Psalm 119:37(MSG)
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
I am a Ci-Co Girl. (Pronounced "Sick-O".) Have you heard of that word? Ci-Co? You won't find it in Webster's Dictionary. It can only be found in "Wiser's Dictionary". In this book there are words that I myself made up...and sense my last name is Wiser...you have....yeap you guessed it...the "Wiser's Dictionary". Anyway, I will probably need to define this one for you, sense my dictionary has not been picked up for publishing yet. Ci-Co Girl defines a girl who is a cross between a city girl and a country girl.
Let me expound on that. You see, when I go to a city such as, oh let's just say Atlanta, I feel very much like a country girl. However, when I go out to my sister's house in the country and I enter the barn and hear them say they are going to "put up hay", I'm looking around for the cabinets to neatly stack some pieces of straw in to get them out of the way. It is at that point that I feel very much like a city girl. You understand? I don't fit in either place. I am not a savvy city girl and I'm certainly far from being an official country girl. I'm a Ci-Co Girl.
Take, for example, my recent trip to Atlanta. I flew in to stay with my niece. Upon arrival at the airport, I disembarked the plane and promptly started reading the signs. My destination was "Ground Transportation". I had studied well before hand the lay out of this monstrous airport. I cocked my head back and meandered down the concourse with the rest of the weary travelers. I know I looked quite comfortable. (I had practiced the look.) I seemed to fit in.
On the inside, however, I was rehearsing my route. It went something like this....Take the next right and follow it to the tram. Board the tram and ride it to the "ground transportation" sign. Get off the tram and walk through the gates to the MARTA system (Atlanta's Rail System). Saunter over to the MARTA store and nonchalantly purchase a MARTA riding card. Swipe the card past the infrared gate opener and shuffle through the opening like you have done this a thousand times. (That would have worked too, I might add, had I not been waiting for the wrong gate to open. I stood there swiping and swiping my card all the while not realizing that the gate to my left was open for me! It took the real "City Girl" behind me to politely inform me to use the other gate!) Board the subway, flop in a chair like you own the place and ride it through down town Atlanta! Listen carefully, while pretending to read your book, for the "Red Route" disembarking prompter. DO NOT get off early by accident, because then I will be on the Green Route or the Gold Route.....they will take me to the wrong place!! It was a busy place in my head that day with all of those directions floating around...let me tell you!
The bottom line in all of that was to say, that as long as I stayed on my "route", I would eventually get to my destination. I did reach my niece's house without incident by the way. I also had an escort (my sweet brother-in-law) who met me at the MARTA entrance to ensure my safe travel. I looked like I belonged there, but I really didn't belong there on that subway anymore than I belong in the barn "mucking out" a stall! (I do know what that one means....although I have never officially done it.)
This verse prompted me to think about the word pilgrim. At it's most basic meaning, the word pilgrim is defined as "traveler or homeless wanderer". In the Latin orientation it refers to a "foreigner or stranger."
We really are strangers here on earth, aren't we? Wandering around trying to figure out where we fit in. The thing is, that we will never "fit in" in this world if we are a child of the King. And that's okay, because we were never meant to. As a Christ follower I don't have to feel comfortable here on planet earth. It's only my temporary home. I just need to find the gifts and talents He has given me, so that I might utilize them to help His children and thereby to glorify His name on my travels.
The best way I know to identify my gifts and talents, and therefore decrease my wandering aimlessly without purpose, is to define my convictions. At the very core of that task is to recognize the difference between my convictions and my preferences. My convictions are my non-negotiable core beliefs. These convictions will be the fuel to motivate my actions and uncover any God given talents, so I can use them. They keep me on track. I have studied them. I have memorized them. I will not waiver from them. My personal convictions are based upon the Word of God and my preferences are usually based upon the word of my flesh, so to speak.
Here are a few of my convictions:
Thank you for the gift of Your Word that allows my wandering through planet earth to be invigorated with purpose and a clearly defined destination. You're all I really need to master this portion of my pilgrimage. Please give Your confidence to each of us today and assure us that the route we are on is the one that You have placed us on. Help us to listen carefully to Your promptings so we will remain faithful to fulfill the journey You have designed specifically for each one of us.
