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Transition Times

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A few weeks ago I was walking by this park near my house when I came across these lovely trees. I couldn’t help but notice that while all the other trees that lined this block were still green, these two were already changing colors. They looked beautiful, but a bit out of place. I guess that’s what’s to be expected since it was early in the fall season.

Still, the word that came to my mind was: Transition.

Transitions can be messy. They don’t usually happen overnight. It’s a process. In this case, the line of naturally green trees was interrupted by this burst of color.

Isn’t that how our lives can seem sometimes? In some areas, it’s business as usual. In other areas, there is new life springing up! Transformation or growth doesn’t always take place all at once.

Judging by this picture, that’s OK! Just as God designed these trees to change colors at different times, He also designed us to bloom and blossom at different times.

We’re constantly being molded and shaped into the image of Christ and that is no easy feat. It comes in stages, over time, day by day. Little by little.

Wherever you are in your process, could I encourage you to take a breath and smile!  Yes, to stop striving so much and to enjoy where you’re at on the way to where you’re headed. Sure you may feel awkward or discombobulated right now, but no worries. God knows what He’s doing!

Let’s let God continue working!

“… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Did this encourage you?  Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. To get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields and to get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox, click here.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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One Step at a Time

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“One step at a time, Sister. That’s the only way you’re going to make it. Take it easy.”

Those were the wise words I overheard as I was climbing up the stairs to go to a prayer meeting the other day. I couldn’t help but turn around to see who was speaking. A man was encouraging an older lady who perhaps had a foot injury. She was slowly making her way up the staircase, step by step.

Even though the comment wasn’t directed at me, it stuck with me.

Yes, that’s how I’ll get to where God is taking me. Not all at once, but little by little. One step of faith after another.

If you are anything like me, you may be tempted to run up the stairs. Or better yet, to tackle two or three steps at a time. But friends, have you noticed that God is not in a hurry?

We may not understand His divine timetable, but there’s no use fighting Him on it. His timing is perfect.

In order to make it to the top step, we must keep climbing. Keep persevering. And like the woman behind me who must have eventually made it to the final step, we just have to keep moving forward.

Take a short rest if you must. Take it slowly if you need to. But don’t get overwhelmed by the journey. Keep walking, knowing that the Lord is with you. His grace truly is enough, and His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.

You will make it!

If the journey has you winded in anyway right now, remember to keep leaning on Jesus. Do you hear Him? He’s saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment and to hit “Like” below.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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It’s All About the PROCESS

Lessons from Assembling the Cubbies

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I finally got around to buying this organizer the other day, and I felt daring enough to tackle assembling it all on my own. I figured it would be a fun project to work on without breaking too much of a sweat.

I’m not a builder by any stretch of the imagination. So, I put on a relaxing Gospel CD and took inventory of all the moving parts. Yes, as you can imagine I found tons of spiritual applications along the way that helped to show me what our faith journey is like. I thought I’d share them with you below.

Know Your Goal – Here the goal was to take all the pieces and put them together like the picture on the outside of the box. In life, you also need to have goals and dreams in front of you. Our ultimate goal should be to be more like Christ.

Have the Right Tools – In this case, I used the different pieces provided and I made sure I had a hammer and screwdriver handy. In our walk with Christ, our tools include prayer, reading the Bible, and being plugged into a church.

Read the Manual! – Had I ignored the instructions, I would not have known where to start or how the pieces fit together. The same is true with reading the Bible. We need to read it so we know how to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord.

 

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Don’t Give Up Half Way! – I did hit a road block on the first day, which I’ll mention below, but I was determined to keep going! What would have happened if I just left the organizer like it looked above? I couldn’t use it for its intended purpose. So many times in our walk, we may be tempted to quit when it seems too hard or we get distracted by other interests. But as I recently heard a Pastor say, “It’s always too early to give up.”

It’s OK to Ask for Help if You Need it. – I accidentally put some pieces where they didn’t belong, so I couldn’t get them out. Since it was already late in the evening, I decided to stop the construction for the moment. I figured I could find the pliers the following day. My uncle happened to be visiting that day so he helped me take out the misplaced pieces. So in this case, I needed to find an extra tool and I needed a family member to help me. When we encounter an obstacle in our spiritual walk, it’s ok to ask a trusted friend in the Lord to help even if it’s just to lift us up in prayer. Of course, we can always turn to Jesus directly to ask Him to forgive us if we’ve sinned or to give us the strength to move past the problem or situation.

It Takes Time to Build Something! – In this case, the shelves didn’t instantly appear. The pieces had to be stacked piece by piece and row by row. There was an order to it. The same is true in our Christian walk. We can’t be jumping around and skipping steps. Each part of the process is important. Eventually, the finished work will be ready!

So how did my shelves turn out?

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Not bad, eh?  I still need to put some finishing touches on it, but soon my books and other items will have a new home.

So wherever you are in your journey, remember to try not to despise the process. It can seem long, or hard, or tedious or boring or painful, but God is the Master Builder and He knows what He’s doing!

