I stare at the fluffy clouds above me and then back down at the rich, green grass below me. Being in this familiar spot brings back so many memories of days, summers, and years that have passed. I remember the joy and the pain of the moments that have come and gone. I sometimes ache to go back in time. To fix things or change what happens, or maybe just to relive a moment twice. And it’s easy then to desire to stay in the past, isn’t it? Surely you feel it to. The past is so certain. Almost comfortable. We’ve lived it, we understand it. And we would just rather not move out of the past because we’re afraid. We’re afraid of the future. Afraid of what could come. For the future is no guarantee. The future is a risk, it is not guaranteed. The future takes us away from what is comfortable and changes us. Maybe that’s the point? I have never been one to like change. Change always brings something uncertain, an outcome you don’t know yet. It’s a future that seems even scarier because we don’t know what to expect. Yes, I’d much rather stay right here and not move forward. Not move into that next season or that next phase. Not move into the coming change. I’d rather stay in what I’m familiar with, thank you very much. Because then maybe I won’t be hurt. And maybe that’s the deepest fear of all. We fear being hurt. We fear the pain. We’ve all faced it. We’ve all felt it. Pain that cuts deep. Rejection that wounds. Hurt that leaves scars not always seen with the eyes. The pain clouds our vision. The pain leaves us frozen. We don’t want more pain, so even though remaining frozen in the past keeps us locked in the pain, we think it’s safer than stepping into the future and experiencing more pain. We hold back our lives. We hold ourselves back from everything we could be living. No, I’m not guaranteeing you no pain in the future. But I am asking you…what adventure comes with no risk? I am telling you… The best is yet to come. You see, God is the Master Storyteller. And you? You are part of His story. Trust me when I tell you, God doesn’t write a story that is not good. Easy? No. Good? Yes. Oh, yes. Stepping into change, stepping into the future may hurt more than ever. And it’s a risk because you do not know what is coming next. But I do know that it is God’s best for you. For everything we go through is God’s way of shaping our story into something more beautiful, more majestic, more thrilling than anything we could’ve ever imagined on our own. Yes, the best is yet to come. I keep looking at the grass at my feet as I remember the memories here. Good memories, yes. But you know what? More good is still to come. If it’s not good yet, it’s not the end of your story. For in the end, you will see how beautiful God made everything turn out to be. Brave heart, you must take the next step into what is to come. If you don’t, you might just miss out on the greatest, grandest adventure of your whole life. And what you will find all along when you step forward? The Writer of your story--the God of the universe--has His hand reached out to you, ready to go beside, behind, and before you too. He's here. Your best is still coming. Embrace it. “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Galatians 5:1 What would you say freedom is?
Let’s imagine something for a minute that is going to serve as our example for this. You have to know by now that I have an imagination as large as a five-year-old. So we're imagining that there was a teenager who was given a very expensive car by their parents. All the parents requested with the special gift was that their teenager would always bring them along on the ride. They didn’t want paid back in any way, they just wanted to spend more time with their teenager. The teenager was so grateful for the gift. They began telling all their friends about it, but slowly they started to consider the possibility that they should pay their parents back in some way. After all, surely their parents would love them even more if they were able to pay them back a little bit for such an expensive gift. Right? So the teenager got a job to save up some money. They worked long hours while the special gift they’d received stayed hidden in their garage at home. They never had time to take it out on a ride anymore because they were too busy working to earn it. They were miserable because they felt like a slave to a debt that had already been paid for them, and in the end they never got to experience a ride with their parents. Would you say that this teenager was living in the freedom their parents had given them with such a selfless gift? They were free to use the gift with their parents whenever they wanted. But did they embrace that freedom? We would all be quick to say that the teenager hadn’t been living in freedom at all. They were living as a slave to a debt that their parents had already paid for them. Don’t we do the same thing, friends? I know I have. When I was fifteen, I became consumed with living out a set of rules I had placed on myself to try to be a “perfect” Christian. In a way I was trying to pay the debt that I could never pay and that Christ had already paid on my behalf. The best part? When He paid that debt on my behalf, He gave me freedom in return. Freedom to love Him. Freedom to know Him. Freedom to pursue Him wholeheartedly. But I was missing it by staying in slavery to rules that I put upon myself. And I suppose if I could tell my fifteen year old self one thing, I would start with this: Following Jesus isn’t about a list of rules you’ve created for yourself, but all about a relationship with the One who just wants your heart. I had became more like Martha in that story tucked between the text of Luke 10. Martha, who hurried around trying to do for Jesus that she completely missed out on the wonder of being with Jesus. And isn’t that what we do too when we become so consumed with the rules we give ourselves that we lose sight of the freedom Christ has given us? We become so caught up in doing all the things we think we’re supposed to do for Jesus that we forget He has set us free so we can be with Him. Yes, there are boundaries. Yes, we live differently than the world because we love Jesus. Yes, He gave us instructions in the Bible and while I know I certainly don't follow them perfectly, I strive to do my best. Not because I have to do it to earn His love and grace, but because I love Him back. Freedom is your inheritance in Christ. All He asks is that you take the ride with Him. Are you ready to pick up the keys and go for a ride? I know this is a bit late and I'm so sorry for the delay. But I'm sure you all are very excited to hear who the winners are for this blog's 3rd annual short story contest! :) *drumroll please* The Runner Up for the "True Love Story Contest", winning their story being featured on my blog and shared on my social media is... Jeanette van As!! With her story, "Ever Heard of Love, Luke?" Congratulations, Jeanette! <3 And our Grand Prize, First Place winner of the "True Love Story Contest," winning their story being featured on my blog as well as a FREE Cheerleader Session with myself and Livy Jarmusch is... Hannah Kohner!! With her story "No Fear in Love" Congratulations, Hannah! <3 Both of your stories will be posted within the next couple of weeks right here on my blog. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest--you all wrote some beautiful stories and I'm so grateful you joined the fun! A Different Kind of Beautiful was the book I never thought I'd write. It was the book I wrote but never thought I'd show anyone. It was the hardest book I'd ever written. For the glory of God, I have chosen to move towards the process of publishing this book. And I'm asking you if you want to join me. To read the requirements and get more information or to fill out a launch team application, click the button below. To God be the glory. (Special note for anyone wondering about the story contest announcement that was supposed to go up yesterday: We had a delay with judging and winners will be posted soon. Thank you for your patience!)
“Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 When I was eight years old, I decided that I wanted to be a writer. Growing up, I normally would go back and forth between all the different things I wanted to be (typically based off whatever book I was reading at the time). However nothing ever changed how I felt about writing. I always knew I was meant to write. So when I was sixteen I wrote a book that I knew God wanted me to publish. I knew He had given me this gift for a reason and I felt strongly that He wanted to use this new book for His purpose and glory. But I was downright terrified. And the truth was that I did not believe I was a “good enough” writer to ever be published. I didn't believe that I was even good enough to be a writer. I was extremely insecure about my ability to write good material. I wrestled with God over it. What if people didn’t like what I had to share? What if I made a fool of myself? What if I didn’t sell any books? On and on the list of “what if’s” ran through my mind. What if I’m just plain not good enough? And then I read that verse from 2 Corinthians 12. Jesus says, My grace is all you need, and My power works best in your weakness. Yes, I am weak here. My insecurities have convinced me that I am not a good enough writer. My insecurities have convinced me that God can’t use me. My insecurities have made my faith so weak. Maybe your insecurities have done the same for you, whatever it may be. Maybe you too have wondered if you’re strong enough for whatever God is asking you to do. Maybe your insecurities have made you question who you are. Let me assure your heart that your insecurity is a liar. If your insecurity has told you that you are not good enough for what God is leading you towards, it is lying. If your insecurity has told you that God cannot use you, it is lying. If your insecurity has told you that no one loves you, it's a liar because the God of the universe is crazy about you. Here’s the truth: in Jesus Christ, through His grace, He makes you more than enough for whatever He is calling you towards, because His strength is made perfect in your weakness. You may feel weak. You may feel like you aren’t big enough for whatever God is asking of you. But know this…that’s okay. You don’t have to be strong to be used by Him. When I was eighteen I finally took that leap of faith and published my book. The adventure has been amazing. And it has only made me more confident of the truth that God loves to use our weakness for His glory. He loves to show up in the places we are most weak. And He loves to quiet our insecurities and remind us that in Him, He makes our future secure. So that insecurity holding you back from whatever He’s asked you to do? Kick it to the curb and you move forward anyway. What insecurity in your life has been keeping you from the adventure of following God’s plan for you? What is one step you can take today to move forward, even in spite of your insecurity?
Have you ever felt left out by your friends? Maybe you’ve felt invisible to some people, or even very visible but painfully ignored. Have you ever felt alone even in a crowd of people? The ache of loneliness is one that we should all know, for we will all face it at some point in our lives. Perhaps you feel lonely as you enter the season of life where your friends are getting engaged all around you, but you are still very much single. Or perhaps you’re in that season of life where friendships are changing as everyone gets older and your heart hurts from the lonely absence of friends who used to be there for you. Maybe you’re feeling distant from family members and the loneliness of it all makes you sad. Whatever your situation is, the ache of loneliness is painful. I remember feeling this ache in my heart. Loneliness can feel like you’re walking a desert road with no end in sight and no one to walk with you. You feel so alone. But there’s a secret I learned about this road. This secret is one that can make even the darkest alleys of Lonely Road seem brighter. You see, on this road we become so caught up in the absence of those we wished were there that we don’t even look up long enough to realize Who walks beside us. For walking down every Lonely Road with you and with me, is Jesus. And when I met Jesus on that road, I began to think differently about this ache called loneliness. Perhaps instead of being an ache to ignore or fix in all the wrong ways, loneliness is really a calling to a relationship that can heal even the most wounded places of our hearts. When I am surrounded by people and community, I can feel God there. After all, He created community. I’m not denying how wonderful it is to connect with God while connecting with His community of believers at the same time. However, when I am alone or feeling painfully left out and lonely, it is then that I can experience the presence of God greater than I ever have before. It must be a choice I make, that’s for sure. It’s easy to walk on Lonely Road and focus on the pain—the ache. It’s easy to become bitter or angry towards the ones that left or towards the paths we thought we should be on but we clearly aren’t. So I must make that choice. And you must make it too, friend. That when we walk Lonely Road, no matter how great the ache, we will not let that be our focus. Instead we will focus on the God who walks beside us and holds the wounded places of our hearts in His hands. Thrive in Him in this place. Talk to Him. Draw closer, allow your wonder of His presence to be renewed as you find Him in these places you never thought you could. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. And I’m certainly not saying that the ache will go away or the tears will stop falling. But I am saying that you will have Someone who will share that ache with you. And when you meet Jesus on that road called Loneliness, I promise you that you will never be the same. All along you will discover that you were never, ever alone. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 |
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