I think it’s no surprise that sometimes God uses repetition in our lives to get our attention. For me, God’s been reminding me of light. Light has been talked about in my Bible study and as each day approaches, there is visibly more light in the early mornings.
This thought all started when I was doing my Bible study. We’ve been reading through 1 John and there’s a verse in it that says, “ God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).” As I worked on my study, the question that tagged along with it was, “ Does it reassure you to know that there is no darkness in God?” As I thought, I was reminded of the darkness I’ve seen in the world. People die, relationships are torn, cancer strikes, people are hungry and people are poor… the list could go on and on. This thought, that God is light was striking because sometimes the darkness seems more visible than the light. But leave it up to God, to not end the thought there. One morning, I was listening to Our Daily Bread devotional. It was talking about looking for God in your day. The days that followed were moments when I felt like I could see more of the presence of God. Visibly, it was seeing some killer sunrises or seeing light peaking behind the mountains or seeing stars twinkling at night; all signs of a creator and a reminder that someone had created a plan for the day. In my soul it was experiencing people praying together, God answering prayers in various and unanticipated ways, sharing in intentional community with others and people coming together to learn about God. All these little moments stuck out like bright lights to me and reminded me of the presence of God in my everyday. I don’t like darkness. If I am the last person downstairs at night and have to go upstairs, I’m certainly sprinting up those stairs as quickly as I can. The darkness is discombobulating, spooky and there is so much unknown around each corner. It’s funny how scary a basement can become when it’s pitch dark. I think that life is similar to being downstairs in the dark. In the dark, you can run into a wall, stub your foot, crash and fall. This world is full of hardships. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God wants us to walk towards his light, which means knowing him and being in relationship with him. When you’re in the dark and see light, it’s bright. It causes you to see things clearer or it may provide direction to guide you. This is the same with God. He is light and he helps us to see clearly. Life is not without sorrow and pain but God gives purpose to our sorrow and pain. Life with him looks like having hope knowing you are loved more than you can ever understand and knowing there is a purpose in it all. As I thought about my response to my Bible study question, I was reminded that God is my security, my retreat, and my hope. Knowing him changes everything and I hope you walk towards the light that only God can provide. He is a way out in a world of darkness. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” He provides a way out for you; a way out of the darkness into his magnificent light. The creator of the universe, the one who created light, loves you.
0 Comments
Do you ever think of how you introduce yourself? What things you say and don’t say? What about what things you excitedly identify yourself as? Perhaps a graphic designer? A pilot? A nurse? A business guru? A parent? The list could go on and on… Now, I’m not saying that it’s bad to identify yourself as one of these titles because these are all great things. Often times, these are people’s passions and dreams. It’s when we trick ourselves to believe that this is all that we are that it starts to become something negative. We are much more than our careers, how much money we make and the roles we play. When we are doing the mundane, day-to-day tasks, that when it’s easy to loose sight of who we are.
I write this because this is something that I have really struggled with. When I fail or fall short of “who I am” by how I’ve defined myself to be, it can feel like getting punched in the face. The reality is, we put a huge emphasis on what we are doing. When we are a student, the focus can be on how good of grades we’re getting or what we’re doing now to prepare us for what we’re doing next. And when you’re out of school its questions like how well am I doing in my job or should I be looking for something else that can become your main focus. How easily we forget that we were bought with a price and that we are much more than our jobs. 1 Corinthians 7:23 says, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.” If we’re all honest, were a mess; that’s the human condition. The reality is, there’s no escaping it. At some point, we will feel like the worst at our jobs or the worst family member; that’s life. But Jesus came in our place to take away our shortcomings and our failures; He is the hero of it all. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God wants to be our source of identity. He wants to carry our burdens for us as we walk with him. Do you know how much he loves you? More than we can ever fathom. You are precious to him, whether you know it or not and he wants to be your source of strength and identity. AW Tozer wrote, “How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God that has none.” What a relief it is to know that I am much more than what I do. Hello, my name is Haley and the Creator of the Universe loves me (and YOU!) I pose this question because I am guilty of this.
