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NOW
I’ve heard it said that NOW is the only moment in time we have that touches eternity, therefore it’s the only moment we have to make a difference. NOW is always happening and it’s true, how we handle the NOW impacts everything and everyone around us. It can be a daunting responsibility to think of it as if we are constantly living on the precipice of change, ruled by our own free actions, but what a privilege to have that amount of power! God gave us this power and it is by this power that we show all manner of love and gratitude by living each day for Him.
NOW: three small letters instilled with such power! When something is urgent and asked of you NOW or something you weren’t expecting suddenly happens NOW, it can be jilting. You may feel like you don’t even have a say in what happens in life anymore. Your mind jumps straight from the sense of having an option or free will to just figuring out how to cope with it or do it and get it done NOW. It’s no coincidence that NOW contains the word OW .
OWS slip into our lives in the NOWS, in those moments where we react instead of respond to what is happening…
OW: an onomatopoeia signifying pain, two letters that bear such weight. Weight ranging from a stubbed toe to a broken heart…or a broken spirit… we may not always utter this word allowed when we hurt but we feel it. We feel the OW and sometimes…most times we don’t know why or how it came about. OWS slip into our lives in the NOWS, in those moments where we react instead of respond to what is happening, because we were unable to embrace the power of the first half of NOW….NO
NO: two little letters that have the power to protect, the power to save not only ourselves from heartache and pain but also from causing pain for others. NO doesn’t just protect us, it is not selfish, we don’t need permission to wield this word from anyone. We are free to say NO point blank, period, full stop. No explanation necessary because especially in those times when we stand to cause the most pain or distress, discomfort or destruction in our lives or the lives of others, we need NO and that is clear as day to us! It is the YHW that we don’t always understand so sometimes we hesitate because we can’t explain it until that three letter word completes and OW is upon us.
The YHW makes clearer sense in the rearview mirror but often is a little blurry and backwards to us in the moment. When we look back we will see WHY… When you get to the other side of these moments in time and you see the WHY clearly in that reflection, I hope you more often can find resolution for the guilt of saying NO in the moment instead of the dread of OW from falling victim to the “urgencies” and things done to us. We will all have samples of both in our lives and that is okay because in the end, if we belong to God we will also look back and see how everywhere we met and struggled with a NOW, God still WON!
Blessings FAM!
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WW.005: New Wine | by Hillsong Worship
I was going to write about The Blessing today but this morning all I can think of is New Wine. This song is one of my favorites but you obviously get it by now that every song I bring up is most likely a favorite of mine. Right now I cannot get this song out of my head. Do you ever have days like that?
I don’t like to complain but my life is in a pretty stressful state right now. I can’t be very specific abut it publicly right now but basically I am in a waiting room that effects the relevance of most every decision I make, financial, relational, and even how I utilize my “spare” time. It is an aggravating place to be especially when you can’t really say much about it to some of the people you spend most of your time with. I am stuck between wondering if I should do more in the mean time or use the time to do less and prepare by resting more and trying to just recenter myself. I realize I am not the only one facing such difficult circumstances and of course I also know that there are so many people dealing with worse circumstances right now. I know all that and it keeps me from complaining too much but I also need to be reminded that my pain, confusion, frustration, and trials are valid too. I don’t normally give myself permission to be the one who needs someone to listen to me. On the contrary, I usually try to be the one who is always there for others to vent to.
“In the crushing, In the pressing, You are making new wine” It is hard to see this truth when the vice grips of life are squeezing you to your limits. The part we forget is that our limits is not where our power stops! We have the power of God on our side! When new wine was made in biblical times they would carry it in wine skins which were normally made of goat skin…Kind of gross if you think about it but it is what they did. The thing is when an old wine skin reaches it’s limit and you put new wine into it, it breaks! I feel a lot like an old wine skin lately and things in my life are being crushed and pressed from all sides. The Lord is making new wine and I am about to burst. If we may segway into another biblical analogy of our cup running over, that is basically what is going on here. the wine is made of blessings. The things in life being crushed and pressed are distractions and superfluous things that we cling to in our sinful humanity which are being destroyed. However, it must be so to enable the flow of blessing into our lives and the live of those around us from our overflow.
I have said before and I truly believe that blessings and stresses are synonymous but that is only when we look at life through our own power. We keep forgetting that we have God’s power! The power that rose Jesus from the grave and defeated death is alive in us! so yes when we look at things we love or have found our security and purpose in, begin to be torn down, rearranged, or ripped from our grip, it can be unsettling to say the least. We can live in a constant state of stress and aggravation trying our hardest to hold all the wine inside our feeble old wine skins or we can surrender our finite strength and allow the breakthrough! When we experience that the wine it held will splash all over us and everyone in our vicinity. The breaking may seem like a failure on our part but it is that example that others will look at and see the power of God and how He makes us new again. When one wine skin breaks, they would make another one. God wants to give you a new wine skin so why are you trying to hold on so tightly to the weak old one you’ve had!? Let it burst it’s blessings over your life and trust that God will replace it with one brand new and stronger than before!
Blessings FAM!
What is being crushed and pressed in your life right now? How can that be used to produce new wine in your life? Why are you still desperately trying to hold onto your old wine skin? Sometimes we breakdown before a breakthrough but that is okay. Once it happens and we choose to lean on God’s power through it, those are the examples of how to live this Christian life that people need to see! You may not be able to answer the questions I just posed but the best part and one of the hardest parts to remember is that we don’t have to understand how it will all work out. We just have to trust and surrender it all to God. “So I yield to You and to Your careful hand. When I trust you I don’t need to understand!”
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WW.001: Do It Again | by Elevation Worship
This song is so powerful! I thought it would be hard to decide on which worship song to focus on for my first Wednesday Worship post but I couldn’t ignore the significance this song has had in my life over the last few years. Some of the most emotionally heighten points in recent past for me were met with this song as a strong reminder of just how faithful God is to carry us through hard times and fulfill His promises to us.
The first time I remember hearing this song was when I had the privilege of attending Passion City Church in New York City. I was in town with the Seminole State College of Florida choir under the amazing choir Director, Dianna Campbell. We had the once in a life time chance to perform at Carnegie Hall! It was an indescribably awesome experience! On top of that main event I was able to explore the city for the first time ever on my own and I squeezed as much site seeing into those five days as possible! I had a Hallmark moment on the top of the Empire State building! The second I stepped out onto the roof it began to snow! It was crazy and amazing! I Facetimed my mom and probably cried a little hahaha. That was Saturday night. The next morning I walked to Passion City Church and was blown away by this song.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed my time in NYC, there was an underlying ache for the fact that I was alone in this experience. I love to travel but it’s hard to do so much of it on my own sometimes. At the same time, I do not want to let opportunities for adventure to pass me by. So I continue to travel and experience life but I still look forward to the day I can travel with my man. This song on that Sunday morning reminded me that God is faithful and He will fulfill his promise of a mate for me one day.
Since that first time, I have heard the song over and over again in different circumstances and it reminds me of more than just that one promise. It also reminds me of how He protects me and has provided so much for me in this life that I do not deserve! I am so blessed by the mountains He has moved in my life and I am so grateful that He continues to move them for me each and every day! Stay tuned, His promises are good…
Blessings FAM!
Comment below and let me know how this song has impacted your life. What is a significant event that it has played behind in your journey? If you would like to be more personal and share specifics privately, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the contact form. I would love to hear from you and offer prayers and encouragement if I can.
