random

God uses people to encourage people. The most random person He used today, to encourage my female owner as she struggles with schoolwork (hey! It’s not easy having to study all over again, after so many years of working, doing meaningless things), was her sister-in-law! They are not really on talking terms in the first place. My female owner absolutely hates her dog, because whenever the dog comes over, she would either poo or vomit on the floor. Not to mention, frighten us turtles with her meaningless barking (So protective of us, right?).

Anyway, thanks to FB (again), my female owner was directed to this verse.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Although the verse was quoted to encourage my female owner to preserve through her studies, given the context of that verse, my female owner also gained a greater clarity for another issue that she has been pondering over. Hmm...

Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s easy to gloss over Proverbs 3:5-6 because it is well quoted but after pondering on it for a few weeks, my female owner finally caught a revelation.

Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

As a “professional psychologist in training” (my female owner likes to poke fun at herself), my female owner is familiar with the distinction and yet, connection between feelings, cognitions and behaviours. That the way you think, affects the way you feel and ultimately, how you behave.

To her,
Heart = feelings and emotions
Understanding = logic, reasoning, cognitions
Ways = behaviours, actions

My female owner, as some may know by now, is prone to feeling blue because of the way she looks at things. Through this verse, she realises that she should trust God in spite of how she feels (and not based on how she feels). Also, she should not be held bondage to her logical mind (her analysis of the probability of weird things happening to her is famously pessimistic) which tends to predict how the future will pan out for her using worst-case scenarios. It has been proven so many times that God works in ways that goes beyond human logic and defies earthly probabilistic calculations. Hence, the call is for her to surrender her emotions, thoughts and behaviours to God and allowing Him to lead her.

Hence, when a dear friend/ sister-in-Christ/ aikido senior asked her today: how's things?
My female owner’s reply was: Trusting God, that’s the only way to go.