I am easily swayed and influenced by the thoughts of others, especially if they are someone I deeply admire. Who do you listen to? There are a lot of voices in the world; there are the voices of parents, siblings, teachers, musicians..the list goes on and on. Within that, there are also voices in what we see: media, pictures, magazines, television, art, etc. Who do you listen to? I don’t remember a lot of lectures from college but there is one that I will never forget. I was taking an Educational Ministry class, when one day the professor asked, “How many of you read your Bibles every day?” Only a few hands went up. The professor then said, “What are you doing? The Bible is your guidebook. It is our instruction book for life!” Who do you listen to? I’ve been going through a Bible study where we have been learning about the life of Moses. Moses was cool but Moses was flawed. Moses was an Israelite living in Egypt. After Moses mother put him in a basket down the Nile, Pharaoh’s daughter discovered him. From there, Moses was brought up into royalty. Later in life, Moses witnessed an Egyptian beating one of his own, an Israelite. In anger, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Word eventually got out to Pharaoh about what Moses had done and Pharaoh was furious. Out of fear, Moses fled to Midian where Pharaoh would not be able to find him. In Midian, Moses became a shepherd. Exodus 3 is where things start to get interesting. It says, “ Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up (Exodus 3:1-3).” Can you imagine this; a burning bush that wasn’t being consumed? The chapter continues, “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground (Exodus 3:4-5).” What? Can you even imagine such a sight? “Then he (God) said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt (3:6-10).” Can you imagine how Moses must have felt? To go back to a land where he had fled? To leave the comforts of his life as a shepherd where he would have to lead people rather than sheep? Talk about feeling unprepared. “Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain (Exodus 3:11-12).” I can completely understand Moses fear. It would have been terrifying to be called to lead the Israelites, who were the slaves in Egypt at the time, out of Egypt. What I love about Moses is that he wrestled God with this and God was patient. Moses gave God many reasons why he couldn’t do this. In Exodus 4:10, Moses tells the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” Even in his wrestling with God, Moses was obedient and eventually followed his voice. And God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Life still had a lot of hurdles. Moses went through a lot of trials to lead the people out of Egypt. There were plagues and Pharaoh would not let the people go. But nevertheless, he listened to God even though there were many voices in his life questioning if God would deliver. Moses was by no means perfect; in fact he was very flawed, as are we. But what is admirable about Moses is that he eventually listened to the voice of God and God used Moses as a tool to free the Israelites from the Egyptians. So whom do you listen to? It’s easy to listen to the voice of others or even to the voice in your head that makes you doubt yourself, but I challenge you to listen to the voice of God. God may not speak to you through a burning bush, but God has given us something that Moses didn’t have, which is the Bible. Who do you listen to? Plans are an odd thing. The reality is that you can make plans, but you really can’t be too sure of what is going to happen next. When I used to be really into running, I would find myself watching the movie Chariots of Fire and be so inspired by the life of Eric Liddell (the main character of the movie). One day I was researching about Liddell’s life and I learned that the end of Liddell’s life was really intense. After being an Olympic champion, Liddell moved to China to become a missionary. China became a dangerous place to live and Liddell would later be placed into an internment camp. But during this time of Liddell’s life, he continued to share and tell others about God. In 1945, five months before Liddell would have been released from the camp, he died. A missionary at the camp said that Liddell’s last words were, “It’s complete surrender” in response to how he had given his life to God. Dang. Now, I’m not saying that every person is called to live life like Liddell did because God has different plans for each of us, but talk about a man who followed God literally wherever he called him to go.
