Circuit

Jamie and Sam were walking out the back door and Sam (age 2)  realized that he did not have any snacks, ( they usually have a little cup of pretzels and goldfish before they leave) and I said: how bout a popsicle? That was a grand idea as seen by the expression on his face,  only to find when I opened the freezer tucked away next to the door, everything in it was completely defrosted and spoiled. Sam would have to wait til next time for a popsicle.  What a yuck surprise! 

We had a couple of issues: one was that the lights which were not working in parts of kitchen and the laundry room and now the other was the freezer.  Well, the freezer first needed to be cleaned before I dealt with that so, in and meantime, I started with the lights and called the electrician. After he had checked all breakers, and undone all light switches, he was perplexed, still looking for answers,  until, he asked, why is the freezer door opened?  I told him, and he pulled it out of its built in cove and he found black marks on the switch plate and unplugged the freezer only to find that that one plug had shorted out all the other lights. They were on the same circuit.

As you would guess,  the word circuit got in my head, and I looked up the definition only to find that it meant an act or instance of going and moving around; a circular journey or one beginning at the same place. Life begins with creation and ends in eternity, both generated from the same powerhouse: God; so, in fact, life is a circular journey. Bringing this in a little closer; not only is life, in its fulness, on a circuit but so are our everyday experiences; what goes around comes around.    

We are all familiar with the term short circuited.  It means something has gone haywire and has interrupted what was a smooth sailing, auto piloted journey. And we have all been short circuited in our lives, where the mechanics of our well oiled machine have shut down, or slowed down and we are forced to review and reevaluate the patterns that we have becomes so comfortable with.  

Some life pieces become worn out, like holding onto an unforgiven grudge or tiring of trying to do your best when results seem unobtainable. 

Some pieces have been nicked with grief and tragedy, and heart pieces are scattered causing interference in your daily workings.  Some pieces just need readjusting, like changing your perspective or attitude. 

Some need to be repaired through healing 

Some pieces are in limbo waiting for other connectors to be renewed, so that the line of communication and relationship can carry on

One thing does lead to another. And life pieces work together to complete our circuit of fullness.  

But all this to say, that God, in his glory and grace, is the only one who has the power, the wisdom, the oversight and the experience to offset whatever it is that is short circuiting our lives.  We all want to be able to operate with lights on in the face of adversity and God is the very light that needs no help from an electrician.  I do believe when my life is short circuited, it is because I am relying on my abilities to handle a situation and not trusting God to intervene and actively examine the kinks that I have allowed to cause havoc in my heart and mind, and override them. If I truly want to have a well designed circuit of continued progress in my growing and maturing, I have to set my sights on leaving all my pieces of life in God's hands, no matter how complicated they may seem, how tragic they may be, how offsetting they may appear or how insignificant they in reality are; for God is the ultimate creative craftsman and all circuits begin with him and lead back to him.

Today, if something seems a little off or haywire in your attitude, your perspective, your coping ability,  your motivation, your anxiousness, your strength, or even your physical personna, don't you try to figure out where and how to make the adjustments, give whatever it is that is offsetting your joy to God for review and evaluation.  Trust him when he nudges you to think a little differently,

and give him those anxious thoughts to carry around. Make every effort to count your blessings instead of focusing on things that are way beyond your control. Our circuit maintains a steady momentum only when we allow God to be the connector of our every moving piece. Even when something within us is out of kilter, God knows how to manage our circuit so that His loop of consistency prevails.

Psalm 19: 1-5

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
⁵     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Dear Lord, Teach me to depend on you in all things so that I will not get short circuited by circumstances.  Amen               

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!