Paths

This has been a recurring revelation in my need-to-know, fear prone, control-freak mind:

What was the last thing God said? Do it.

Where are you now? Keep going, straight ahead.

He directs my steps. He knows the plan, I don't have to see it from beginning to end. My responsibility is to trust and obey.

I'm good with pictures, seeing it helps me understand. I'm on a hike at the moment (taking a break for a minute).

There are so many parallels between life and a path. Every person's path looks different, even when they're traveling the same way at the same time, some are running, some are paired together, father and daughter, a married couple, a man with his two faithful, having-so-much-fun dogs...

We've all been here before but you still look for the signs, am I on the right path? Was I supposed to turn back there?should I take the longer path or the shorter one?

Despite how you answer those questions you only answer them with certainty at a crossroads when you're staring at the map. Between checkpoints you follow the path, you keep going in the direction of the last directive. Sometimes you don't know if you took a wrong turn until you get to the next point but ultimately you figure it out (and it was probably better anyway).

Your choice in between check points is to simply enjoy the hike (probably why you came out in the first place) or not.

So many times I waste precious in between time worrying about things that can only be answered at checkpoints instead of enjoying the journey.

If you're a Christian, you're seeking God, and He has your heart, calm down you might be in the in between, you might be on the beautiful path, probably the exact one God has for you.

Don't worry about what can only be answered at the checkpoints (God determines those) and don't waste joy in comparison. It might not be your season to run and do you really want all the responsibility of a dog right now?

God has His perfect way of making it clear, He's laid out a lot of it in scripture. Start there, lay the foundation of trust and enjoy the path of life, it's too beautiful to miss.

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Acceptance & Joy

Reading through Acts is always refreshing to me, I love when I get there in my one year Bible reading! This year the thing I am most struck by is the acceptance of the Gentiles into the family of God.

Now, I am very thankful for this fact, I wouldn't be saved without it but the smoothness of the transition in just a few chapters of the Bible leaves me in awe of how much Christ had touched the hearts of those He had called.

I mean these were Israelites, those chosen by God from almost the beginning of time. They were His special people and while that included being priests to all nations, you don't see them harping on that theme a lot. The Pharisees, Saduccees and other religious leaders were the ones who were fighting so hard to keep their uniqueness provided by the Law that they murdered their Savior.

But here's the deal, the first several thousand Christians were all Jews. Many were religious leaders. This fits with their outlook on life, they're still the chosen ones, they're still the people who's God is The Lord and who sent His son as Messiah.

Then the Gentiles get involved. God starts pouring out salvation revelation accompanied by His Holy Spirit. And do you know what the gut reaction is of the Jewish believers?! They REJOICE.

The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone’s joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.

He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles—
all those I have called to be mine.
The Lord has spoken— (Acts 15:3, 9, 17 NLT)

I LOVE THIS and I want to be like this. Empty of pride and full of love rejoicing when what God has spoken occurs.

I'm not always that way, I often selfishly wonder when Gods going to move in my life when everything seems to be going a friend's way. In those moments, I seem to completely forget that Christ paid it all on the cross, I deserve nothing (worse than nothing) and received everything.

He was the difference maker in the Jewish believers' lives. He was the reason their gut reaction was joy and not pride. May it be so in our lives! I want to know Him like that and rejoice with others always.

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Shine

So "shine" has been a recurring theme in my life lately and I kind of love it. :)

I started researching "shine" in the old testament, the verses about Moses' face shining and God's favor shining on David in Psalms. I fell in love with those verses. I knew I wanted to be one who not only acted like Jesus but shone like Him. I want people to know when I've been in the presence of God, there's a difference. And I love the idea of God's face shining on me as He looks on me with favor.

When I say there's a difference, here's what I mean... You can survive in life, you can accomplish things in life, daily even but you can do all of that without anyone seeing Christ in you. Or you can glow... you can choose joy despite your circumstances, you can choose to trust God and His faithfulness above all else, you can hope in the anchor of His love. You can walk in the confidence of His favor and grace on your life.

Here are a few of those verses just for you:

Exodus 34:29

It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

Psalm 31:16

Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.

Psalm 119:135
Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

What If...

Last weekend I was at a leadership retreat on a beautiful lake. For a bit on Saturday they asked us to go spend time with God, however that looked for us. I immediately started off in my non-hiking shoes to explore and pray. After hiking up and down and back up a hill and nearly spraining my ankle I stopped and sat on an old log. I opened my journal and started writing. I've shared what came out a few times this week and then realized if it was something I needed to hear and something several people in my life needed to hear, sharing it on here might be a good idea.

What If....
Such powerful little words. They can be so full of regret tinged with shame or they can be a start to a wonderful adventure.

{Questions started pouring through my brain; what if I missed it? What if this isn't where I'm supposed to be? What if I messed it up? What if I was wrong? And I gently felt the Holy Spirit say, "Flip it."}

What if I missed it? - becomes- What if I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be? 

{And it took off from there.}

What if everything God says is true?

What if there are no mistakes, only opportunities?

What if I lived guilt-free?

What if there really is so much more?

What if fear is the only thing holding me back?

What if I let all my insecurities fall away?

{My heart was soaring and filling with the possibility of it all...}

I love the concept of abundant life, the kind Jesus promised in John 10:10. Through the process of this week I've started to realize one aspect of abundant life is hope for what God is doing RIGHT NOW, not just hope for what He's going to do in the future.

HOME

In the last few months I've gotten to tell my story several times. The thing that has stuck out to me again and again as I was telling it: HOME.

I went to give blood the other day (it's one way to save a life) and they asked me to confirm my address. I spouted off four addresses before we landed on the one they had on record. In the past five years I've had a least five different addresses and that's not counting Europe. And in the past five years home has come to mean so much more than an address or location...

2008 was a year of transition, to say the least. It contained my last two semesters of college, a study abroad adventure, the death of my Papa, a nannying position in the Grand Caymans, a Jr. High Poverty Simulation in Waco and a bad case of pneumonia and that was all before August! When August did come around and I was beginning my final semester of school, with the economy taking a bit of a nose-dive and no plan on where to go next, I was feeling a little shaken up. It was funny though my worries weren't as much financial, it was something more, something deeper.

I needed a home, a place of belonging and I wasn't sure where that was or was going to be.

I felt like I had outgrown my particular place in Waco, I was very involved in my church and in serving there but studying abroad had opened my eyes and heart to a grace I had never before experienced or witnessed. While my place and time in Waco was precious I knew that season was coming to an end. And my mind was awhirl with the possibilities, promises and fear of it all.

If it wasn't Waco, where was I supposed to be? McKinney? I hadn't really put roots down there in the year and a half before college. Midland? That was now five years/a lifetime ago. But Lord, You call us to spiritual family, You call us to a body, where is mine? Where is my home?

My heart ached with this question. But I was somewhat confused, all of my life I have wanted to be a missionary, to do mission work; isn't part of that not really having a place to call your own?

Fast forward a few months, I had interviewed with a few people and was standing in a worship service in Keller, TX.  I was worshipping my God, thanking Him for what He was doing, choosing to stand in faith and sing even though I had no idea what the next step was.

"Darling, your home is wherever I AM." And just like that, peace.

This is a concept that I'm still learning. While I have a set address in Keller and an amazing spiritual family and a taste of home, this isn't it. This is a reflection of a whole I have yet to fully experience. Same for you, you're not created for this Earth, your heart longs for perfect union with your Creator.

One of my favorite songs by Hillsong has a line that I love, "We run to Your throne, where we belong..." That sense of belonging and sense of home can only be fully fulfilled in Him and I am so grateful for that fact!

He is HOME.