It’s really easy to make plans and be set on having expectations of how your life will turn out. I’ve been realizing that although it’s good to make plans, it’s also important to hold loosely. Sometimes when we are too expectant for circumstances to take place in our lives, they have a way of becoming idols. And, when these events don’t happen its super easy to be really disappointed. As a result, we miss out on daily blessings that are happening all around us and we can have a really hard time seeing the new direction God is pointing us too. One of my favorite quotes by Liddell is, “Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God’s love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.” My life has, in many ways, gone differently from how I ever expected it to. There have been mountains to climb, pits of confusion and times of immense joy. But, as I look back, I’m slowly starting to see that God had a direction and purpose for my life all along. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” So, even though life will turn out differently than from how you expect it too, be reminded that God is always guiding us and that his plans are far greater than ours. “What in the world am I doing? I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing with my life..” Journal Entry from July 2012 “It’s funny how they say that life doesn’t turn out how you plan for it. We watch movies and get swept away by the events and circumstances that happen in the characters life that seem so ideal and we want that so badly for ourselves. We may even plan for similar events to take place in our lives to only end up disappointed when they don’t. But, it’s funny how life doesn’t always turn out as you plan.” –Journal Entry from January 2014 “Lord, help me feel direction. Help me to trust you, to seek you and to not feel discontent when your plans aren’t the same as mine.” -Journal entry from October 2014 In the rare occasion where I actually journal, I have a tendency to just write, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing with my life.” When people ask me, “What do you want to do with you life,” I have this terrible habit of nervously blurting out, “ I have no idea what I’m doing with my life!” It’s like an unfortunate thing that I can’t stop doing. A little bit ago, I read this really awesome article by Relevant Magazine (http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/25995-making-the-most-of-the-meantime), which talked about this idea of a waiting room in life. The article talked about these moments in life where we may feel like we’re waiting for something big to happen. It might be waiting to no longer be single, waiting to get your dream job, waiting for direction, waiting for healing, etc. When we are in the waiting room of life, it’s easy to think that God has no purpose in the now. It’s easy to feel like he has deserted you or just doesn’t have a plan for you. THIS A LIE. It is an absolute lie that Satan wants you to believe and to buy into. I’ve never been much of a planner, which you might have caught on from my previous journal entries. As a result, I often find myself floating in the wave of life ready for whatever comes next. But, what’s hard about this is that it can sometimes be hard to find purpose and direction. Recently, I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to have my life put together, which is quite dumb because who ever has their life perfectly put together? No one. But, what’s been really cool, is how God has used things from past jobs and relationships with people to prepare me for life now and God is continuing to teach me so much. I think something that is so incredible about God is that in every season of your life: the good, the bad, the boring, the confusing, the outright terrible, God has something to teach you. BUT REALLY, in EVERY part of your life He has something for you to learn. Recently, God has been putting people in my life to remind me that there is purpose in now and I do not need to stress out about what I am doing. Whether it’s coworkers, friends or family, I’ve been continuously reminded that there is purpose in every part of your life and I am just so thankful for God’s provision. I am so thankful that I have so much to learn from God and I am thankful that he is still working on me and continuing to change me. So, whatever part of life your in, the chaotic, the confusing, the best, the hardest, be reminded that there is purpose in now. Know that God is using this particular part in life to refine you and to grow you and to carve you into the person that He has created you to be. And, the more you follow God, the more He helps you with that. “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” –Psalm 62:5-7 Perhaps one of my favorite memories from life so far took place my senior year of high school. It was the fall of my senior year and I was running a j.v. race in Butte, MT. Before every race, I was always so concerned that I hadn't trained enough. As I nervously waited for the gun to go off to start the race, I could feel my heart pulsing through my body. After the gun was shot, the pack was off. As we ran through the course, there was cheering from the crowd, coaches yelling times, and the ever frequent random person yelling "Come on, pass her!" Generally, in cross country races, there are places in the course where there's a big crowd of people watching and cheering but there are also many places where you're all alone and there's no one there watching from the side lines.
