You Gotta Know the Territory

 

The Upper Room used to publish these journals full of wisdom and Bible quotes, along with lavish pictures and plenty of space for my own journaling. 

I found this one a few days ago and it's been fun and meaningful to read through all of the above. 

I had a lot going on in 2001!  Along with care giving, I was leading groups, writing and doing all sorts of super human things. 

And I was in therapy because, some days, I wasn't sure I could make it.  

In May of 2001, I wrote a prayer asking God to "enlarge my territory," 

 What?

This prayer also involved my asking God to keep me from evil.  Both experiencing it or doing it!  And, last week, as  I continued to read, I realized I would repeat this prayer only with a little different language.  Sometimes I wrote, "Increase my area of influence."

A couple of days ago I realized I had appropriating the prayer of Jabez.

I no longer pray to have my territory enlarged, even though my world has become much smaller in the last 22 years.  Most days, my territory is right in front of me if I just pay attention. 

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