Karen O’Connor - Finding God Daily

Finding God When Disappointed in Myself

May 6, 2013 by Finding God Daily Leave a Comment

Even when disappointed in myself, I’m finding God in the process.

I leafed through the church bulletin on a Sunday morning. The headline “Wanted: Kitchen Angels” caught my attention. One of the ladies in our congregation was forming a committee of people to deliver meals to families in need. I pulled out my pen and signed up on the spot to attend the training.

When the first call came in, I was ready to serve. I prepared Italian chicken and mushrooms with all the trimmings–green salad with candied pecans, garlic-stuffed olives, cherry tomatoes and baby carrots, laced with homemade vinegarette dressing. I prepared a savory garlic-butter mixture to spread on crunchy Italian bread, and made a chocolate cake for dessert. I put the ingredients into two beautiful baskets.

The meal and the service were a hit. The family thanked me profusely and I went home flying. I had found my calling. I was truly a ‘kitchen angel.’

The next month I had a new assignment. It wasn’t as much fun as the first one. I put together a deli dinner and dropped it off, feeling chagrin over my lack of creativity.

Months went by and my enthusiasm waned. I cried when the last assignment for that year came in. I told the leader I just couldn’t keep up anymore. Then I worried that the word was out. Karen is a fallen angel!

“Would you like to retire (read resign) from Kitchen Angels?” the leader asked in a gentle and understanding way.

“Oh no. I mean this is a wonderful ministry and I love being part of it,” I lied. Actually, it was a wonderful ministry, just not wonderful for me.

“It’s okay, Karen,” she said. “No shame in letting go of something that no longer works for you. I forgive and release you.”

Relief flooded over me. I had been trying to turn a lie into a truth–and it wasn’t working. So I did the church a favor, the team a favor, and most of all, myself a favor. I retired and turned in my wings!

It’s taken awhile, but now I see that we can be free to be the human beings we are and to tell the truth, so we can walk blamelessly with our Lord.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11 the Bible).

I also found some encouragement from Christian pastor Don Robinson’s sermon about what to do when I am disappointed in myself: http://www.brandonweb.com/sermons/sermonpages/romans29.htm

Enjoy this inspiring YouTube video with Christian speaker Joyce Meyer on making the most of each day—regardless of disappointment or poor choices.

©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com, on Facebook or follow on Twitter: @karenoconnor

Filed Under: In Life Tagged With: disappointed in myself, fallen kitchen angel, Karen O'Connor

Finding God on a Double Decker Bus in London

April 29, 2013 by Finding God Daily Leave a Comment

By Karen O’Connor:

I’m finding that God leads me best and there’s no need to panic — on a double decker bus or elsewhere — when I allow Him to take the wheel.

This London double decker bus is enclosed on top–but also has no driver.

What fun it was for Amy to be invited to lead women’s groups to London on a tour of tearooms. Not only was she tickled to have this opportunity—something she felt God had planted in her mind years before––but she enjoyed being with a group of women who had never been on such a trip before.Their laughter and exclamations made all the preparation worthwhile. For many this was a vacation of a lifetime. Little did she or I, when I toured the city, dream of finding God on a double-decker bus in London.

Amy recalled with a smile the first group she took. “None of the ladies had been to England before so everything was new and they were like little kids, taking in the sights and sounds as though they were at an amusement park.”

That is, until something happened that set her back.

One afternoon, the women had gathered at the street curb, eager for their first ride on one of the double deckers. “As we boarded the bus,” said Amy, “most of the gals decided to sit downstairs to be out of the damp weather and to protect their hair from the wind. A few, however, were brave enough to sit on the top deck. I split my time between both so neither group would feel left out. I wanted to be certain everyone heard what I had to say.

The women downstairs were attentive and happy and asked observant questions. When Amy walked up the stairs to speak to those on the upper level, however, she noticed some passengers sitting like soldiers on alert. Not a word was spoken and most of them clutched the seats in front of them. It appeared to be a white knuckle ride!

