It is so incredibly easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of life. There are times when it seems as if we are being pulled in every direction; we can't seem to catch our breath, we feel helpless and afraid ad confused. We can't see past the storm that surrounds our head and fills our heart and clouds our insides.
There have been moments when I've been trapped in that whirlwind. I've looked up at God in fear and confusion, and begged him to help me, to save me, to heal me, to bring me clarity and comfort. I have found myself in such a state of confusion that there would be times that I would lay on my bed and feel my mind spin as it tried to work through the panic and anxiety and (if I may quote my last blog) the "lostness."
One of my most favorite people recently gave me some really amazing advice. She encouraged me to head in the direction of peace when I feel most surrounded by the whirlwind of life. That could be peace for today, for tomorrow, for a month from now, or a year from now, but just set your internal GPS toward peace.
The Bible tells us that the Lord is our perfect peace. He is our stronghold, our firm foundation, and our comfort from the storm. His is the peace that we should be headed toward. He is our strength and our refuge, and it is in him that we find the peace that we so desperately long for.
I am so thankful that God provided me with his perfect peace. He knows that I can't make it through the storm without him. He is gracious and merciful and oh so strong. He is strong when I am not. He is calm when I am not. And he plucks me from that whirlwind and sets me on solid ground and surrounds me with his stillness.
Isaiah 54:10
"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed', says the Lord, who has compassion on you."
Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
1 Corinthians 14:33
"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace..."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
to all who are lost
Even as I type these words, I too, am lost. I am not the authority on navigating life, nor do I have any tips on how to become "un-lost" (yes, the opposite of lost is found, but I'm getting there.)
I am human. I am lost. I am often misguided and confused and wrong. I am often wandering through life very unsure of what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go or who should hold my focus. I have a human-sized plan for myself--that seems grand and exciting to my human brain--but there are also God-sized plans for me. However, those are not carefully laid out for me to find and execute, so I am often lost.
I am lost when it comes to my words, my deeds, my actions, and my plans. I get lost in the stress and confusion of life. I get lost in sadness and hurt. Sometimes it feels like I'm more lost than I am "un-lost."
I know a lot of people who are lost. I've sat with them and cried with them and loved on them, even when I feel just as lost. We are a bunch of lost people, and that is scary and overwhelming. But lost people are still God's people. We could be lost for days or months or years, but even though we are lost, we are God's. We are FOUND. We have not found ourselves; we have not reached through the chaos that is our lives, plucked ourselves out of the confusion, and set ourselves on the right path. We are found by one who is bigger and better than our chaos.
Somehow, it's comforting to know that even in my state of being lost and unsure and confused and scared, there is this perfect peace, this beacon, this lighthouse that is our Father. Even when the "lostness" seems to be too much to handle, there is our Savior. Even when we cry and ache and drag ourselves through our "lostness," there is our Almighty God.
So, I will press on, even during the times I feel lost, but I will take joy and comfort in the fact that my God sees me when I'm lost and finds me and gives me a purpose and a direction and a future and a hope. //
Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Romans 8:28
"For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
I am human. I am lost. I am often misguided and confused and wrong. I am often wandering through life very unsure of what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go or who should hold my focus. I have a human-sized plan for myself--that seems grand and exciting to my human brain--but there are also God-sized plans for me. However, those are not carefully laid out for me to find and execute, so I am often lost.
I am lost when it comes to my words, my deeds, my actions, and my plans. I get lost in the stress and confusion of life. I get lost in sadness and hurt. Sometimes it feels like I'm more lost than I am "un-lost."
I know a lot of people who are lost. I've sat with them and cried with them and loved on them, even when I feel just as lost. We are a bunch of lost people, and that is scary and overwhelming. But lost people are still God's people. We could be lost for days or months or years, but even though we are lost, we are God's. We are FOUND. We have not found ourselves; we have not reached through the chaos that is our lives, plucked ourselves out of the confusion, and set ourselves on the right path. We are found by one who is bigger and better than our chaos.
Somehow, it's comforting to know that even in my state of being lost and unsure and confused and scared, there is this perfect peace, this beacon, this lighthouse that is our Father. Even when the "lostness" seems to be too much to handle, there is our Savior. Even when we cry and ache and drag ourselves through our "lostness," there is our Almighty God.
