Friday, January 10, 2014

In The Quiet, In the Stillness

It's been long overdue for me to write another post. 
Life has been crazy, to say the least, but I'm hoping it doesn't disable me from writing more often. 

So much has been going on lately. School started back up, youth group and small groups are starting back up, I'm looking for a second job, my bank account is crying because of school materials, my business is taking off [but also going through some big changes], and my room is a mess..still.
It's a lot to handle, let alone keep up with, but one thing that I am constantly reminded of, is that regardless of what all I have going, and regardless of how insanely busy I may get, I need to set aside time to be in communion with Christ. 

It's taken a toll on me lately, my alone time with God. 
Why?
Because there really hasn't been any. 
It's awful to say that, and I don't want to admit it, but it's true.
I have completely sucked at sticking with my quiet time over this winter break. 

It's the usual excuse we all make: "I'm so busy. I just don't have any time, or if I do, I'm just so tired, I can't function well enough to do it."

Let's stop with the excuses, guys. 
Excuses don't grow us. They stunt our growth, and we become stagnant and dissatisfied, but we will never get past that state if we don't stop making excuses. 

So, as hard as it has been to get back into a regular routine, I am getting my quiet time back. I am fighting for it. 
It's coming in different forms now days. 
Sometimes I write in my journal, sometimes I just listen to podcasts on my drives to and from school or when I'm walking, so sometimes it's when I walk. Sometimes it's just when I'm crocheting listening to music that gets my head and heart in the right state. Sometimes, some of my favorite times, is when I'm just outside in nature. When it's just me and God in His creation, reflecting His glory all around me. 

Quiet time used to just be when I would write in my journal, but God is revealing Himself to me in different forms and at different times these days. 
To me, that's a sign of growth and a sign that God is changing me and transitioning me into a different stage in life. 
It's kind of scary at times, because I don't know what to do or how to respond to it. But that's just it...He just wants me to respond to Him in love and obedience. He just wants me to trust Him in His plans for me.
It's ok if I don't know all of the details, because He does. 

Back at the end of the summer, I made a pretty serious decision regarding my future. I will probably share that decision later, but not now. I just wanted to say that it took a lot of faith in making that choice, but more so, sticking with that choice. 
It's been hard, but guys...oh guys. It's been so incredibly beneficial in my growth in Christ. It has caused me to pursue Him relentlessly, without restraint. 
It has altered my focus, so it's solely on Him, and it has given me the ability to continue to grow in Him and reflect Him. 
I think because I made this choice, it has been a lot harder for me to do this, because it causes me to be stretched in my faith and obedience, and we all know that our flesh is crying out for something other than obedience towards the Father. 

Something happen the other day that put me in a very vulnerable place. I was hurt and spiritually shot at. I really didn't know how to respond, so I had to get into the stillness; in the quiet. 
It was there that God revealed to me that the lie I was tempted to believe was not true. In fact, this was an opportunity, not to react in defensiveness, the way I wanted to, but to act in love and extend the grace that He has covered me in. 
We all fall short, but we are all called to love and extend grace, like the Father Himself has done for us. 

Life is insane, guys. It really is. But regardless of how crazy it can be, how hard it can be, we are called to be in communion with Christ, as this is what we were made for. 
Through the relationship we have with Him, He transforms us to be like Him, so that we may love like Him, and so that we may reflect the image of Him to others. Through this, He is glorified and lifted high. 

I know it's probably hard for a lot of you guys as well, but this is a challenge to be deliberate and intentional in setting aside time to be with our Father. He made you for this. 


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