In the Holy name of Jesus,
Amen
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
I am a Ci-Co Girl. (Pronounced "Sick-O".) Have you heard of that word? Ci-Co? You won't find it in Webster's Dictionary. It can only be found in "Wiser's Dictionary". In this book there are words that I myself made up...and sense my last name is Wiser...you have....yeap you guessed it...the "Wiser's Dictionary". Anyway, I will probably need to define this one for you, sense my dictionary has not been picked up for publishing yet. Ci-Co Girl defines a girl who is a cross between a city girl and a country girl.
Let me expound on that. You see, when I go to a city such as, oh let's just say Atlanta, I feel very much like a country girl. However, when I go out to my sister's house in the country and I enter the barn and hear them say they are going to "put up hay", I'm looking around for the cabinets to neatly stack some pieces of straw in to get them out of the way. It is at that point that I feel very much like a city girl. You understand? I don't fit in either place. I am not a savvy city girl and I'm certainly far from being an official country girl. I'm a Ci-Co Girl.
Take, for example, my recent trip to Atlanta. I flew in to stay with my niece. Upon arrival at the airport, I disembarked the plane and promptly started reading the signs. My destination was "Ground Transportation". I had studied well before hand the lay out of this monstrous airport. I cocked my head back and meandered down the concourse with the rest of the weary travelers. I know I looked quite comfortable. (I had practiced the look.) I seemed to fit in.
On the inside, however, I was rehearsing my route. It went something like this....Take the next right and follow it to the tram. Board the tram and ride it to the "ground transportation" sign. Get off the tram and walk through the gates to the MARTA system (Atlanta's Rail System). Saunter over to the MARTA store and nonchalantly purchase a MARTA riding card. Swipe the card past the infrared gate opener and shuffle through the opening like you have done this a thousand times. (That would have worked too, I might add, had I not been waiting for the wrong gate to open. I stood there swiping and swiping my card all the while not realizing that the gate to my left was open for me! It took the real "City Girl" behind me to politely inform me to use the other gate!) Board the subway, flop in a chair like you own the place and ride it through down town Atlanta! Listen carefully, while pretending to read your book, for the "Red Route" disembarking prompter. DO NOT get off early by accident, because then I will be on the Green Route or the Gold Route.....they will take me to the wrong place!! It was a busy place in my head that day with all of those directions floating around...let me tell you!
The bottom line in all of that was to say, that as long as I stayed on my "route", I would eventually get to my destination. I did reach my niece's house without incident by the way. I also had an escort (my sweet brother-in-law) who met me at the MARTA entrance to ensure my safe travel. I looked like I belonged there, but I really didn't belong there on that subway anymore than I belong in the barn "mucking out" a stall! (I do know what that one means....although I have never officially done it.)
 |
| I spotted these two ducks crossing over the bridge instead of swimming to get to the other side of the river! I have never seen ducks take this route!  |
We really are strangers here on earth, aren't we? Wandering around trying to figure out where we fit in. The thing is, that we will never "fit in" in this world if we are a child of the King. And that's okay, because we were never meant to. As a Christ follower I don't have to feel comfortable here on planet earth. It's only my temporary home. I just need to find the gifts and talents He has given me, so that I might utilize them to help His children and thereby to glorify His name on my travels.
The best way I know to identify my gifts and talents, and therefore decrease my wandering aimlessly without purpose, is to define my convictions. At the very core of that task is to recognize the difference between my convictions and my preferences. My convictions are my non-negotiable core beliefs. These convictions will be the fuel to motivate my actions and uncover any God given talents, so I can use them. They keep me on track. I have studied them. I have memorized them. I will not waiver from them. My personal convictions are based upon the Word of God and my preferences are usually based upon the word of my flesh, so to speak.
Here are a few of my convictions:
- I will love God before anyone or anything else and never belittle His glorious name. (Exodus 20:1-4)
- I will Honor my parents. (Exodus 20:12)
- I will teach my children to know, honor, and love God. (Ephesians 6:4)
- I will treat human life as sacred from the moment of conception. (Psalm 139:13-16)
- I will be satisfied and grateful with what the Lord has blessed me with. (Exodus 20:17)
Thank you for the gift of Your Word that allows my wandering through planet earth to be invigorated with purpose and a clearly defined destination. You're all I really need to master this portion of my pilgrimage. Please give Your confidence to each of us today and assure us that the route we are on is the one that You have placed us on. Help us to listen carefully to Your promptings so we will remain faithful to fulfill the journey You have designed specifically for each one of us.
In the Holy name of Jesus,
Amen
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