Wednesday Night

I absolutely love the Wednesday Night Bible Study at our church.  I can’t tell you how many times my week has been just sliding in the gutter on Monday and Tuesday, then on Wednesday nights I get some form of Wisdom through our study and it makes all the difference in my attitude and perspective.  When I die I don’t want my tomb stone to read she was stressed out and a good employee.  I want my life to mean so much more.  Most importantly I want my kids to know that I loved them and that I was a great mom to them.  I want my husband to know the good sides of me not the bad.  I want to express more of the good in me.  Sometimes that is hard to find.

 I will admit that when things don’t go my way I can get a nasty and negative attitude.  I have been working for years on the negative.  I remember once as a kid, I was probably ten years old, my parents had a boat and we were out fishing.  I can’t remember the circumstances as to what brought it up but I distinctly remember my dad telling me “Sue you are the most pessimistic person, you need to fix that”  I don’t even know if I knew at the time what that meant, but I remember it clearly.   I have used it almost as a crutch my whole life.  "Oh well I am just pessimistic that is just who I am". 

Now as an adult I am learning that It’s so draining to be negative.  It sure does not make my life more enjoyable,  nor it does it make my family’s life more enjoyable.   The Lord wants us to have Joy and I feel like this has been a work in progress in my life.  Of course as in true nature as soon as you decide to change something for the better you are constantly bombarded with circumstances that are going to test you  and try to break you.  That is just how the Devil works.  Over the last couple of years ( I can’t believe it has even been that long) I have been tested, I have been provoked, and I have failed more than I care to admit.  I am trying, I am trying to enjoy my life more and the people around me.  It is difficult not to get wrapped up in the negative and as my Pastor put last night " we accumulate junk...and we need pruning". As the saying goes Misery loves company.   So back to my clarity from last night’s Bible Study.  We are Studying the Book of John chapter 15 The Vine and the Branches.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 

As we were in conversation about what this passage means, I had a revelation that all the things I fight, the things that I am challenged by daily are all a part of my pruning processes.  Our pastor asked us last night if this passage would change how we react to those circumstances.  Would we be more compliant with the lessons learned and applying the biblical principals?  You may know the saying “WWJD?”  What would Jesus Do?    I have really never thought of it that way.  I have come as far as to tell myself that this is coming at me because I am trying to change, but sometimes I slip back into my old routine.  More so recently and I know it is a part of me that I need to continue to work on.  So to answer the question, YES.  Since I know that pruning is a part of the process to build my character to be more like that of Christ  then I don’t necessarily want more trouble to come my way but I will stop, remember this passage, dig deep and ask myself  WWJD?  Then try to respond appropriately because I know on the other end I will be better for it.