Catch and Release

Hi,
What a beautiful winter day. The sun shining on the snow made it sparkle greater than diamonds. I don't like cold and ice, but when the Lord "pretties up" His creation, it's worth enjoying.
The other day I was thinking about the phrase "catch and release". When we go fishing, we practice catch and release. We catch the fish, admire it and then release it. Some people have great pride in their catches and even capture the moment with a photo.
It made me think about when we go to church. Do we "catch" the message from God's word, enjoying it thoroughly, then the moment we leave church, we "release" it in the sanctuary and not take it home to enjoy and live it?
At church we're studying Romans chapter 12. The book of Nehemiah is my favorite, but Romans 12 is my favorite chapter. It tells us how to live a life pleasing to Him. I convicts me when some of the things that it talks about are happening in my life. I need to act not react. I need to purposely love, when what I want to do is lash out in pain.
The Lord is teaching me about perseverance during trials, testing and persecution. I have to say that I'm not enjoying this teaching at all. When I hear scripture taught on Sunday's, I have to obey because that's what pleases God, and let my feelings follow.
God knows our hurts, frustrations, pain and He works in us and through us, to His glory. Romans 12:12 tells us: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." I have to admit that it's hard to be joyful in hope when there's affliction. The prayer part I have, but I need to be careful of my attitude, that it honors God.
Another part is to make sure that in my pain or suffering, to keep my eyes on Him and not self. That's hard in the best of times, but it becomes idolatry if we focus on self and not Him. It's okay to tell Him our troubles, but when we think more about that and self, our focus is off Him, that makes it idolatry. That's a hard thing to do, always put Him first, especially when we're in pain, no matter the source.
It's all about choice isn't it? Do we choose to catch the knowledge and apply it to our heart and life, or release it before it has a chance to become part of our life? It is a decision.

Deciding for Christ not self,
Sandy