DON'T Calculate without God

 See what happens. [Try it.] 
Disclaimer: This approach is not recommended. Expected symptoms may occur. If you find yourself feeling under the weather, stagnant or feel like your world is crashing down on you. Please stop immediately and being proper treatment.

Probably the wisest words I've heard today, good ol Oswald Chambers. 

 But that is what we do every day, we calculate without Him. Even the Christians who follow through with the daily routine of the religion of Christ. 

To be honest, I'm having trouble keeping up with the vision and the reality of my next step... or even a future step. After some panic attacks and such later I came to the conclusion-- not seeing vision scares me.  Reality, I feel that I can handle it, but then it swoops under my feet. Although I feel like have a grasp, it hits me that there is more to what my reality entails. It is laced with vision. So when the two don't connect,  when they are not synced with each other, I find I'm losing ground. 

(feel free to challenge this if you see fit, I'm all over the place these days)

In my lifegroup, we have to constantly remind each other what our daily is supposed to look like. It's not supposed to look like normal or even abnormal. It is where God places us; but it is where God also calculates us. 

Without His vision, we have lost our reality.

I present to you a passage. This passage has been taken for granted. I for one have heard this my entire life and never once found comfort in it.  But today the words hang differently. Soak each stanza in and feel what it does. 

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

Pause. 

 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
       he leads me beside quiet waters, 

Pause. 

 ³ he restores my soul.
       He guides me in paths of righteousness
       for his name's sake. 

Pause.

 ⁴ Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death, ^[a]

Pause. 

       I will fear no evil,
       for you are with me;

Pause. 

       your rod and your staff,
       they comfort me. 

Pause. 

 ⁵ You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies.
       You anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows. 

Pause. 

 ⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
       all the days of my life,

Pause.
       and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
       forever.

Pause. 

Find peace, find vision. Let your reality be calculated through the Father. Even on the small dailies, tasks that are not included in the religion of Christ but instead, with a relationship with Christ. 

Taken at a funeral in Mozambique 2009. I was so enthralled with my surroundings that I had to take snap a couple of photographs in the field. Here is one.