curveballs

Every so often, you get a piece of information that catches you off guard.

It's kinda one of those "Uhhmmm" moments. You know, the ones where you ask yourself, "Umm, what do I do with this?"

These moments can range from life-threatening revelations to hurtful confessions, from shocking secrets to unbelievable miracles.

These moments are those when emotions overcome you and being stunned is the only thing you can do.

But then in our humanity, those emotions can creep in and settle. They can settle into hurt, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness or they can settle into self-reliance, pride, or overconfidence. None of which give God His rightful throne in the very core of our being.

So then, we come face to face with it, we sit before God and we pose to Him the question... What do I do with this Lord? What is the appropriate response? Naturally, we trust Him. But practically, what does that look like?

I can't say I'm entirely sure. The last thing I'll ever claim is to have it all together. But, what I can say is that the posture of the heart is what will carry you through. The very fact that you brought it before the Lord and asked His opinion, His thoughts, what the heck to do with it... Well, it shows the posture of heart is bowing low in humility, asking, seeking and pleading. That although you're not perfect, you're willing. That although this fallen, mostly broken world throws sickness, disease, rejection, unfaithfulness, the idea of a miracle and promotion you're not ready for at you, you desire to please the King.

And that this earthen vessel we live in is seriously broken and uncooperative to the willingness of our spirits.

Understanding this, we understand that He doesn't despise our broken faith, the quarter of a mustard seed that we have to offer. But we know that He will take that quarter of a mustard seed and cause "all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his good purpose." (Romans 8:28)

He desires a broken and contrite heart. He delights in our weakness because it is then He can trumpet His great love and His great power.

Well then Lord, trumpet away... Broken and contrite, I am...

Reflections admist trials

The mercies of God are outstanding. I apologize I have been minutely MIA for a couple of days (okay, maybe a week or so). Things have been quite turbulent and in the day to day, I have put blogging on the back-burner. But, I'm back and with a new found understanding for the things which God allows us to endure. It is incredible to me how wrapped up in self we can truly be... Sometimes when the Lord reveals to us circumstances or the heart of another, or the things that will or can come, we become absorbed with ourselves and what exactly it is that we can do to fix it. We decide to spend our entire being poured out into fixing whatever we feel is broken that will bring pain or to the very least discomfort to our being. How dare we? Often times, what ends up happening is the very thing we become absorbed in fighting against is the very thing that consumes us and that draws us away from the Lord. He whose life is set on opposing the religious spirit will actually operate in the religious spirit, because that is its prize and its reward. It is no longer the man who crushes the religious spirit, it is the religious spirit itself. If in my journey to intercede and to bring forth life for another I become obsessed with the very thing I come against and seize to stand on the Word, but rather my own dislike for this thing, I have become a resounding cymbal. May my heart's desire be solely set on the man Jesus. In all His glory, truth, righteousness and humility, may my heart be transformed into His image...