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”       (Philippians 1:6)

Did this encourage you? If so, please feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Perfect Timing

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I saw this sign the other day, and it just spoke to me.

Ever have that feeling that something good was right around the corner? Like something that you have been hoping for was on it’s way.

It’s a great feeling, right?

I can’t place my finger on it, but I’m just sensing something really good is on it’s way!

Perhaps it’s that whole idea of “after obedience, comes the blessing.” The idea that there is a time to sow and water and plant and then there is harvest time where you get to reap your rewards!

Maybe it’s because God just blew all my expectations out of the water during my recent short-term missions trip! All I can say is that God answers prayers, He is working, and His timing is perfect!

As the Word says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Are you in a dry season or valley right now? HOLD ON! It gets better! The best is yet to come!

Below are some verses to help encourage you that God does show up and when He does, it’s in a BIG WAY!  It’s in a way where you can only say, “That was totally all God!”

  • “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
  • “… weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
  • “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)
  • “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)

God is Faithful! If He has spoken to you about something, TRUST that He will bring it to pass! And when it happens, come back and tell me! Blessings!

Did this encourage you? If so, please feel free to leave a comment below or to hit “Like”.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Sign Language

Lessons from traffic signs

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I was walking past a very busy intersection the other day when I came across this traffic light with all the signs pictured above.

Believe it or not, each sign can be applied to our spiritual life. I’ll start from bottom to top:

No U-turns – Whenever you see this sign, you know that no matter how badly you’d like to change directions and retreat back the way you came from that is just not an option at this intersection. When you see this sign, you have no choice but to move ahead and to keep going forward. The same can be true about your spiritual life. There will be times when you are tempted to cower in fear or to give into confusion, doubt or despair. When you come to those times in your spiritual journey, PRAY and ask God to give you the boldness and courage to keep forging ahead no matter what!  “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10:39)

Wait for the green light – When you’re in a hurry, you may be tempted to speed through the intersection, but the sign in the middle says to wait!  It even gives you a time frame. It doesn’t say to wait forever. It says to wait for the light to turn green. In times of waiting on God, remain alert, yet patient. Just as you hopefully wouldn’t dare run through a red light if you were driving, you should hold steady and wait for God’s direction before you proceed! “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

The green light – Yes, the time will come when the light turns green and you get the “all clear” sign to move ahead. Just like you wouldn’t remain in neutral or in park at a green light, don’t stall when you hear God telling you to Go Forth! Even if that means taking one baby step closer to God and closer to your purpose, ask God to give you the peace to take that step knowing that He is with you. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19)

In your walk with the Lord, you are either moving towards Him or away from Him. My prayer is that you will have the courage to not back down, the patience to wait for God’s timing and the boldness to step out when God calls you.

If this encouraged you, feel free to leave a comment!

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

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Not so Fast

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I recently noticed this picture by one of the fire exits at my job, and it made me chuckle. Ever feel like dropping whatever you’re doing and just running for the nearest exit and not looking back?

Ever just want to hop on the next train, plane, taxi (enter your ideal escape vehicle here _________) and just go anywhere but where you currently find yourself?

I think we’ve all been there at some time(s) in our lives. While it’s tempting to want to run away when life’s problems and circumstances are weighing you down, many times it’s wiser to stay awhile and to get your bearings before you make any sudden moves.

There is something to be said about not rushing out of situations (unless they are life-threatening) and just remaining where you are for just a bit longer.

“Be still and know that I am God,” is what we’re told in Psalm 46:10.

Yes, sometimes God wants us to rest and be still for awhile. As our Good Shepherd, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:22-3)

Some of us are so good at running away that the thought of slowing down can seem so foreign and even dreadful.

But it’s only when we slow down and get quiet before the Lord that we can hear Him more clearly.

When was the last time that you spent time being silent before the Lord?  Could you hear God speaking to you in the midst of the chaos you were in? What did you hear Him say?

I’m reminded of Elijah and how he literally ran for his life, got exhausted and depressed, and how God in His mercy met him right in the middle of that trial. How did God present Himself to Elijah? It wasn’t through the rushing wind, the rumbling earthquake or raging fire. It was in a gentle whisper. (I Kings 19:1-13)

If Elijah hadn’t slowed down, he could have easily missed his divine appointment with God!

Let’s try not to be in such a hurry.

If everything in you is itching to run, could I encourage you to take a moment and wait upon the Lord? His timing is perfect, so try not to go rushing ahead of Him. Enjoy the quiet time with the Lord as you would if you were spending quality time with your friend or loved one. See if that doesn’t give you a healthier perspective about your situation and give you that peace that only Jesus, the Prince of Peace, can give you. (Isaiah 9:6)

That time of refreshing will strengthen you for the next leg of your journey.  I guess that’s why we’re called to “walk” with the Lord instead of to “run” with Him!

Did this help you take your running shoes off for the moment? Feel free to leave a comment below.

 

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