“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” John 5:17

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” That had been my attitudinal spirit for the last week since back from a beautiful, fall mountain vacation. I hadn’t even hit the plane when difficult news hit my cell phone. It was time to get to work, which required hitting the ground RUNNING! So being used to it, that is what I did. Little did I realize that, while I knew what I was doing, I got started a little before Jesus!

In my early years, I made my living based upon what I did. In the factory, I worked as a spot-welder and got paid based upon how many pieces I spot-welded together. It was easy to compute. 1, 2, 3 … times the amount paid per piece equaled PAYCHECK! I was fast and good at it. When commission only sales called, I could take my total sales, times it by 10% and PAYCHECK! Not now!

This week had left me in a funk and I didn’t really know why. I told Katie, I needed some inspiration, something new to give me a boost! My ‘helpmate’ was kind and sent me an email to encourage me. But it didn’t work! I was called to do a job and I was doing it by rote, operating on past experience, knowledge and power to get this new need filled. Then I hit empty! All by myself!

Being too old to panic, my spirit grabbed my surfboard as I hit the usual sources for inspiration and power. Prayer… nada! Christian videos… zip! Devotionals… nope! Bible reading…nothin’! Having been here before as well, all I could do was snicker! Obviously the problem was ME… and Jesus was going to use the opportunity to show me something. He can be such a comedian!

My last ditch effort was to go into my semi-darkened library and start thumbing through books. When my finger fell on an old one that used to be my Father’s, one I had read several times in the past, my spirit received a little jolt! I dropped the other 2 books from my hands, sat down and got reacquainted with God’s method. Shaking my head I realized… I had started working without Him!

God and I are pretty tight, but every once in a while I get too used to Him! When that happens, I make assumptions, run ahead and get started before my heavenly Daddy says ‘go!’ The funny part is that sometimes He just lets me… GO! When I fall down I sometimes turn around and sense Him laughing since, ME trying to play and work like God is simply… funny! I didn’t need new… but old!

Are YOU running ahead of God with plans and power of your own? If so, how’s that working for you? Can you find your way back to God and simply reconnect before you do anything?