Twenty one hours of driving one way.
Ten days later . . . and twenty one hours of driving back.
Required lots of music to be enjoyed. Music of all kinds. Some CDs got played more than once. On one of those CDs, I was struck by the lyrics to many of the songs . . . talking about the life we've been called to live once we have been made new in Christ.
One of those songs has continued to run through my head as I've returned to work.
The lyrics for the chorus are:
"Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world, in the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the midst of the busy-ness and the challenges of life, it can be easy to forget that truth. When things are not going as planned, we get discouraged and can feel overwhelmed. Those are the moments when we can find it easy to forget that the God we serve is greater than the one who is against us.
1 John 4:4 says, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
Today, I leave with you the encouragement that our God is greater than anything that our enemy, the devil, can through our way.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Own Your Story
"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we will ever do." (Brene Brown, "The Gifts of Imperfection")
The first time I read that quote, I had to go back and reread it a few times. It's straightforward on the surface, but as I continued to read and reread it, I realized the depth of it.
When we own our stories, it means we take the whole of it and acknowledge it as ours. Rather than hiding from it, we take it for what it is. A bit later in the introduction to the same book, Brene Brown writes this,
"Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running form it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy - the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light." ("The Gifts of Imperfection")
We own our stories, when we allow God into every area of our lives. When we go to those places we would rather not go and allow Him to speak the truth into them. It is when we allow God into those areas of our lives, that we are able to own our stories - the story that God has played a part in and wants to continue to be a part of.
We have to allow God into those dark and vulnerable places in our lives. We have to take the risk to do that. And when we do, God's light shines from our lives in a way that others notice.
It takes courage to own your story, but it's worth it.
How are you doing at owning your story?
The first time I read that quote, I had to go back and reread it a few times. It's straightforward on the surface, but as I continued to read and reread it, I realized the depth of it.
When we own our stories, it means we take the whole of it and acknowledge it as ours. Rather than hiding from it, we take it for what it is. A bit later in the introduction to the same book, Brene Brown writes this,
"Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running form it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy - the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light." ("The Gifts of Imperfection")
We own our stories, when we allow God into every area of our lives. When we go to those places we would rather not go and allow Him to speak the truth into them. It is when we allow God into those areas of our lives, that we are able to own our stories - the story that God has played a part in and wants to continue to be a part of.
We have to allow God into those dark and vulnerable places in our lives. We have to take the risk to do that. And when we do, God's light shines from our lives in a way that others notice.
It takes courage to own your story, but it's worth it.
How are you doing at owning your story?
Sunday, June 8, 2014
God's Plans or Yours?
I've noticed that sometimes when you think you have a plan in place, God changes things on you. Because He has a different plan. And often a better plan than the one we had - even if we don't see it as better at the time.
I took a break from posting here with the plan that I would do some writing and planning for upcoming posts here. That isn't what happened. I wrote a bit, but not the way I had planned. Some things that will come in future posts were planned, but not as detailed a plan as I would like.
As I think about it, I can see that God had a different plan. He wanted me to spend the time I would have spent writing with my family. We were together the way we were for only a short time and if I was focussed on writing, I would have missed some of the moments we were able to share.
It's not that I didn't do any of what I had planned. I just did less of it than I had planned. And that was God's plan.
It's something I seem to be continually learning. That God's plans aren't always mine. And when I choose to live a life that is surrendered to Him, He has permission to change my plans anytime. My job is to follow Him where He leads - even when it isn't the way I had planned it to be.
What about you? How do you do when God comes and changes your plans?
I took a break from posting here with the plan that I would do some writing and planning for upcoming posts here. That isn't what happened. I wrote a bit, but not the way I had planned. Some things that will come in future posts were planned, but not as detailed a plan as I would like.
As I think about it, I can see that God had a different plan. He wanted me to spend the time I would have spent writing with my family. We were together the way we were for only a short time and if I was focussed on writing, I would have missed some of the moments we were able to share.
It's not that I didn't do any of what I had planned. I just did less of it than I had planned. And that was God's plan.
It's something I seem to be continually learning. That God's plans aren't always mine. And when I choose to live a life that is surrendered to Him, He has permission to change my plans anytime. My job is to follow Him where He leads - even when it isn't the way I had planned it to be.
What about you? How do you do when God comes and changes your plans?
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