Road Signs Along the Path of Adjustment No This Isn't a Plug for a New Chiropracter

It seemed a little funny to me, sitting in La Madeleine's this morning , I'm reading about a travel adventure in England, eating the American breakfast and drinking French Roast coffee. So international while still in the midst of hot Houston. I decided after my early morning workout to have some breakfast. Thought about going to Buffalo Grille but La Mad is closer and I would stick to eggs and bacon there because BG is all about pancakes to me. Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy eating breakfast out with just me and a book. Seemed like there were a lot of book lovers at the tables this morning. Even a small book group was discussing some big ol' yellow book whose title escapes me. It escapes me because the book cover looked totally boring to me. And no it wasn't the outdated and unrelevent Yellow Pages.


I have finished reading 3 out of 4 Joan Anderson books. I totally read them out of order but it seemed better reading the first book last and knowing the outcome of so many of her questions. Joan escaped from her stale life and lived in a cottage she and her husband owned by herself for a year. A year of sorting out her life and searching for meaning. She contemplated what and how she lived by rules pressed upon her by others. During her year alone on the island, she made a friend of an older woman, in her 90's, who had been recently widowed. The widow's husband had been cutting edge brilliant in his early career in psychological analysis. He developed the standard of development that is still used today. Her 90 plus year old friend believes that life is to be lived joyously, with the eyes of wonder of childlike play, and dance. Believe me, I liked Joan's friend, whose name happens to be Joan too, and the whole play, joy and laughter thing. Original Joan learns so much from Other Joan about how to live an authentic life. She even takes on jobs when money grew tight because of needed repairs on the cottage, in a fish market and as a clam digger. Original Joan is a journalist and published author as she lives out her adventure and learning process.


I don't know if it is the romance of Cape Cod or just the learning process she experiences over the age of 50 that intrigues me so. Now Joan is also contemplating ending her marriage. That is NOT even one of my considerations. I really don't even want to go off for a year, but wonder if I can have the same kind of experience staying in Houston? I'm thinking I can and maybe have had it, I just didn't know it. This is a year of rebuilding inclusive of physical, spiritual and emotional issues. Seems I am finally paying more attention to who God says I am than what the crowd says. God is healing the painful misconceptions, emotional chaos, and outright dislike that I faced most days and directed at me when I worked for the church. A drama filled and hurtful childhood doesn't lay claim on me now and i have a peace filled life lived out in sustaining God filled joy. The list is endless, but you get what I am writing about.


While reading these books, which are not in the Christian self help genera, this verse has been pressed upon my mind, "Set up the road signs: put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take." Jeremiah 31:21. This quote from A Year By the Sea says so well, what I have been thinking since retiring.

"I am no longer just passing through the world, but digging deeper and collecting moments. Time is a funny thing. Now that I am engrossed in life there is never enough time, but that was before I learned to stretch a moment to an hour and create multiple highs along the expanse of a day. I never saw the possibilities and promises that twenty-four hours actually
offer."


Adventuresome, rule breaker, a tad rebellious and a spoken opinion are certainly good descriptives of me but somewhere along the way adventuresome has wained a wee bit. For goodness sake, I passed two branches of my bank today because I feel more comfortable using my close to home branch drive through. I am not keeping my promise to myself that I would try out all the different work out machines at Lifetime. Seems like I have found a routine that I like and don't want to differ from it. I forget about all the wonderful places to eat in Houston and relish the tried and true over the choice of dining in the unknown. I know the calling on my life by the Lord, but I'm not knowing really what I am supposed to do because I don't depart from the mundane and refire the Spirit in me. Not fanning flames at all.


I love this thought from A Walk on the Beach, "it's one thing to hazard out in a safe place and another in unknown territory. Taking chances and risking routine are two important ingredients for keeping alive. Besides a new panorama always offers fresh insight."


So, I am asking God for new panoramas and fresh insight. Maybe I will have my quiet time in another area of our home. Maybe I will actually get out and have it someplace else. That's a small beginning. Remember, I'm not desirous to go away by myself for a year, but see God here, to pay attention to the moments and what they hold, and to learn the value of walking off the beaten path when in search of new direction and spiritual revivification.. Action always creates reaction as well as change, so wisely said by Joan Erikson. Annie's Eyes commented on my post about Adjustment by relating what Blackaby says in Experiencing God, adjustment always has sacrifice. It is a scary thought. I mean, what if there is more adjusting than just getting up early and getting the work out done. :) Well, I will just set up the road signs, put up guideposts and take note of the highway, the road I take.