spoke more about my situation and what He was saying to me. He was helping me to understand I was being foolish and immature. Like an uneducated child who was fighting to get her way. All the while…I was standing on the sand…foolishness…not the truth…the rock. Unbeknownst to me…this massive tidal wave of death and destruction was coming my way. Father’s way…was the better way. To stand with Him on the truth…kept me safe. It was wise living to allow Him to pick me up and keep me safely on the rock out of harm’s way.
A very painful depiction of my stupidity, ignorance, immaturity, and foolishness. Goodness…that hurt. Those kinds of visual lessons have changed my life over the years. Sets me straight pretty darn quickly. Very effective visual aids.
However, I got it. I understood that to try and move THE mountain…Him…the truth…is dumb. Not only am I fighting a losing battle…but I am only going to cause myself injury and death in the process.
Listen…can you just picture it? Me as a little girl standing on shifting sand trying to push this massive cliffside to make it move? Goodness…that is insanity. 😂 I was foolish.
Thankfully, I am much wiser now. 😍 This is why He spanks us. We need to be educated and corrected. It is all love man…all love.
Another Example
During my first divorce, I was BEGGING Father to save my marriage. I did NOT want to get a divorce. Even though my husband cheated on me, I am a very forgiving person. I was willing to forgive and make it work. To me…vows are important, and I don’t take them lightly. When I said for better or for worse…till death…I meant those words. He did not…but I did. He was a liar…I am not.
Father kept telling me no…He wasn’t going to save my marriage. He wanted me to get out. I was angry about that. We fought over this for a few weeks. Again…He was NOT budging on the matter. It was time to move on. Finally, in desperation one day while walking in the bottomland below the house, I asked Him why. Why won’t you save my marriage? I will never forget what He said…I can remember the spot I was standing on. His words to me stopped me dead in my tracks.
Father said…”I will NO longer cast MY PEARL before THAT swine. He cannot present you without a spot, a stain, a wrinkle, or a blemish.” He was HOT! Mad about the matter…and not at me.
WOWSER BOWSER! Holy Smackanoly Man! 🤯 Mind blown.
I knew exactly what He was saying. This pagan man will never love you. He will never want life for you. He will never treat you as a righteous husband should treat a righteous wife. All he was ever going to give me…was death.
My divorce was not my sin or act of disobedience…my marriage was.
It was time to move out and move on with my life.
My Benefit
I understood that Father’s NO to my request for Him to save my marriage was for my benefit. He had something greater in store for me. I needed to trust Him with my life and allow Him to clean it up.
During that time, I had to repent for choosing my own husband and building a marriage on the sand. I had been a very foolish young woman to hook up with a man who was never going to love me and love Father. The floods came and destroyed the home I had foolishly built upon. Such a powerful lesson for me. MANY powerful lessons for me moving forward from that marriage.
When we don’t hear from Him, or we don’t think we are getting an answer…sometimes He is waiting on you to move out of the spot you are currently standing on. You are missing something, and He is waiting on you to get it. Something for you to think about.
The biggest takeaway for me over the years with Him…is this. When He asks me to make a sacrifice for Him…it is not a punishment. It is because He has something greater for me. If I will give this up…He will give me something far greater in value and worth. It is ALWAYS for my benefit to make the sacrifices He is asking me to make. Even when it doesn’t FEEL true…and doesn’t FEEL good.
Value
I find it fascinating how man’s minds work. Over the years, I have attended MANY swap meets and flea markets. I am often amused at how man assigns value to worldly possessions. What also fascinates me is how two people will quibble over that assigned value. One man thinks something has a higher value than the other man. Much blood has been shed over worldly possessions. It is craziness. Insanity. Delusion.
Man fails to see what really has value. Man looks at this world and all the things contained within and foolishly believes it will all last forever. Attributing great value to temporary possessions, temporary activities, and people who are only negative in value…deception and delusion.
I have spent my life…hungering and thirsting for something greater. Something and someone who is priceless in value and worth. Eternal in time value. The treasures I have been storing up, man believes are foolish…yet I ascribe a high value on them. In fact, I consider them greater than me. I laid down my life and died…to show just how valuable I believe them to be.
How foolish it is to lay down your life and die for something that will only burn up in the fire in the end. Daily…man gives their lives for nothing. Absolutely nothing.
There is something greater in value than this world.
Ask Him…to show you who and what that is.