Ever notice how we start out doing something then a shift happens. It could be a change in perspective, attitude, knowledge, or something else. The next thing we know what we are doing is turned upside down. We need a redo!

That is exactly what happened to this post. I started out merrily analyzing millennials and boomers in the new expanding economy. I looked at how we are so cautious to grab the opportunities because of different perspectives and experiences. I won’t bore you with the details. I did find the root cause of the caution was the same for both millennials and boomers. It was FEAR! But that is as far as I got.

When I draft anything, whether it is my blog posts or one of my stories, I write in what I call ‘freestyle.” I just write as the words come out of my heart and mind. I pray and ask for guidance and words. Writing this way I learn a lot about myself and God. I then go through and find the common thread and pull the thoughts together. This week in my first, really rough draft, I wrote in the last few paragraphs:

“He says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. [REF] We need to free our minds of all the coulds, shoulds and woulds. Pray for the grace to find our path. Get past the fear and take the risk for you.” (Please excuse the grammar, this is my raw writing)

It didn’t mesh with the rest of the post. For some reason my heart was thinking of this scripture. I figured I’d better look it up. I found the words in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said:

 “²⁸Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” [NABRE]

The New American Bible Revised Edition has the following footnote for verse 29: “In place of the yoke of the law, complicated by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of obedience to his word, under which they will find rest; cf. Jer 6:16.”

So I looked up Jeremiah 6:16 [NABRE]:

“Thus says the Lord:

Stand by the earliest roads,

ask the pathways of old,

“Which is the pathways to good” and walk it;

Thus you will find rest for yourselves.

But they said, “We will not walk it.”

My focus and perspective shifted. After reading these passages I knew I couldn’t continue with my analysis. It dulled in comparison to the blessings I had found. I couldn’t help but to think how God gives us what we need even when we are looking elsewhere.

I have struggled with insomnia since last year when my father was caught driving on the wrong side of the road. That resulted in his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Needless to say rest has become a valuable commodity. A lighter burden and rest had me almost salivating. Imagine a place of rest to someone in need of sleep. That would be me, right now in my life!

The promise tells me whatever I am going through I will find rest in the Lord. The promise has a requirement. Or if you a prefer, there is a rule to the game. I need to shift my life pathways to good.

Jeremiah says “ask the pathways of old, “which is the pathways to good” and walk it;” Jesus says in Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke (obedience to his word) upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.

How simple is that? But there’s more! Do you see it? In these scriptures it is our choice to walk in the pathways to good. God will not step in against what we choose to do. He just tells us what the outcome is when choosing him over the distractions placed in our path. The saddest part of these Scriptures I found is where Jeremiah states “But they said, “We will not walk it.”” It was their choice.

Here Jesus calls to those who labor and are burdened. He gives us a choice. “Take my yoke…” His yoke is obedience to his word. His word is in His Holy Scriptures.

This is the kind of change I am making in my spiritual life. I didn’t know it when I started my blog. I thought the blog would be a light and fluffy, and hopefully a funny little journal type thing. Last year it changed and became more spirit filled as I walked closer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

I choose God…I choose His pathway to good…I choose Jesus’ yoke. It doesn’t stop here. It is a choice I will need to make every day for the rest of my life. Then I have to walk the path I choose toward the Good.

I keep seeking his way and he keeps showing up. Image that! Keep seeking your path. You will find your way.

Milly