Don’t Count Your Chickens

Mama Said

2 Corinthians 9:8 MSG

I grew up hearing “Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They’ve Hatched”. To me it was a warning not to spend money I didn’t have, but really it goes deeper than that.

I learned it goes deeper when I lost nearly everything.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.”

See, without meaning to I was counting my chickens before they hatched.

Without realizing it, I came to a point in my life where I thought my life would just go on like it always had been. I had always been an integral part of a ministry as a pastor’s wife. I thought I would always be a pastor’s wife. After I turned 50 years old one day I woke up and everything changed.

At first I was in shock.

I couldn’t think about how to go on.

Here’s the basic bottom line element I learned…I didn’t need to think about tomorrow.

I didn’t need to have a plan.

All I needed to do was turn to Jesus, turn my back to the edge of a cliff, and let go of my preconceived notion of what my life should be.

I stopped counting my chickens before they were hatched.

I learned how to take one step, one day at a time.

I learned I didn’t need to be married to be whole.

I learned to like myself.

Gradually…ever so gradually I learned to love myself.

It took time and mistakes along the way, but eventually I learned that I am alright all by myself because I have God/Jesus IN me. I stopped dating and looking for what was next. When I did that, I really realized with God I was already fulfilled and I did not need to be in a relationship.

I came to realize that from junior high school on I had been searching for being in a fulfilling relationship.

I’m not sure why I kept searching (if it was cultural or internal) but when I stopped searching for someone

to complete me I started really relying on God and I found peace.

I found real peace. Essentially I stopped counting on what was going to happen next. I let go and let God

be in charge.

AND I discovered it was wonderful and it set me free to be me.

In God,

Deborah/acrazyjourney.com