While I’ve
always wanted this blog to be about the awesome blessings in the lives of my
little family {which I could spend pages and pages counting those blessings and
am so thankful for each of them}, I also want to be real and so I am using this post as a
sort of a “journal-entry” where I can look back at a certain day/phase of life
and see God’s hand so clearly working even when I don’t have the capacity to
understand His timing and His plan now.
I’ve never
been really good at eloquently expressing myself and I have so many more
thoughts in my head than what I could pen down, but a couple posts ago I
mentioned how I had a disappointing kind of week. Without getting into details
{although most of this does have to do with the selling of our house and
my job situation, among a couple other things}, God has just really been
showing me that He truly has a plan and He is sovereign. He gives and He takes away.
He is never early and never late. Although my feeble mind tries to comprehend
Him, I never will. I’m finally reaching a point where I’m starting to better
understand surrender. Surrender to Him. All my plans are just that - they’re
mine and may not be His.
It’s easy to
get discouraged when my plan of how I think things should happen doesn’t go my
way or at least in the time frame that I think things should happen. But, I can
trust the Lord that He is good and He will work things out for His good AND
ultimately my good. I’ve been so thankful to begin to rest in His peace and
that He knows what’s best for me and my family.
In
preparation for this semester of our small groups at church, I’ve begun reading
the book we’ll be studying, “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. Each fall,
our church does a study on the same book in our small groups, while our spring
semester is more interest-based. Our Pastor will preach on Sunday’s this fall
in line with what we’re learning in the book and then we go more in depth in
our small groups. Just from the first several chapters of this book, I’m so
encouraged and know this is exactly what I’m needing. Its teaching me to
continue to pray big, bold prayers about my dreams and to continue to have the
faith to seek Him even when my circumstances don’t seem to line up with my
plans. {If you can’t tell by the number of times I’ve said “my plans” – I’m
pretty type A. So giving control over doesn’t come easy!}
Like I said –
I have SO much to be thankful for and it would probably be obnoxious to list
them all here. And I am in no way neglecting what God has done and continues to do
for us. I am in awe of His mercy, grace, and love for us.
So, in hopes
that you may draw some inspiration from a couple of these quotes from the first
couple chapters of this book, I’m going to share some that really encouraged me
to continue praying and seeking Him!
“Bold
prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.”
“God isn’t
offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers…If your prayers aren’t
impossible to you, they are insulting to God. Why? Because they don’t require
divine intervention.”
“There is
nothing God loves more than keeping promises, answering prayers, performing
miracles, and fulfilling dreams. That is who He is. That is what
He does.”
And just for good measure - here is a pic of my little sweetheart! Could not be more thankful for her!
