Post 7: Tales from the Smile Box, Part II

I am posting a bit late, ain't I?

I've been out doing some grocery shopping.

Chugging right along with the 40 by 40 posts.

In 33 days, I'll be 40 years old! GLORY!!

Well anyway, here's another little nugget from my little smile box. It tends to stand out because it is written on a green notecard. My bookclub sister Kat, aka Obi-Wan Kenobi (I really look up to her. I SO want to be like her when I grow up), for some bizarre reason picked it up and ran REAL fast with it. I mean REAL fast. I've heard her quote it a couple of times in journal writing group AND in our finance group.

She absolutely LOVES this saying.

I like it too.

"God does not consult my past to determine my future."

Another little something I heard a good ten years ago in some sermon while living in New Orleans, from that same evangelist who specializes in wisdom. I wrote it down, and never forgot it. (Man, I scrawled a TON of notes that night. Took me months to research them out.)

God doesn't do consultation with the past.

But it's funny that when you share your dreams with people, some are not supportive. They hem and haw about your past.

And that brings to mind another lil' something, that I don't have written anywhere.

"Do not share your uncommon dreams with common people."

We won't get into that. For that is self-exlpanatory.

(Homies, ya'll needs to check who's in your entourage. I do too.)

But when I look at the above short sentence concerning past and future, I tend to look at other words: the verbs.

I, as a writer, (yeah, I call myself a writer, been calling myself that for YEARS, I am what I am, shorty), understand one thing: sentences are held up by the verbs. I, in my own writing, am very careful to choose my verbs wisely.

You don't believe me?

Check it out:

She crawled to the door.
She walked to the door.
She ran to the door.

And you know how, uh rigorous, I tend to be in my writing.

She kissed that man.
She ignored that man.
She pinched that man.
She shot that man!!!!!

Yeah... verbs make the world go 'round.

Verbs do the heavy work in a sentence. They are visual. They hold up, i.e., carry the weight of the entire sentence.

That verbs "consult" and "determine" stand out to me for some reason. Immediately.

So I decided to look them up.

"Consult" means to seek advice or information from; ask guidance from; to refer to for information; to have regard for (a person's interest, convenience, etc.) in making plans; to consider or deliberate; take counsel; implies talking over a situation or a subject with someone to decide points in doubt.

"Determine" means to to settle or decide; to cause, affect, or control.

I understand the meaning of the verb of that sentence... so now I can have a better understanding of what it means.

God wipes the slate clean. He don't care about the past.

He sees the end from the beginning. Period.

So we can infer from the definition of "consult", several different things:

God does not seek advice or information from my past in order to make decisions about my future. He does not ponder my past in order to settle my future.

So why can't I get on board and be the same way?

Why must I ponder all the little points of doubt?

There's an interesting verse that supports this: Jeremiah 29:11. I'm posting 3 versions of it.

(CEV) "I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering."

(AMP) "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."

(NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

That's an incredible peace of scripture... full of peace and hope... no harm, no evil...

A good future.

And I best be holding strong to that verse.

Instead of holding on so strongly to those things (fears, doubts, people, failures, lies) in the past that have kept me from having hope for a good future.