Thinking About the Lord's Prayer

I am trying to pay more attention to things in life because I have tended, in the past, to rush through. I noticed this about myself when I thought about the Lord's Prayer.  I have been saying this prayer (both before and after I accepted Christ) since I was a child.

What I am trying to do now, each time I say the Lord's Prayer, is to be aware of what I am saying. I really want to better apply the words to my life and keep them close to my heart. Here is how I now think of the lines in the prayer:

"Our Father who is in heaven, (Because He is in heaven - not some imposter living here on earth)

Hallowed be Your name. (Do I reverence His name? Do I keep it holy?)

Your kingdom come. (Not "kingdom now" as some people want. I need to be sharing the gospel and spreading the Word so that more people will be ready.)

Your will be done, (Sometimes, I resist this and want what I want instead of wanting what God wills. I need to know that His will will be done - whether I want it or not.)

On earth as it is in heaven. (Again, His will is the final authority. I need to want this for my life.)

Give us this day our daily bread. (Not bread for today and tomorrow - which may not come for me - and not riches and wealth and health abundant. Just my daily needs. He has always been faithful in this. )

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (This is the big one for me! I have to remind myself over and over to forgive as I have been forgiven. And I think of the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor in Matthew 18:21-35.) 

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

I think the main thing for me is to realize that God really is in control - of my waking and breathing and the existence of all of us. We have free will but He is in control.

So, yes, I really do need to be more - what is the trendy word? "mindful"? I need to not take living for granted. 

Peace

--Free

** I am in no way a Bible scholar or expert. This post is just to show my experience as a Christian who is trying to be better today than I was yesterday. 

Goals, Maturity, Life and Lessons

 I used to think of age as a sign of maturity. Finally, at 62, I realize that maturity is a lifelong process. Most of us think of levels of maturity as a set of milestones that we reach at the ages of 13, 16, 18, 21, and so on.

What I have learned - finally - is that we become fully "mature" when we learn how to behave better. So, for all the young people out there, here are some milestones of behavior that we all should strive for (and it's a lifelong process):

When you 

• Become more of a peacemaker than a troublemaker
• Become better at loving and listening than being lewd and loud
• Learn to be more gracious and less rude
• Get better at being more thoughtful and giving than grasping and wanting
• Try being understanding as much as you want to be understood
• Try thinking deeply and critically rather than being quick at the mouth
• Listen more than you talk
• Can disagree with others without hating, belittling, or disrespecting them
• Practice more humility than indulging in pride
• Learn patience and endurance instead of going for the quick wins
• Appreciate beauty in the world without photobombing it with selfies
• Learn to slow down and savor moments and experiences without rushing to the next one
• Accept that you have some of the same flaws that you see in others
• Are happy in peace in stillness
• Can be grateful for every breath you take
• Can recognize when you are wrong and not gloat when you are right
• Realize how much your actions - no matter how small - can have a negative or positive impact 
• Want to be a better person today than you were yesterday - even though you can never be "perfect".

If I could go back in time and change one thing in my life, it would be to know what true maturity is. When I was young, if I had realized that I was building my past, I would have done so many things differently. 

Every breath is a blessing. Every mistake can be a lesson. We are here for such a short time, but we do matter. Live as if you know that.

Peace

--Free

Zechariah 2:1-9

 I just wanted to say today that, as always, I stand with Israel. I am not worried and I am not afraid. God is always in control.