Take heart...

Alright well I didn't really feel like waiting to post again, perhaps as feeling like I needed to make my friend Pierce's accomplishment of two posts in two days less significant than it actually is, or perhaps because I truly want to share some more wonderfulness from this past weekend. 

Regardless of my reasoning, I'm gonna share one of those nuggets right now...

Yesterday was Monday, and for those of you who aren't brain-dead probably are saying: Chad, that's not the weekend. You people would be of course correct. Well I was on my way in to work at Max & Erma's and I realized I just did not feel like working yesterday at all. I wanted to "ease" back into the flow of things after being away for such a great and fun weekend, and really it was just me being selfish and lazy. I think we all tend to get like that from time to time. So it wasn't a truly weird or alien feeling, and there was the other part of me that was annoyed that I was having this thought. This almost lead to a fight between halves since they were both annoyed the other one was there. Crazy I tell you.

Well I'm walking in to work, putting my apron on, and generally thinking about how I would like the day to go: busy so time passes quickly, or slow so I can go home and probably do nothing or maybe write a post. So as I'm about to walk out onto the floor and check my section, God just speaks to me and quotes himself from Jeremiah 29:11-13...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart."

Man, I cannot explain the flood of just relief and love that came over me from that. It completely changed my day and my outlook on things. I really felt like God was speaking to me, "Don't worry Chad, don't be anxious. Like Jeremiah I know the plans I have for you, and they aren't to be working here or some other run of the mill job for the rest of your life. Take heart." Needless to say, that's a pretty powerful feeling when something like that occurs. Both of my shifts yesterday went well, and joy really became evident in me and manifested itself in my outlook and attitude all day yesterday. It has even permeated my day today already, which I need to really get going on. However, is there any coincidence that this verse was the verse of the day on Bible Gateway?