A Beautiful Mess

I often get ahead of myself. I routinely jump ahead of God. And in this season of my life when things are not ideal, when plans have been reconfigured, and the future is unknown, I feel God reigning me in more and more to one unchanging truth. I have shared this verse before, but it is truly THE promise that I can hold onto today and every day that my husband and I have questioned God about our current circumstances.

“He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20

Is that not amazing? So many times we get a specific picture of our life in our minds and we think, “God, if it could happen like this it would just be so perfect!” We jump ahead of ourselves, and our Father, when we fail to think that our plans could be any more perfect than His plans and purpose for our lives.

Every time I have been angry or upset beyond words at a let down from an opportunity that seemed to be so perfect for my family, God reminds me that He is able to do far more than that missed opportunity. You know what that says to me? It says that I have a idea of what would be “just right” and perfect. I get excited thinking about the plans for my life because it looks to wonderful in my mind. I get discouraged when it doesn’t happen my way. But oftentimes I think God looks down on His children, with a gentle smile thinking, “Beloved, you think that way would be good and perfect for you. But you have no idea what I have in store, and it’s much more beautiful than that.”

To even type those words brings tears of joy and hope overflowing, to my eyes!

I think a good story oftentimes arises from a messy situation. And as Beth Moore says, if you’re in the middle of a mess, you are in the perfect situation for God to do something incredible in you. Now I have had moments of doubt. I have been angry and hurt, to the point where it has blinded me (temporarily) to the truth I am explaining to you today. But God always humbles me to bring me back to that. And He will continue to do so until He believes this test has run its full course in my heart and my husband’s. And as my husband says now, we are in a situation where God is calling us to be completely dependent upon Him and His direction alone. What a beautiful and humbling place that is to be.

Through my quiet time today, the good Lord brings to me yet another song. This one takes me back to my upbringing, standing respectfully in church with hymnal in hand, a 7-year-old girl not fully comprehending the words to what she had sung many times before:

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Hard Days

I write to you this evening from the comfort of my couch, chamomile tea nearby for my sickness (yuck, right?) and my loving puppy playing at my feet. Sounds like a great way to end the day, doesn’t it? And after one of “those” days, it sure is refreshing to just relax! We have days that are particularly harder than others. Sometimes it isn’t even for any huge reason! Maybe the day didn’t start out right, maybe your routine got thrown off, maybe you forgot something on your way to work/school that you REALLY needed, maybe someone said something that hurt your feelings, this list could go on and on right? Anything ranging from bad hair day to tragic, life-changing event could be a contributing factor to having one of “those” days, am I right!? 

Today was one of those days for me. For starters, my day just didn’t begin the way it should, or the way it usually does. So I frantically text my prayer partner on the way to school. I get encouraged, and I really wanted to start the day right even after a setback. No harm, no foul. To keep the story short, it was one thing after another today. I constantly felt as though I were trying to take myself back to the right mindset, and by the end of the day I was honestly so thankful that, at the very least, the copy machine was working!

I have a feeling that if you’re reading this, you can understand what kind of day I’m talking about. So as I write to you, in the safety and comfort of my own home at the conclusion of such a day as this, I pass on the advice a good friend encouraged me with:

Remember, review, and recite scriptures throughout your day! 

The bible says hide His word in your heart, and my suggestion to go with that is to hide it anywhere else you need to, as well! I currently have a list of “go-to” verses stuck on my wall by my desk at school so that I can be reminded of them no matter what kind of day I’m having. 

This is my challenge to myself and to you. Have a list, or a few index cards, of scriptures that encourage you. Memorize them. Recite them to yourself when you are struggling with something or having a hard day. We can’t avoid the hard days, and we definitely cannot avoid conflict that arises in our lives, but we can fill our lives with the hope God allows us to have daily. And that will be what gets us on the other side of those hard days. We are Overcomers! 🙂 Here are 10 scriptures that I have nearby for each day. I hope this helps you as much as it helps me! 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Romans 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Ephesians 4:20-21 “Now to him who is able to far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory”

Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

James 4:6-8 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

And of course, I must end with a song. Have a great, relaxing evening. And be a conqueror of tomorrow! 🙂