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TT.004: How Do You Handle Life’s INTERRUPTIONS?
Life is unpredictable. The only thing we can count on from the world is inconsistency. I think it is imperative that we understand that, in order to free us from the trap of setting our expectations on the fragile things of this world. Obstacles are bound to happen and the road turns in ways we cannot expect. It is like driving through torrential rain or fog, most days we can only see 5ft ahead if we are lucky. What is beyond that is completely unknown. It could be straight smooth roads opening to sunny skies or it could be a 100ft plummet into some of the darkest days of your life.
Okay those are two extremes and maybe all you are gonna face is a bump in the road….or a leaf. The fact is, sometimes we feel small like an ant and that leaf seems huge and life altering, but God knew it would be there. In fact, He put it in your path on purpose to correct and redirect you towards exactly the path you were meant to walk down. If you are not catching on to my reference yet this should do it, God is saying, “Stay calm! We are going to walk AROUND the leaf!”…(A Bugs Life) haha but seriously, don’t you ever feel that way? Like how is it that something as trivial as a leaf in our way (a relational rejection, a new job offer, a diagnosis, a canceled social event) can make us panic so much and lose our minds?
Our plans/path may have been interrupted by that leaf, but the ground is still beneath our feet. That relational rejection was God’s protection. That new job offer is an opportunity to advance, gain experience, expand your mind, test your trust, and allow God to pour out more blessings of provision into your life. That diagnosis may not feel like it, but it is an opportunity to cling ever so much tighter to the faith you have in the ultimate healer! Just like the blind man Jesus healed in John chapter 9, He may be using the diagnosis in your life to be an example of great faith that someone in this world needs to see in order to hold on to faith through their own situation.
And lastly, I know with COVID-19 we have all experienced some cancelled social events and gatherings that we are used to partaking in to mark special occasions like birthdays, weddings, graduations, or even funerals. If that is what has set your mind reeling and caused you to lose your peace, just remember, it is not the activities or motions we go through that create value in those events. In this current cultural storm we have to walk more carefully and intentionally to navigate our daily lives. I believe and hope, for the most part, it has caused us to finally slow down, be still, and really listen to the Holy Spirit. It has shown us areas where we had lost a bit of that genuine human connection and it is teaching us how to repair those areas. Just like Christianity is not about the religious activities or rules we follow but rather the loving relationship we each have with our heavenly father, the joys of life and relationships with our friends and family are still alive and well! They are not dependent on whether we blow out birthday candles together (can you believe we used to be allowed to blow our nasty breath all over a cake and then share it with our friends?! hahaha) or gather and “pick a side” to watch two friends profess their love to each other…etc.
As we leave 2020 behind us, the fundamental ways our lives worked will remain impacted. School, Church, Work will all continue to look different for future generations. I’ll say it again, our only constant in this world is inconsistency and we could get lost in the fear of the unknown but our home is elsewhere and that place offers us a consistent loving relationship with the One who wins! Let’s walk around the leaf together, live there and learn to love like Him!
Blessings FAM!
What leaf in your life has you feeling like an ant? How can you shift your perspective in that situation to reveal the steady presence and protection of God in and through it? Nothing is wasted and so even when we feel like we have failed to handle a leaf situation correctly, don’t let that derail you from trying harder to tune in to God’s purpose in the face of the next leaf. Each time we are intentional about learning what God is trying to teach us in every circumstance, we get better, stronger, and wiser in the aftermath. He is always working on us, we are His masterpieces in progress!
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WW.003: Every Move I Make | by David Crowder Band
“Waves of mercy, waves of grace” These are the lyrics that made me choose this song for this weeks Worship Wednesday spotlight. If you grew up in church like I did and 30 is creeping up on you, then you are probably vary familiar with this song! The moves we did were slightly different than this video but for the most part, they are the same. I loved this song and still do but for different reasons. When I was a student I loved it for it’s energy and excited movements. I served in the children’s ministry at my church back then, leading the small children in worship which, with them, always had to be full of creative movements. Most songs we lead them in had to have moves made up for them and I have many fond memories of choreographing those songs with my fellow KidZone Singers! (You know who you are! I miss you all and those sweet times we had together!)
My love for this song has taken on new meaning in my current season. As I was thinking this morning of what I wanted to write about for this post, I couldn’t stop coming back to one of my favorite analogies for when things in life look overwhelming. I liken it to standing on a beach and staring out at the water during a major storm which creates this giant wave! Think of the tallest wave you can and then double or triple it’s height! When we see things going on in life that are outside of our control, it can be easy to react in fear. Those things that seem so big and inevitable are like that giant wave. It is one hundred stories tall and coming straight for us. We feel like we may drown or be washed out and lost to the sea.
But “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” {2 Timothy 1:7} We can only control ourselves and we can choose to stand our ground against those waves by His power! In the end, just like that giant wave is pulled down to earth in submission to the moon’s tide, The waves in our lives will be crushed beneath our feet in submission to the unmatched power of God! Just as the wave, after crashing down, still comes towards us to softly ripple over our toes and around our ankles, the waves we face in this life will still come for us but to produce in us refreshing ripple effects of growth by God’s grace and we will see more clearly each time just how well we are surrounded by God’s merciful protection!
‘Waves of Mercy, Waves of Grace” Lord help us all to remember that the giant waves we face in this life all work for Your glory! You bring lessons and reminders of your grace and mercy in each one if we will only stand firm in Your power and look for the blessings. We trust that you will protect us and force these waves to bow at your power and break in your time!
Blessings FAM!
What are some waves you are facing or have faced in the past? How has God blessed you through them or how are you praying for His blessings out of the ones you are currently facing? If you are not praying to Him about them, why not? He cares about us through every situation. Go to Him with your fears even if they seem silly. Sometimes when we are less mature in our faith, even the small waves in life can scare us. There is no shame in that, just remember that no matter what we bring before Him, He will help us through. Worry about nothing, pray about everything and He will bring you peace!