During this race, I was fighting an internal battle. I thought about pushing myself to run harder but I was worried that if I ran too hard, I might burn out. As I ran past crowds, I felt encouraged to run faster, but as I came through parts of the course where there was no one there, I found myself slowing my pace. I think that this is so true in life. When there are people there to cheer you one and to live life with you, it's easy to feel encouraged. But there are also times when there is no one there and it's easy to feel discouraged. As I ran through the part of the course where there was no one watching from the side lines, I could feel my pace start to get slower. Behind me, I could hear a girl approaching and I thought "I will just let her pass me." As I continued on the course where there was no crowd to be found, I suddenly saw my dad all alone on the side of the course. As I started to come closer to where he was, he said, "You can do this. This is the part where you need to kick it up a notch. Come on, you've got this." As a result, I started picking up the pace. As I approached the finish line, there was a huge crowd of people cheering and screaming. Through blurry eyes, I could see times flashing on the board. Encouraged by what my dad had told me, I ran faster than I thought I could. As I finished the race, I discovered that I had finished second. All I could think was, "how did that just happen? How did I get towards the front? " Psalm 16: 7 says, "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I will keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Life has a lot of up and downs. There are times when there are people there to cheer you on and there are times when there seems to be no one around. What I love so much about God, is that he's there through it all. He's there when life is good and when life is bad. And through the entire course he is there, cheering us on and encouraging us to do and to be more than we ever thought was possible. (For some context, I wrote this for my vocation class. Feel free to have a read)
To me, vocation means to go. But what about the moments in life where we’re unsure of where to go? What about the moments in life when we don’t know what our purpose is? In these moments of uncertainty, which will be frequent, we ought to just get on a path and see where God leads. We ought to take opportunities that present themselves, dream dreams, make goals, fail goals, and discover what it is that excites us. And when we figure out what that is that makes us come alive, we ought go in that direction and see what happens. Too often we feel like we have to have every moment of our life mapped out. But we forget that the moments of spontaneity make for some of the best moments of our lives. So, to me, vocation means to go. Last summer, I read a book that changed my life; the book was Love Does by Bob Goff. It took me forever to get through mainly because I found myself rereading pages over and over in an effort to not forget what was being said. I highlighted and folded pages throughout the entire book; I just couldn’t get enough of it. I think that the reason that I loved this book so much was because it challenges each person to live an extraordinary life. Bob challenges us to take risks in life. He challenges the reader to take hold of God’s ever extending hand that is always inviting us on an extraordinary journey. There have been many moments in my life where I’ve been too afraid to walk into the unknown. Too often I find myself choosing the comfortable, safe life and, as a result, I miss out on the adventure that God calls us to take part in. This book encouraged me to build up the guts to refuse to live a safe life, and instead, to take risks. Another reason that I loved this book was because Bob Goff talks so much about the character of God. Goff writes, “These days, the view of God I hold on to isn’t Him being mad because I’ve missed the mark. It’s the one of Him seen through a bloody eye, scooping me into His arms, getting blood all over His shirt, and carrying me away to get healed.” I love this because it’s so true. Part of my fear of not wanting to take risks comes from the concern that I will mess up. But, I think that God uses everything in our lives. He encourages us to continue during the good and he teaches us lessons through the bad. Both the good and bad are necessary elements for the growth of becoming who God has created us to be. Bob Goff encourages the reader to go in life, which is what vocation is all about. He writes, “Tell me about the God you love; tell me about what He has inspired uniquely in you; tell me about what you’re going to do about it, and a plan for your life will be pretty easy to figure out from there. “As I am about to graduate from college in the next week, I find myself at a cross roads in life. What is next? Where will I live? What will I do? But it’s writers, like Bob Goff, who encourage me to simply go in a direction and see where God guides me next. The future is still uncertain, and I don’t have a clear plan mapped out but I have some ideas and I am excited where God will take me with those dreams. What’s interesting about Bob Goff is that at the end of the book he gives out his cell phone number. He encourages people to call him up if they ever want questions answered about the book. Even though Bob Goff isn’t exactly famous, he is very well known, so the idea of giving out his number was so surprising to me. So, one day I thought, “why not give Bob Goff a call?” As I thought more about calling him, I started to think that maybe this wasn’t the best idea. What if he didn’t answer? What if he wouldn’t be willing to answer some of my questions? What if I somehow offended the author of my favorite book? As I thought about this some more, I realized a similar pattern in my life; I was choosing to live the safer, more comfortable life. I was reminded that I ought to take risks and just see what happens. I slowly typed Bob Goff’s number on my keypad. After correctly typing all ten numbers, I set the phone on my kitchen table and looked at it for a little