Beautiful Things
You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of us.
This song pricks my heart every time I hear it. I know God has a plan. But sometimes I get frustrated with it. I want to know all the details so I can prepare myself and others. I want to be in the loop. The truth is, I couldn’t handle it, and He knows it.
So, I hum this tune in my head, over and over on repeat until my nerves calm a little. I realize what I need is peace about the current circumstance, not information.
Peace which surpasses all understanding.
Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Is it asking too much for God to provide what He has already promised? I want the peace. I want the heart guarding and mind shielding peace. I want the peace, but I still want to understand.
Surpassing all understanding. The peace is supposed to be enough. I pray it is. I want to be faithful to the hope this scripture brings me. I want to have this kind of peace so I can move forward with whatever His plan is for me.
I know I have to let go of this need for information. I know I must learn how to quiet my mind and turn things over to Him, not snatching them back the minute I second guess His plan. Who am I, to second guess the Creator of the Universe? I am His, and he expects this. He has a plan.
I quiet my heart, rest in this verse, and meditate on it once again. My anxiety subsides as tears fall down my face. My inner peace is warm. For a few moments, I know what it’s like to be content. I know what it is like to be still and be held. I know God’s plan is a mystery. I know, I am not supposed to know. He shields me from it because I am not Him.
And this is ok.
Xoxo
All Things New
There are two places in scripture that I cling to at this time of year. One is Isaiah 43:19, the other is Revelation 21:5
I love the two, they say the exact same thing. One from the Old Testament, one from the New. Different times, different covenants. The same promise from God. His plan in action. His reassurance for our future with him. He does make all things new.
In this new year, what are we making new?
There are a lot of promises made beginning January first. New years resolutions, a word of the year, dieting and healthy living goals just to name a few.
But what about our spiritual lives?
Do we resolve to be “new” this year?
A new life is the chance to get things right. Being baptized is the first thing that comes to mind. But lots of us have already done this. But did we make ourselves something new? Jesus has done his part. There are endless possibilities. Keeping it simple is the best way to keep growing. Moving forward with the little things, because they turn into the big things.
Reading scripture is a great way to keep yourself moving forward. Last year, I set all my books aside and read the Bible chronologically. I had a one-year reading plan, but as an avid reader, I finished in 4 months. (I can’t stop because the guide says so when I am in the middle of a story)
I had never before sat down and committed to reading the Bible all the way through. Chronologically was the best choice I could have made. It opened up scripture in a whole new way for me. I was mesmerized with it as I read, learning new details about stories I had learned long ago.
Another thing I did was journal through my reading process. Not every page has been written on, but I journaled a lot, and sometimes in a creative, artsy way. Not all of the ideas were my own- I took some from the resources I had purchased. It opened up the story in a profound way. I connected with it.
Another opportunity for growth is to listen to audiobooks or podcasts when in the car. A lot of artists and churches stream or record their speakers, sermons, music, and extra podcasts. There are a lot of options out there. You can even subscribe to something you love and it will email or post on your social media accounts each day as a reminder.
Being part of a life group or small group is tricky for some of us. I know. There are days I would rather stay home, doing my own thing rather than in a group of people talking about anything. But I do it because fellowship is important. (Our group meets my needs on some level because we only meet bi-weekly-I am not too overwhelmed with peopling.) You can start a virtual group on social media or have a couple of people meet at a coffee shop for an hour a week.
Books are a good way to connect with people. My husband is not a big reader, but he will gladly read a book and study with me or with our small group. If there is something to learn or a topic which is interesting, reading as a group might be beneficial.
The last and most important part- become an actual member of a church. We belong to a super small church. Some of our people are dreamers. We love that about them. We want to dream big and shoot for the stars with them. We want our church to grow because we are not the status quo. A lot of churches are caught up in politics and media issues. We want to be caught up in Jesus. We want others to join us who also want to be caught up in Jesus. If you are looking for something to fill a void in your life, the church is the place. People can help you meet Jesus if you let them. Allow the Holy Spirit to take you on this journey in 2020.
**If you want help looking for a church near you, please reach out. What are you waiting for?
** If you are local to me and want to visit my church, please reach out. What are you waiting For?
I hope your new year brings lots of Joy and Jesus.
I pray you become something new in Him.
XOXO
