Constant reevaluation

The rapid rolling of the seasons brings a constant call for reevaluation-- at every juncture, may I choose You. At every crossroads, may I follow You. Every time I pack up boxes and sort through belongings, dubbing some worthy to keep and some worthless, may I leave behind a little more of me and carry forward You, more purified in my understanding. You, less diluted by all the extra. You, a little clearer and closer and dearer to my heart than ever before. You are all that is worth keeping, all that is worth carrying, all that is worth clinging to from here into forever.

Only one life,
'Twill soon be past;
Only what's done
For Christ will last.

Quick to say uncle

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-Paul, in 2 Corinthians 2

I've been seeing a great deal of two extremes lately. This summer has been the end of a long dry season in my life, and I have been blessed greatly by opportunities for sweet fellowship with Jesus and some of my best friends. There have been a good number of moments lately where I've had my breath taken away by just how beautiful life can be.

At the same time, I'm watching a number of friends deal with circumstances on the opposite side of the spectrum. Losing a child or a friend, facing sickness and injury, looking ahead to long months or years of struggle and isolation-- there is no doubt in my mind that this world is broken.

But here's what hit me today: we are so quick to say uncle. We are so quick to ask for God's mercy, and to ask that He will deliver us from anything that begins to feel uncomfortable. Now, God is merciful, and I am thankful for that. But as I watch my friends face their challenges, I see pure gold start to come through in their character. Faith that hadn't had a chance to shine is being refined and coming out strong and beautiful. What do we miss if we always seek an easy life? Are we begging for deliverance from God's very means of blessing and refining us? Are we more concerned with our comfort or His glory?

"In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"
-Jesus, in John 16

Taking account of you

"When you weep, your Father beholds. Like a father pities his children the Lord also pities them that fear Him. Your sigh is able to move Jehovah; your whisper can incline His ear unto you. Your prayer can stay His hands, your faith can move His arm! Oh think not that God sits on high in an eternal slumber, taking no account of you."
-Charles Spurgeon

On several occasions lately, I've been encouraged and challenged by quotes and thoughts shared by friends. This is one of those. These are my doubts and my struggles at present... praise God that even men like Spurgeon are familiar with such thoughts.

Guided by a God outside of time

"God, outside of time, has already faithfully provided, even though my eyes are limited to the present circumstances."
-A much-needed encouragement from a friend today

I wait and wait for the future to be unfolded before me, hoping for certainty, for guidance as to the next step, for any sign of where to go or what to do or how it is all going to come together.

But even as I feel trapped in inaction, God knows and is already guiding me to where I need to be. Trust is my portion, and faithfulness in what He has given to me for now.

Seasons changing

"For years I have dreamed of a life that would allow me ample time to read and reflect and pray and meditate for hours about things of the Lord, and at the same time I have consistently filled my schedule with busyness and proceeded to wonder why I never have time to develop all of the spiritual disciplines I pray for... I don't know how long this time will last. But I do know this: I enter every situation in life purely by the grace of Jesus, and the only appropriate response is to live it for His glory. So I will strive, in this time of empty days, of hours and hours stretching out before me, to build the discipline I never had before."
- from my first entry in this blog, August 8, 2009

10 months and 100 entries later, and the seasons are changing. I have found myself scrambling these past few weeks to get my feet under me. My days of empty hours and unlimited solitude are drawing to a close, and new things are on the horizon (though still far enough away that I can only watch and wait until they come into closer focus). But the wind is picking up, the tides are changing, and off I go.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven."
-Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have loved this season. I have loved the hours of silence, prayer, delving deeper into God's Word, depending on Him to supply the needs the world could not meet. It has been a time of rest and healing, of training, of preparation, of building habits that I pray I will carry with me on the next leg of the journey. May I greet the future with the fondness I have for the past.

Intentionality

"Godliness is never accidental. Neither is victory coincidental. Both stem from up-front, daily resolve." -Beth Moore

If we are not intentionally pursuing God, we will accidentally be pursued and caught by everything else. Not making a decision is a decision in itself. Are you actively seeking God or passively being ensnared by the world?

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1

Choosing today

His mercies are new every morning.

I was talking with a friend today (preparing for teaching lessons at camp) about choices, habits, character development. In everything, we have a choice. In every day, every circumstance, every next step we take is a choice. Whether we are on the mountaintop or in the valley, flying high in victory or brought to the ground by our own mistakes or someone else's, there is no time when we are left without a choice. Lying face-down on the ground as a result of our own intentional rebellion, we are still not beyond the reach of God's mercy.

The choice is this: will I let God have the glory? In my accomplishments and greatest joys, will I give God the glory and take none of it for myself? In my failures and times of broken confusion, will I let Him glorify His name by redeeming my situation?

And the time is now. We could wait until tomorrow, but every action we take is one step toward a habit. Do we want to build the habit of waiting until tomorrow to ask God into our circumstances? Or do we want to build the habit of inviting Him in the very instant that we recognize our need for Him?

I choose Him, I choose now, I choose joyful submission today.