restore
Lord, you are so faithful!
I’ve been praying for the His direction and the whole meaning behind my blog. I kept feeling strongly that this renovation has a deeper meaning. I was trying to find an explanation every time I read the bible and have been journaling and praying to God for the words for this blog. Not my own story but HIS story.
Do you know how hard that is? Words can easily flow out of us without thinking. Especially, in explaining things we can just throw out descriptive words until we find the right one or the one closest to what we’re trying to say. I don’t want to do that with this blog. I’m trying to focus on being more intentional with how I live my life - in everything that I do and speak. It’s difficult for me, because I love helping people and want to serve the community so much. I want people to feel “His” love like I do. But I’ve noticed when I do it from my own will, I end up burned out. As the saying goes…” All the things! I want to do ALL THE THINGS!”
At my age now (46), I’m asking myself “Why” a lot more. Why do I feel the need to do “All the things?” I need to focus on the things the Lord has for me and how He created me. I’m tired of running a race that is my own and the destination isn’t even clear. Spending time in His word and really asking the Lord “What do you have for me today?” I’m tired of getting burned out after hosting big parties and organizing large events. I want to do the things the Lord has intended me to do.
He wants me to spend time with Him during the closing of our home renovation. I’ve never been in the word so faithfully before. I’m thankful for the small group of faithful women He put in my life at this time. I wouldn’t be in the word if it wasn’t for these faithful women and holding each other accountable.
My husband and I have been waiting months for the last minor things in our home to be completed. My husband joked “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” Ha, that’s true. My thoughts go to “Well, we don’t live in a big house. It should be done by now.”
But the Lord knows how He’s going to use this house and He wants us to be rested and grow closer to Him during this time. This is the reason these minor things like the tile order for our kitchen backsplash has been taking so long to ship. And why we don’t have our gas range installed yet because we’re waiting on the tile. This is why two weeks ago, after months of waiting, we finally got our kitchen sink installed. And we’re cooking from a single plug-in burner and baking our frozen foods in a toaster oven. Because if our house was completed, we would have been hosting by now and we wouldn’t have had the quality time with the Lord He wants to have with us. My husband and I have time to reflect on His goodness. We have time for each other every night and cuddle on the couch. We’re so thankful for what the Lord has provided for us even in the time being in limbo with our reno. I joke and say “Ok Lord, are you preparing us for a mission trip? Because we can survive without a stove and running water.”
This morning the Lord helped me notice my email signature in a new way. My email signature includes at the bottom, “God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is faith.” I don’t know why that has always been my signature for years. Maybe because for years, I always felt “broken” or “unlovable”.
This time I thought, “what perfect timing.” Yesterday, my husband and I just discussed what we’re going to do on Christmas next month, and I felt strongly that we should serve the community somehow. We’ll have to pray about where and how. I love how this ties into my reading this morning in James 2:8 “Love your neighbor as yourself”. The chapter so far is about trusting the Lord and praising Him through our trials. Not only listen to God’s word but to be “doers” of His word and love others as we love ourselves.
Ultimately, living with wholehearted devotion to God alone is the key. This must be practiced every day. Living a life of full intention and for the purpose He has called us to live. I’ve lived my life for years, the way I wanted to live it. Did it serve me well? Sometimes. But the more I live with His intention, the more He works inside of me. The more “whole” I feel. And I feel FULL of His love.
My Prayer for you
Lord, I pray whoever reads this if anyone…that in finding their purpose in life or in discovering who they are…. that they get to know you. That they feel your Spirit and you fill them with your love. That they desire to spend quality time with you and in your word. I pray that they get to know you in a new way. I pray they challenge themselves and ask you how to live their life with your intent. I thank you for all that you have done and will do in my life and theirs. We love you. In Jesus name, Amen.
