Summer Vacation

My youngest daughter, Victoria Leigh, asked me to go to Italy with her this summer for the month of May…

I am sad to report, that I did not go…

She just returned last night…

From her adventure in Italy…

Have you ever been asked to go somewhere or do something wonderful and then passed by the opportunity?! Only to regret not going, doing or participating?

Well, I am there.  Evaluating the who, what, where, when and why I didn’t do this…  I have had some amazing opportunities.  I have taken and seized many opportunities.   But this time, I realize that I passed an opportunity because of hesitation and fear. I feel like the LORD has given me my word for the new year:

Faith.

Faith to replace fear. Yes, my new year with the LORD, starts this month.  And HIS word is always timely.

GOD is so gracious to me and has provided other vacation plans for this summer;
But because of fear, I missed out on an adventure with my daughter – what a bummer.

To realize that I missed a trip with my dear,
Because I was hesitant and had fear…

Oh dear,
Get out hesitation and fear!

So I say to hesitation and risk:
Tisk, tisk!

I can not live in hesitation,
I just missed a fabulous vacation!

And if I take no risk,
Nothing will ever be missed.

I can not live in fear,
Or constant hesitancy dear.

I don’t want to be confined,
To sitting on the sidelines.

Fear can be crippling,
And cause me not to live and sing,
Yes, fear, can be crippling.

LORD,
A full life I don’t want to miss,
So I hear You insist,
A full life, in YOU, I don’t want to miss.

Help me to be keen and fully aware,
That YOU can help me to decide and each decision bear.

LORD,
Help me, in everything, to move at just the right time.
And to rest in YOUR wisdom and to know, that I’ll be just fine.

And to not miss out on any thing,
That YOUR good pleasure may bring.

Help me, by YOUR wisdom to act
And not be timid, hesitant or left at the back.

And just as YOU’LL help me to act,
I will also know when to retreat, to stay or retract.

YOU give me good sense.
Help me to move forward and go hence.
YOU give me good sense.

Help me to be able to discern
And from a missed opportunity, to live and to learn.
Yes Holy Spirit, help me to be able to discern.

When faced with decisions of: Do I go or stay?
Help me LORD, to listen to YOU each and every day.

Each day there are decisions, each day there are choices.
So many pulls, from so many voices.

Lord, because of a missed opportunity vacation,
Let me always be found for YOUR wisdom, waiting.

Bless YOU LORD, for an opportunity to learn
About YOUR wisdom and the ability to discern.

Yes, thank YOU LORD, that each day is an opportunity to learn,
I desire YOUR wisdom and knowledge and the ability to discern.

Faith speaks adventure and sometimes, risk.
To fear alone, help me say: Go, you can not speak or sit!
Faith speaks adventure, and sometimes risk.

Let my hallmark be faith;
But goodness LORD, not that I missed out, or was late.
Let my hallmark and heritage be faith. Amen.

Missed opportunities can be beginnings
Of faith over fear, that lead to a beautiful and necessary endings.

My story, is still being written
And one missed trip, doesn’t mean I’ll forever be sitting,
Move forward, dear ones, our stories are still being written.

Faith, not fear,
Is our heritage, dear.