Commentary

I was sent the following quote from my dear friend, Becca Levie, and asked to make commentary on it:

"The individuals attitude and effort are very important elements in personal revelation.  If they are CONTENT to DEPEND upon their own LIMITED CALCULATIONS and interpretations, then of course, the Lord will leave them to THEIR CHOSEN fate." -Spencer W. Kimball

Wow!  This quote says a lot.  I have read it over and over many times to try and get it to all sink in to this little brain.

The first thing that stands out to me is ATTITUDE. 
I have spoken before on the importance of attitude.  I am a firm believer that your attitude can change your life for the good or for the bad.  Attitude is so much a part of our day to day life that we do not even grasp the gravity of how we perceive our life.  I really enjoy the view that this woman has taken on our thoughts (which feed into our attitude):

Watch video here

The next thing that stands out to me is EFFORT.
I am reminded of a sermon that I heard Pastor Willie George preach many times.  You see Pastor wanted to travel around a teach others on how to teach kids using puppets.  He knew the Lord has called him to this teaching ministry and didn't understand why it wasn't happening yet.
As he was praying about not getting any "gigs" yet, he heard (in a still small voice) "Are you ready?"  He thought well of course I am ready.  I have been doing this for years.  The more he thought about it, he was not ready.  If someone had called him to book a training session, he had no way of getting his puppet stage or his puppets on a plane or ready for any type of travel really.  We was ready mentally, but he was not physically ready!
This sermon was very important to us as we were hoping to adopt several years ago.  We had done everything that we thought we needed to do.  Our homestudy was complete, we had taken all the required courses, we were mentally ready.  However, we did not get a referral until we had purchased a bed and dresser for the then empty room in our house that was waiting for a child.  The Lord was waiting for us to be physically ready.

If you are waiting on an answer to prayer that seems to be taking much longer than you want, I encourage you to ask these two questions:

What is my attitude? ( Not just to this area of life, but to life overall)
Are you ready? (consider your effort)

Then comes the most powerful text of the quote: (my version) If you want to only depend upon yourself and not release it to God, then you will get what YOU can do.

I know it is so very hard but RELEASE CONTROL of your dreams!  Now that might seem counterproductive especially after I just told you to get ready.  Let me make it clear that you need to be prepared.  Be prepared for what you want and so much more-if you are willing to release the power and control.  Release the worry.  Release the stress.  Release the logistics.

Crazy how most of my posts are for my own thoughts.  I am definitely preaching to myself today!

I so desperately want to travel and spread encouragement and motivation to so many people.  It is MY DESIRE to become a public motivational speaker
BUT.....
How will that work with my kids?
Who will take care of them?
I can't leave my family.
What if nobody is moved by what I say to them?
They will wonder what is so special about me that I can speak to them.

This is where I must check my attitude, put forth my own effort in preparation and RELEASE CONTROL to the Lord.  (So hard for a "my way or the highway" personality).

I am confident that the Lord has called me to speak to nations.  I don't know what I will be speaking about.  I don't know when it will happen.  I don't know how it will happen.  But I know the Lord has given me this desire and I KNOW the Lord will grant me the desires of my heart...in His time...in His way.  He has planned so much more for me and my family than I can ever imagine!  I release my "fate" to Him.  I give Him control.  I am overjoyed at what will become for me and my family!