Excuse Me!
Since moving to Northwest Florida 2 years ago from Orlando we have learned how to “Bring it down” a few notches. Which is a good thing. Yes, Orlando is the home to Mickey Mouse, Universal Studios, Sea World, The Orlando Magic, and many football bowl games. But living there we wanted to be as far away from the theme parks as we possibly could. Yes it is an exciting city with something going on every single weekend. And it can be a great city just so your money doesn’t run out.
There is another side of Orlando where you are so keyed up because of the traffic in town or always being aware of your surroundings because the crime is so apparent, it just wears on you physically.
For instance in March every year in Winter park they have the Winter Park Art Festival. They have nationally known music artist to play in the park on Friday night of the Art Festival. To get a seat for the concert you have to take a blanket down to the concert venue early in the morning the day of the concert. I’m talking 7am. Someone will have to stay with it to hold your spot. Of the ten years we attended we never once got to sit in front of the stage, we always threw our chairs and blanket at the rear of the stage. We always had a good time but it was a 5-6 hour ordeal for a 1-1/2 hour concert 15 minutes away from our house. There are 300,000 people attending over a weekend. It’s wall-to-wall people, and not all people are nice.
And since we have been here in Northwest Florida we attend Bands on the Blackwater in Milton for the past 8 weeks and we get there five minutes before it starts find a great place (in front of the stage) and enjoy a 2 hour concert under the stars. I know Milton and Orlando are two different city’s but, the stress level is way down.
We all get into situations living life where it’s just the way it is and we forget there are people living a whole different existence and surviving.
It’s the same way when you live a certain way and you have minimal or no faith life. Now many of you are doing well, have a good job, great family, house, cars in the driveway. You think I don’t need God. When we focus on ourselves we have this tendency to always want more. Bigger house, another car, better clothes, traveling or what ever IT might be. God is blessing you. There is another side of this life.
We need to step back and say “Excuse me” I need to check myself at the door and understand I am being blessed.
1 Timothy 2: 3-4
God our Savior…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth.
When we are stressed about our situations, even when God has not answered our prayers the way we desire, the knowledge that God is on our side and wants good for us should be comforting to us even though we may not understand. There may be a different life God has planned for us and we need to be open to the new life which God has in store for us.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Blessings
Mike