The Basics of Life

With all that's going on in my life right now, it's amazing that I am functioning at all. Not only are we having to downsize from over 3000 feet of living space to 1900, we are leaving a house we both love.

I spoke to two of my closest family members yesterday and came away from the conversations hurting for them. Another family member's actions have caused so much pain to those who love her, and there's nothing we can do. Except pray. And even that doesn't seem to be enough.

This morning I woke up with a heaviness. So much to do and so little energy. So many loved ones hurting.

My car has always been my prayer closet. Today I finally had time to go to the chiropractor and as I drove, I tried to get my thoughts together and have a talk with God. The words didn't come. I got behind a very slow moving vehicle and followed it for several blocks before I saw the bumper sticker that read "Jesus Christos."

I thought very little of it until I came out of the doctor's office and started home. My heart was still heavy so I turned to the Christian channel on Sirius radio. A song began, very slowly, slower than I'd ever heard it and when the chorus began, I sang along."Oh, How I Love Jesus."

My heart lifted. I sang all the way down the street to the next stop light and when I stopped, I looked at the truck sitting next to me and just a little ahead so that I could clearly see a sticker on the back of the cab. It read "Not I, But Christ." And I knew the answer.

Without asking, God saw my heart and answered my unspoken prayer. None of this is about me or my problems. It's all about Him. I rejoiced and turned the radio back on, this time pushing the button that played a CD. The first song on the tape was another word from Him.

"We need to get back to the basics of life.
A heart that is pure
And a love that is blind.
A faith that is earnestly grounded in Christ.
The hope that endures for all time.
We need to get back to the basics of life."

This move has been all about purpose, and that purpose is for us to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the Way and has our Way. My family is in His hands. All I have to do is slow down, love Him and get back to the basics of life.