Obvious... my new favorite word

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Growing up in the church, this is a verse I heard a lot and memorized at a young age. It has revealed different truths to me throughout the years, but one in particular struck me several weeks ago. I was reading a book where the author was describing our role and God's role in this verse. We are to trust God with everything and acknowledge that we want His will in each area of our lives. That is usually as far as I went in reflecting on these words because that is where my responsibility in it lies. When looking further, the author of this book pointed out that as we do that, God's part is to make our paths straight. She went on to use the word "obvious." My first reaction to that word was that it was not used in the verse, and I was not sure that it was something I could expect from the Lord. Can I really ask that He make something obvious to me and expect that He will do it? According to His word, He will make our paths straight or, in other translations, direct our paths. If He is directing me, then why would He not want to make things clear so that I can follow wholeheartedly? So that night I decided that I was laying Rwanda at His feet. I released my plans, desires, and questions to Him. I told my sweet Lord that I needed to know what He wanted for me, but that I needed it to be so obvious that I could not deny it was His answer. I asked that I would be so sure of His will,  that to turn my back on what He revealed would be to choose disobedience. I knew that I was being bold, and honestly I wasn't sure what would come from it. I was determined to stand on His promise to direct my path. Let me tell you that within about two hours my answer came, in the form of a burden He placed on someone else's heart. He answered months of prayers, longing, and questioning, in one conversation with a dear friend. He revealed in beautiful detail how He had been working even when we weren't aware of how all the pieces fit together. I asked for obvious and boy did I get it!! Now, I don't believe that answers from Him will always come so quickly or dramatically as they did that day, but I know He hears my prayers. I know that He wants me to ask Him to reveal Himself. I know that He is calling me to Rwanda in His specific time, and I am taking each step He shows to get there. There has been a lot of waiting and wondering, a lot of joy and tears, but with every event that has occurred He has been moving me to this place and this time. He gave me my obvious answer when I surrendered my way and asked for His will on this path. I have no doubt that He will do the same for you!!

Running

I went running today. For anyone who knows me, you know that it is usually a battle within my own mind to actually just get out there and do it. Once I get going it isn't too bad until I hit this one incline on my road that makes me wish I had never had this brilliant idea to run today. So I was listening to my iPod as usual, feeling fine, and then I hit that hill. I got to that moment where my legs start burning and I am working overtime to breathe. Well today my shoe also came untied and the wind started whipping against me. I was just wishing that I was done- at the end of this run and not having to think about it anymore. That is when I heard Him....Jesus that is. Tenderly He said, "One step at a time, sweetheart." Rather than focusing on where I eventually wanted to get, in these hard moments, I needed to take it one step at a time and no more. With that in my mind, I decided to try just focusing on my next step- not desperately searching for my driveway to come into view. When I did, I saw that the reality of running those steps wasn't nearly as difficult as the build up in my mind. I could do it. I could continue to run even when it was hard, if I just took it step by step. Of course, Jesus wasn't really speaking to me about my run. He was speaking to me about this journey I am on with Him. Right now I find myself in another one of those periods of waiting that threatens to derail my emotional handle on things. I am refusing to let Satan convince me that my God is not faithful or doesn't care about answering me. I have seen His faithfulness and tender care so many times already this year. So when I just want everything figured out....no more questions, worries, uncertainty, I hear Him again- "One step at a time, sweetheart." As much as I sometimes don't see it or even fail to admit it, He does know best and for whatever reason I am having to wait. I can praise Him that He has never left me in the wait! He is my joy, and so I am choosing one step at a time.

 

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God..."

New Year, New Me...

First, I need to apologize for so much silence in the blogging world. I am still here! All I can say is that life took over and the blog fell to the bottom of my list.

In only the first 12 days of this year, I am realizing that 2013 will rank amongst the best years of my life. If not even one more exciting or wonderful thing happened this year, God has already done enough to deserve 365 days of my praise! I need to be writing to preserve memories of His faithfulness.

Each new year brings us an opportunity to start over. We can make changes. We can dream about how life will be different as this year ends. We can commit to doing things differently...better. Most of my goals this year are spiritual ones. I want to memorize more Scripture, commit to daily prayer for others, and be more disciplined in my pursuit of God. In short, I want to want Jesus more. I began this year praying that God would give me a greater desire for Him that would lead to a deeper pursuit of Him. This alone results in greater service to Him and all those that He loves. I have talked before and will again about simply asking, but boy has He already shown up this year. I am experiencing a greater intimacy with Christ than I dreamed possible, the kind I grew up believing was reserved for only the really holy people who seemed to have some kind of special line to Jesus. I know that He is desperate for me, and I am desperate for Him. I cannot pretend to know what 2013 will hold, but I want all of the Lord's will for me in this year. I will hold on tightly, for this beautiful journey has only just begun...