Higher Thoughts

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.   Isaiah 55:8-9

This verse is pretty much my mantra right now. For several reasons.

1.       God is so large and all knowing, that it is laughable for me to think I know better or that I could have it all figured out.

Just a quick example. This past week Justin and I have had some weird money issues going on. I accidentally tithed DOUBLE the amount we had set aside to give. Now I am not telling you this part to brag on us for tithing, but only to show the glory of God and the smallness of us. When I  realized that I had paid our online tithe for  double the amount we had planned to give,  I was a little upset =(

We are trying to do the Dave Ramsey budget thing….  And my slip up threw everything out of wack. I was really frustrated!

looking back that seems so dumb. I was mad because I had accidentally given God double the amount of HIS MONEY?? And therefore it threw MY budget out of wack ??( It’s all his anyway!! I was for sure operating in the flesh, but I digress)

We made through the week before payday just fine. We were totally provided for and wanted not. In a strange, peaceful way =)

Then as Payday rolled around, there was an issue with my check. I wasn’t able to deposit it until today (the Monday after our Friday payday.)

As you can imagine, that threw a dent in our weekend plans for grocery shopping , etc. Once again cue stress mode from me!!! Woe is us! Our luck is rotten!

We were once again provided for with everything we needed.

And then, it all wound up being a blessing in disguise. Our debit card information was apparently stolen. This
Saturday someone tried to make a purchase with our card. Thankfully, the purchase didn’t go through because the account had insufficient funds for that amount!!! (because my check wasn’t deposited and because we tithed double) WOW I truly believe that God used my mix-up to both serve his purposes and to save us from being harmed by an evil act.

The purchase was suspicious to our debit card company. They called us and we were able to shut the card down before any more purchases could be attempted!!

This is just one small, real life example of how complex and interwoven life is. We truly have no idea what God is doing or why he allows things to happen. Things that seem bad (like our small $ incident) or even larger situations, like a loved one dying, can be part of something much bigger that God is working for greater good.

When I assume that I know it all, I am being soooo foolish.

As a recovering NIA (know it all) as Justin affectionately calls me, I am working so hard in this season to understand that in reality, I know NOTHING.

My GPA, honors status, crap means NOTHING. Because without God’s grace I would be completely lost, hurting, and alone.

A lesson that it took me awhile to learn and that I am still learning.  Makes me want to fall on my face and remember my smallness.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are HIS ways higher than MY ways

    and HIS thoughts than MY thoughts”

Amen 

An Update - August 2012

Wow! Hard to believe we have almost been married for 2 months. These past  8 weeks have flown by!

First a little update on what is going on in our lives,

We have had so many changes.

 To begin with, one of the hardest changes, I lost my Grandfather Archie Brown in May.  It was very unexpected. My grandfather was 86 years old but he still went to work at his computer business every week.  Although I knew he couldn’t be with us forever, it was really hard to lose our family’s patriarch. We were very close and we had planned for him to dance with me during the father and daughter dance at my wedding. Very hard stuff.

But through it all, the Lord granted us this unbelievable peace that I have never felt before.

I still can’t believe how much God wrapped us in his arms and helped us through it. Some days are still hard for sure.  I’ll be going to my family’s lake house this weekend for the first time without him. So many memories there.  More to come about my awesome Grandfather. I’m going to write a series of blogs called “lessons from Archie” about things he taught me. One thing is for sure, his memory lives on through every member of my family, because we were all changed for the better by knowing him.

More changes…

Since May, Justin and I have graduated college, gotten married, moved, and started new jobs. WHEW. That is quite a bit for someone (me) who doesn’t always like change, but I know we are being stretched and grown for the better. I feel like I learn so much more each week =)

Now for the million dollar question. How is married life?

Married life is great. It’s also hard. Sometimes it’s so much fun =)) and sometimes the fact that we are totally adults now is a little overwhelming…. But I love being a wife. I just started a new study called “The beautiful Wife” by Sandy Ralya with some friends who are also recently married.  About being a beautiful wife on the inside. We are LOVING it! Can’t say enough how awesome it is to have people in your life who are in similar seasons.

Speaking of friends one of my dearest friends, the newly married Lexi Weaver, is leaving this Sunday for Virginia with her husband Greg. So excited for what God has planned for them at Liberty University. Jus and I will sure miss them though.   We can’t wait to come visit them and see their new home!

Our home… is such a blessing =) in this crazy Odessa economy we never thought we would find a reasonable apartment. But the Lord answered prayers we had been sending up and gave us one out of NOWHERE.

Its 500 square foot efficiency and man are we thankful.  We’ve had to be creative with space, but really it is all we need for now. We have had a really great time decorating it and making it a home.

On a last note… Jus and I are very excited about our new jobs. I am working as a prevention trainer at The Life Center in Midland. I’m in training right now to go into schools this fall to talk to kids about goals and boundaries and all kinds of fun stuff. (Including sexual integrity ;)  More to come about the exciting world of being a sex ed teacher. Yes folks. True story that is my job!

God is good and we are thankful.

Love,

The Maroneys