My New Lenses

My journey with Papa God has led me here.  It is really on a higher plain than before. I am still me, but the “me” has changed.  Actually, my lens in which I see the world and the people around me have changed.  It’s like getting new glasses and trying to get use to them.  Rather uncomfortable for a while, but I know I will get use to them soon. I know these new lenses are from Papa God.  He knows what I need to see and I must see in a different way. That’s fine, but it sure is uncomfortable.

I have been at this place before; this place called uncomfortable.  It is a place in my spirit where I am moving forward at a very quick pace, but my mind hasn’t caught up yet. So, in this place of uncomfortable, I am in a fog.  Not a real dense fog, but one where I am uncertain as to my path. I must walk in total faith in the God who loves me so much that He gave me new lenses to see with.

You know, as I get use to these new lenses, the world around me is clearer.  I don’t really know how to explain it, except there is a crispness around me; a freshness of sorts.  I look at my neighborhood and it has changed a lot and not necessarily for the better.  Yet, through these new lenses, I am seeing… well, I believe I am beginning to see what Papa God sees; the true destiny and redemption of this place.

If that is so, then I am seeing through Papa God’s lens for I could not look upon this place and see the beauty that He sees.  I hear the sirens and see the lack around me.   Yet, there are special moments now, where I see what He sees; a redeemed neighborhood and city.  So, what do I do with what I now see?

I speak Shalom over this neighborhood and city.  I declare that God loves this place and those that live in and around the city will begin to walk in the destiny that God has called them to.  This beautiful city will become what God has seen it to be and will be.  I speak Life and Light to this place where I dwell. Each home on my street, I declare that those living there would begin to see and hear the God of their Creation and would begin to walk and live in the destiny God has called them to.

I declare the evil that now lives in this place will go because the Kingdom of God is here.

You see, Papa God sees all of us, even in the muck that we live in, as beautiful. He sees beyond that to what will be.  He created us in His image. He created us to be sons and daughters that have the Holy Spirit leaking out of us, which in fact, changes the atmosphere around us.  Yes, as believers, we change the atmosphere around us.  If we are intentional about it, the influence can be pretty wide spread.  For instance, if you step into a store consciously ask Holy Spirit to spread His presence in a 10 foot radius around you. See what happens.  I have done this a few times lately, and if you are aware, you can sense the change.  The people change around you. It’s pretty cool.

I want to be able to use my new lenses in a positive way for the Kingdom of God.  Seeing our world the way God sees it is one way.  The next step is acting upon that.  We can change the world around us – one lens at a time. 

Taking Out the Garbage

I was watching the Waste Management Truck pick up our apartment complex’s garbage today. I was glad that it was gone. It can get a little smelly, even in the winter months. There was a week where the WM didn’t pick up the garbage. Boy was that awful. It was in the summer and it had been pretty HOT during the week. Some of that garbage stank really bad.

I take my regular garbage out about every 5 days or so or until my garbage sack gets full. It would be nice if the outside garbage can was more convenient, but I live on the 3^rd floor in my apartment building, and my knees don’t like going up and down those stairs all the time.  I have sometimes taken out the garbage twice in one day, especially if I have been doing a lot of deep cleaning of the refrigerator and sorting for the recycling. Cleaning out the fridge is not a fun task, because sometimes I find “things” that were forgotten.

This got me to thinking about my personal garbage I may carry around with me daily. Huh. What kind of garbage you ask?  Well, how about: gossip, slander, deceit, lies, lust, anger, unforgiveness, slothfulness, hate, fear and there are probably more. Do you realize that these are really stinky?  They are a filthy stinking aroma.  This is not what I want in my life at all.  I need to take this garbage out!

I find that “taking my garbage out” daily before the Lord is so cleansing.  I feel lighter and more refreshed.  If I leave “stuff” until later to take care of, such as unforgiveness and anger, then bitterness begins to grow.  Bitterness become like mold and mildew and can spread and get into everything; so difficult to get these out.

My life is to daily be a fragrant offering to the Lord.  This means daily coming into the Presence of God, having conversation with Him and allowing Him to show me what I need to take out to the garbage. I will tell you first hand that it is not easy to confess your faults or sin. However, God is our Father, and He is gentle in teaching us.  This concept may be difficult for some to understand, due to past experiences with an earthly dad that wasn’t gentle, but God has so much more love for us. He wants to help us, but we have to be willing to undergo those times of confessions (cleaning).

For example: I was driving to the post office one day not too long ago. I was cut off three times by people.  The first time I shrugged it off, but by the third time, I was getting a bit tiffed! I verbalized that (no, I didn’t swear) by making a derogatory remark about the drivers of the vehicles.  At that precise moment, I felt conviction from Holy Spirit. I could have argued that I was right, but deep down in my heart, I knew I wasn’t.  I immediately repented and blessed those drivers that cut me off. I blessed their day. I even prayed that the Lord would show them His love in such a way that they would stop and consider others safety. In that moment, I took the garbage out.   It didn’t have time to fester and get old and moldy.

So, I encourage you to take your garbage out daily or even hourly if you have to.  To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord is to walk with Heaven’s fragrance surrounding you. Don’t be a garbage can. Wouldn’t you want to attract butterflies rather than flies?