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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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MM.001: Do What You Can & Let God Do The Rest!
I like to break things down and think about the significance of each word in a phrase like this. It can sound cliche or oversimplified on it’s own. When you stop and dig into what each word is really talking about, you gain context for a richer meaning behind the phrase as a whole. So lets expound on that sentence.
“Do” – Do not just sit around and wait for life to happen. God’s promises only come after an action of obedience to His plan.
“what” – Know what you are being called to do. The only way we can know this is by being familiar enough with God and His will to recognize His voice so we can hear what He is calling us towards.
“you” – Do not worry about what God is calling other people to, you are not responsible for them. You can only control yourself and what you do!
“can” – We all have different gifts and it helps to be honest with ourselves about what we are truly good at. Not everyone can do everything. Find your thing and own it!
“&” – Once you have done your part, that is not the end. Let’s be honest, It would all turn out pretty crappy every time if that were true. Be expectant for God to show up and fill in the blanks. Pray for it, wait for it, look for Him at work in everything!
“let” – You may find Him at work doing things in your life that are uncomfortable, scary, or just overwhelming. Be still and wait. Let Him finish His work and you will see His plan shine through even the darkest of circumstances! He uses the hard things to grow us the most. Be patient, growth takes time.
“God” – Remember who He is and His love for you! He is in control and His plan is for our good.
“do” – He is powerful and able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine.
“the” – He knows exactly what needs to be done in every circumstance. We may not understand it from our point of view but He sees the bigger picture and knows what is best for us.
“rest!” – He will not stop until His good work is finished. He began a good work in each of us and will always see it through to the end.
When we do our part and wait expectantly for God to show up, He will show off! He works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Rest today and everyday knowing that our best is good enough and God completes the work He calls us to when we obey and step out in faith!
Pray right now for God to make it clear to you this week, exactly what it is He is calling you to accomplish. It may not seem like much but even the smallest things we feel called to do are an important part of His bigger picture. On the other hand, it may be something that seems huge! Just remember how much bigger your God is! Nothing is too big for Him to help you through. If you seek His will and Pray for Him to guide you, you will know what He is truly calling you to do. Once you know it, do it! Then sit back and watch how He uses it to grow you and advance His kingdom!
Blessings FAM!
