Lent. It always creeps up on me. I'll be at church the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and I'll hear everyone talking about it. And my immediate reaction, "Oh my gosh! How is it time for lent again?! I haven't even begun to think about what I'll give up!" No joke. Every single year. And every year, on that Sunday I begin praying and talking about it and all works out.
But this year, the Lord had been working in me in advance. I just love how personal God is.
For a while now, I've been wrestling with trusting God. Wrestling with believing He intends good for me and has everything under control. And little did I know, He's been preparing me for the lenten season all along.
Last week was a really hard week and a dear friend encouraged me in times of waiting that God is building so much character in you and that embracing the hard times is the best thing we can do!
Embrace -- that word just keeps coming back.
Embrace the process. Embrace the waiting.
When you embrace the process and the waiting, you are embracing THE LORD.
You are embracing Jesus' journey for you.
Why wouldn't you wanna do that?! Ya know? Why do I run from that. I'm not sure why I do.
No, actually, I think I have an idea -- it's because I think I have it all under control. But I so don't. If I even tried to be in control, which I'm guilty of, I'd get so weary and so burnt out, which has happened time and time again. And I'd run out of fuel. And I do. That's why we NEED Jesus. He's got a plan for our lives, He promises us that, and He knows just when He needs to give us the things He gives us in life.
I long for answers. (Especially when the Lord has given me huge desires.)
I don't like living in the unknown. (Especially when the Lord has given me huge desires.)
The waiting is no fun. (Especially when the Lord has given me huge desires.)
But it's all about embracing the process.
Ecclesiastes has always meant a lot to me because Ecclesiastes 3:11 was Heather's life verse. So when Jonathan started walking through Ecclesiastes, I knew it'd be good.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 -- He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the heart's of man; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
So why do we want everything to make sense?
Because He has set ETERNITY in our hearts.
And nothing on this earth is eternal.
We can only be satisfied with what is eternal and that is only Him.
BUT, enjoying worldly things isn't inherently bad.
He gave us desires for adventure, for marriage, for sports, or art, or traveling.
It looks different for each person.
He designed us to enjoy His gifts so that we point right back to the one who is infinitely higher. And once again, that's Jesus.
I continually try and control my life and the Lord keeps saying, "Dethrone yourself and embrace me!"
And all I can do is laugh that I thought I had it slightly under control and say, "Yes sir."
The season of lent is to prepare us for His coming. The coming of our Lord and Savior.
And Jesus just keeps reminding me, "I'm alive and present!" He doesn't want me to forget that.. He hasn't let me forget that. And I'm incredibly thankful.
I'm thankful that all His promises are true.
That He cares.
That He has a plan for me.
And that He is such a great dad.
Learning to embrace the process, the pain, and the waiting is so hard, but I know it's building so much character and for that I cannot complain.
Side note: A lot of the ideas/thoughts of this blogged stem from Jonathan's sermon this morning at Shades Valley Community Church.
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