Moving On...
Well, it's happened.
I've let so much time go between any post of substance that I don't even know where to begin in catching you up.
There's so much to tell you but I really feel compelled to revisit our vacation to share what God revealed to me about our whole house fiasco. One quiet morning He absolutely floored me with the concept of dwelling. So many times when things get a little screwy in my life I begin to ask myself, "What have I done to bring this on?" It's a by-product of my childhood church experience I suppose - the feeling God is on the edge of His seat waiting to whack me when I get out of line. That His favor dangles on the end of the string and just when I think I'm about to take hold, He jerks it a farther out of reach so I'll have to work a little harder to get it.
My issues? They know no bounds.
After we'd finally settled in our new place, I sat on our balcony in awe of what God had in store for us all along. In our vacation planning, we had been deceived by what appeared lovely only to find the reality pitifully lacking. And yet, instead of leaving us in a circumstance we more than deserved, God gave us something that was far more than we could have ever asked for or imagined.
Here's the huge thing God said to me in my spirit: Not only does He refuse to dwell on my mistakes and the consequences they deserve but He does not force me to dwell ON them or IN them either. Am I saying there is no suffering for sin? Absolutely not. But, even when facing the difficulties that accompany bad decisions, the severity of the punishment is light and momentary compared to what it should be. I am continuously thrilled by a God who is willing to move on from all my quirks and blunders instead of dwelling there. And when He goes, He grabs me up and takes me with Him leaving all the calamity behind.
Oh, how I praise The God of New Places. Of Beautiful Places. Of Places we could never have dreamed up if we'd tried. I hope you are dwelling in one of those today instead of soaking in a funky bay that a Very Evil Someone has fooled you into believing is the only beach you deserve. There's something more out there, but you've got to be willing relocate.
Today's the day.
Move on, Girlfriends. Move on.
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! "
~Ephesians 3:20-21 The Message
I've let so much time go between any post of substance that I don't even know where to begin in catching you up.
There's so much to tell you but I really feel compelled to revisit our vacation to share what God revealed to me about our whole house fiasco. One quiet morning He absolutely floored me with the concept of dwelling. So many times when things get a little screwy in my life I begin to ask myself, "What have I done to bring this on?" It's a by-product of my childhood church experience I suppose - the feeling God is on the edge of His seat waiting to whack me when I get out of line. That His favor dangles on the end of the string and just when I think I'm about to take hold, He jerks it a farther out of reach so I'll have to work a little harder to get it.
My issues? They know no bounds.
After we'd finally settled in our new place, I sat on our balcony in awe of what God had in store for us all along. In our vacation planning, we had been deceived by what appeared lovely only to find the reality pitifully lacking. And yet, instead of leaving us in a circumstance we more than deserved, God gave us something that was far more than we could have ever asked for or imagined.
Here's the huge thing God said to me in my spirit: Not only does He refuse to dwell on my mistakes and the consequences they deserve but He does not force me to dwell ON them or IN them either. Am I saying there is no suffering for sin? Absolutely not. But, even when facing the difficulties that accompany bad decisions, the severity of the punishment is light and momentary compared to what it should be. I am continuously thrilled by a God who is willing to move on from all my quirks and blunders instead of dwelling there. And when He goes, He grabs me up and takes me with Him leaving all the calamity behind.
Oh, how I praise The God of New Places. Of Beautiful Places. Of Places we could never have dreamed up if we'd tried. I hope you are dwelling in one of those today instead of soaking in a funky bay that a Very Evil Someone has fooled you into believing is the only beach you deserve. There's something more out there, but you've got to be willing relocate.
Today's the day.
Move on, Girlfriends. Move on.
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! "
~Ephesians 3:20-21 The Message