“Is anything wrong?” Amy asked. “We’re having a great time downstairs, but you don’t appear to be enjoying yourselves.”

One of the ladies looked up with a touch of fear in her eyes. “Well,” she said, in a small voice, “that’s because you have a driver!”

This cute story reminds me of how often I try to white-knuckle my way through life without a driver. But I don’t have to live this way. God will lead me if I’m willing to turn the wheel over to him and then relax for the long ride through life. Here is what he promises in the Bible.

God will show me the path of life. (Psalm 16:11)

God will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. He will guide me with His eye. (Psalm 32:8)

I hear Jesus’ voice and He calls me by name and leads me out. Jesus goes before me and I follow him, for I know his voice. I will by no means follow a stranger. (John 10:3-5)

You too can find God in your life, whether you ride on a double decker bus in London or stay in your own neighborhood. We all need and want a ‘driver’ to direct our paths and show us the way through the streets of life, safe and secure in the only one who knows what is best for us—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Find out more about Jesus and what he teaches by digging into a Christian bible. Look here for help. www.biblegateway.com.

And for a bit of fun related to double decker buses, view this YouTube video showing a double decker bus in London doing push-ups as a promotion for the 2012 London Olympics.

©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com, on Facebook or follow on Twitter: @karenoconnor

Filed Under: Humor, In Life Tagged With: Karen O'Connor, London double decker bus

Finding God While Fixing a Leak (Bad Habits)

April 23, 2013 by Finding God Daily Leave a Comment

By Karen O’Connor:

The concept of fixing a leak can apply not only to household plumbing . . . it can apply to our spiritual lives as well.

Image by Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“I’m no plumber but I know a leak when I see one,” said Wanda. “Last week while putting away clean towels in the cabinet under the bathroom sink I noticed a puddle of water right in the middle of two stacks of towels. I turned on the faucet, then looked under the sink again, and sure enough, drip, drip, drip.”

Little did Wanda know at the time that this experience could lead to finding God while fixing a leak.

“Fred,” she called to her husband, “can you fix this?” she asked, pointing to the wet area, “or should I call a plumber?”

“I’ll take a look,” he said. “But first I have to find the right tools, then remove the pipe, do a little fiddling here and there, you know––so it might be some time before I get to it.”

Wanda let out a big sigh. She knew that could mean days or even weeks. So she placed an empty pot on the cabinet floor to catch the water. “At least the towels will stay dry,” she murmured.

A few days later Wanda ran another load of wash. Later while stacking the fresh towels under the sink, she noticed the pot was about to overflow with the collected water. Thank heaven she looked!

Feeling annoyed that her husband had not repaired the damage, she let out a few choice words. “You would think. . . he would at least. . . check it.” She bent over and carefully removed the pot. One false move and the water would have soaked the entire room. She was grateful for steady hands.

“I’ll empty this thing right now,” she said to herself. “No sense in taking it all the way to the kitchen. I’ll dump it into the sink . . . no, not the sink,” she yelled, catching herself too late, as the water poured right back into the cabinet and spilled onto the floor!

When I heard this humorous tale of woe I enjoyed a good chuckle but then I realized how easy it is for me—and maybe for you too—to make mistakes once, twice, three times, or more. This can apply not only to a plumbing problem but also to spiritual leaks.

I might go on for months at a time, ignoring the slow leak in my spirit that is draining me of life-giving water that comes from time in the Bible, when I miss out on things like:

attending church,
associating with like-minded people, and
practicing the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Then one day a flood occurs. I feel out of control because I have not taken the time to stay in step with the Spirit of God.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:25-26).

We will then be more inclined to check for leaks—on a daily basis—and fix them before they lead to a flood.

Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks (Ecclesiastes 10:18).

To see a video with plumbing tips, click here: Plumbing Tips from the Experts

For more spiritual maintenance, including breaking bad habits that drain us spiritually, see this interview with Joyce Meyer about her new book Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits: 14 New Behaviors That Will Energize Your Life.

©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com, on Facebook or follow on Twitter: @karenoconnor