So, I will press on, even during the times I feel lost, but I will take joy and comfort in the fact that my God sees me when I'm lost and finds me and gives me a purpose and a direction and a future and a hope. //
Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Romans 8:28
"For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
welcome to a new year
I don't make new years resolutions. I just don't. I'm terrible at sticking to them, I lost interest, I get distracted, life gets in the way, etc. (all of the usual excuses).
So, this year I resolved to have pick a word (or words) to focus on for the next 12 months. There were literally thousands and thousands of words that I could choose, and when it came down it I couldn't choose just one word.
My words for 2016 are these: patience, grace, trust.
I want patience with my friends and my family and myself and my God and my circumstances. I am known to have quite the temper. I get fired up easily, and it takes a while for me to come back down to Earth. I get frustrated easier than I should. I often make mountains out of mole hills. I want what I want and when I want it, and I'm terrible at being okay with waiting.
I want grace. I am learning that giving someone the benefit of the doubt is often the better choice. I am learning that no one is perfect, we are all deserving of grace and mercy, so I should stop expecting people to live up to some unattainable level of perfection--it's not going to happen. I am learning that grace is freeing. It produces love and understanding and freedom and joy! It makes people feel heard and not condemned. It gives us a chance to love others in a way that is glorifying to the Lord. Grace is not easy, but it is well worth it.
I want trust. I always want trust. I pray for trust with my future, my relationships, my fears, my goals, my dreams, everything. I'm learning to stop making decisions based on whether they make me feel comfortable, and start making decisions with the hope and desire that God will use me--even through the fear. I want unfailing, unconditional, unrelenting trust in God the Father. God wants me to trust in him, to put every ounce of fear and uncertainty aside in the pursuit of his plan for me, and he never, ever, EVER leads me in the wrong direction, so why wouldn't I trust him?
I am beyond excited for this new year. God was so so good to me throughout 2015--even when I refused to let him work in me. If 2016 brings half of the growth and change and excitement that was found in 2015, then it will be such an amazing year.
And my prayer for you is that you're willing--willing to let God work in you, willing to put yourself aside for his glory, willing to give it up to him. I believe with my whole heart that God's plans for you this year are incredible, so be open to him. He won't let you down.
So, this year I resolved to have pick a word (or words) to focus on for the next 12 months. There were literally thousands and thousands of words that I could choose, and when it came down it I couldn't choose just one word.
My words for 2016 are these: patience, grace, trust.
I want patience with my friends and my family and myself and my God and my circumstances. I am known to have quite the temper. I get fired up easily, and it takes a while for me to come back down to Earth. I get frustrated easier than I should. I often make mountains out of mole hills. I want what I want and when I want it, and I'm terrible at being okay with waiting.
I want grace. I am learning that giving someone the benefit of the doubt is often the better choice. I am learning that no one is perfect, we are all deserving of grace and mercy, so I should stop expecting people to live up to some unattainable level of perfection--it's not going to happen. I am learning that grace is freeing. It produces love and understanding and freedom and joy! It makes people feel heard and not condemned. It gives us a chance to love others in a way that is glorifying to the Lord. Grace is not easy, but it is well worth it.
I want trust. I always want trust. I pray for trust with my future, my relationships, my fears, my goals, my dreams, everything. I'm learning to stop making decisions based on whether they make me feel comfortable, and start making decisions with the hope and desire that God will use me--even through the fear. I want unfailing, unconditional, unrelenting trust in God the Father. God wants me to trust in him, to put every ounce of fear and uncertainty aside in the pursuit of his plan for me, and he never, ever, EVER leads me in the wrong direction, so why wouldn't I trust him?
I am beyond excited for this new year. God was so so good to me throughout 2015--even when I refused to let him work in me. If 2016 brings half of the growth and change and excitement that was found in 2015, then it will be such an amazing year.
And my prayer for you is that you're willing--willing to let God work in you, willing to put yourself aside for his glory, willing to give it up to him. I believe with my whole heart that God's plans for you this year are incredible, so be open to him. He won't let you down.
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