bit. Was I really going to do this? In a panicked moment of life, I clicked dial and could hear the dial tone ring. As I waited for someone to answer, my palms got sweaty and my heart was racing. Then, on the other side of the phone, someone said, “Hello, this is Bob!” I couldn’t believe it; I had dialed the right number. In a surprised response I said, “Hi…is this Bob Goff?” Sure enough, it was. The next two minutes of my life were painfully awkward from my side of the conversation. I stuttered, my voice shook; I was all over the place. But you know what? I did it. I called him and that was the real test of it all. I did something that I never imagined I would; I took a risk. There was one question in particular that I was most excited to ask him. It was a question that I had frequently pondered and asked in my vocation class. I asked him, “Do you feel like you had a clear calling of what you wanted to do with your life?” What I loved so much about his response was that it had been the same response as all the other people I had asked. He said that it hadn’t always been crystal clear. He had tried some things and some things worked while others didn’t. We ought to simply go and see what God does. I hung up the phone and was thrilled. As I come to a close with my schooling career, what I want to take with me is a drive to go and to take risks. I want to be open for the adventures that God wants to take me on. I want to remind myself to not shove my dreams into the corner, but instead to live them out. I want to become the brave person that God has called for me to be. I want to refuse to take the safe path but instead take the exciting rollercoaster. With life, there will be ups and downs but I am excited to learn, to dream, and to see what God has on the itinerary next. I’m thankful for books that encourage us to take risks. I’m thankful that each person has a different vocation and path to take in life. I’m thankful that God invites us to live and to take part in an exciting journey. In one of the chapters of Love Does, Bob talks about a woman who encouraged him to follow his dreams. She tells him, “Bob, you know those things that have pinged you? Those gifts that are beautiful? Those countries and people who are most important to you? The God you love? Keep moving toward those.” So go. Get on a path filled with things that make you come alive and see where God will take you next. He’s got a great plan for each of us and we ought to take him up on the adventure. Needing inspiration? -----> Go read Love Does "You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep My faith will stand." -Oceans by Hillsong United Somedays I wake up and think to myself, "how in the world did I get here?" And by this, I mean why did I go to the college I did? Why have I lived in three states? What's the journey God is taking me on? Where will I go next? Last week was a tough week. One of my brother's good friends passed away. And y'know what? It hit me so hard. I really didn't know him very well. I went to his wedding, had brief conversations with him when he was at my parent's house, and we were Instagram friends. But you know what was so cool about him? He knew how to live. Maybe he wouldn't say that about himself, but he impacted so many lives through loving people the way God loves us. He didn't rely on his own strength but rather the strength of the one who created him, God. What's interesting about life is that it is so short. We forget that. We often look at things and people like they will be there forever. In fact, one of the most difficult conversations to have is one about death, which is weird because we all eventually die. But we're not meant to live forever on this earth. So, as I reflect on the tiny amount of time that we have, I'm challenged to use up all my time for God. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." So go and live, and live for God. He knows the exact amount of time you need on this earth. It's ok if you don't have a plan, just start going in a direction. Although I don't understand why my brother's friends life was so short, I know that in his 28 years of life he lived it to the max. "God's not lost, we are." A couple days ago I was looking through an old journal when I came across that sentence. Those words hit me hard. As I rummaged more through the journal, I saw that there had been many times when I wrote things like "I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing with my life."
I wrote the most in that journal the summer after my freshman year of college. At the time, I was working at a summer camp. Since my school was on the quarter system, I had joined the camp staff late and felt incredibly out of place. It was an unknown time of life for me because I had doubts about wanting to return to my college and I had no idea what I wanted to study. I felt really lost. But, as I look back on that time of my life, I can now see how crucial it was to be where I was at that time. That summer I got to be surrounded around incredible people that allowed me to see the world and love people in a different way. It was also a time in my life where I was so dependent on God to provide for my every need, and he did. Even though I felt lost, I was right where I needed to be. Now, as a senior in college, I once again find myself in a crossroads of wondering what in the world I am doing with my life. I often find myself thinking that I chose the wrong major. But, as I reflect on my life, I can see how God has provided for me along the way. Yeah, things haven't always been easy but he's been there to guide me and provide for me. Even though the future seems so scary and I still have no idea what's next, I can rest in the assurance that God will never leave me and that he has a purpose for my life, even though I don't know what that is. God's not lost, we are. But you know what? He has a plan for you and wants to guide you along the way too. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 "…and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20 |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2019
Categories |