Don’t sweat the big stuff
As 2013 has come to a close… and we are facing the new in 2014, I – along with many others – can’t help but reflect and consider where we have been and how we made it to where we are.
I was looking back over this blog… clearly seeing the adventure the Lord has led me (us) on. I am deeply humbled by how many of you have shared your stories with me along the way — and I am deeply blessed to know I am not on this journey alone.
Our big 2013 adventure has been my husband being laid off in July…
It felt impossible.
Scary.
Ugly.
But, I was drawn to recall the big lessons we learned in other scary, ugly times – like our house-buying experience 1 1/2 years prior… remembering everything in this world can be a distraction… and all that matters is that my eyes are on Him and I am following Him. Everything else will fall into place when I do that. Everything.
But, these adventures won’t likely look like I think they will – it actually might look pretty ugly…
Claiming the truth found in Proverbs 3:5-6 – that it isn’t about what I see.
“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
We jumped right into choosing to believe that He was doing something brand new! The verses that comforted me in the house-buying adventure came to mind…
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.”
Isaiah 43 (MSG)
When God has something He wants me to pay attention to… He surrounds me with it – because I have to hear it over and over… and over and over before I even notice. I’m sheep-like that way.
A friend shared a text with the truth – “God is doing a NEW thing.”
Our women’s retreat theme – the same truth! “God is doing a NEW thing – don’t miss it!”
More of Isaiah 43 showing up in various areas of my life…
“Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
—the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
the people I made especially for myself,
a people custom-made to praise me.”
Our family went on a God-Watch for this ‘new thing’ He was going to do – and God showed up.
Not with a new job.
In fact, not really in the ways we thought he would (or dare I say, thought He should?).
By late summer, our emergency fund was exhausted and we weren’t quite sure how we were going to make ends meet for September…
Add a broken pipe under the house… added expenses that we didn’t expect… a car needing work… yada-yada…
Distractions.
I KNEW that none of this went UNnoticed by my King… but, my eyes were always tempted to believe something different.
Here is the thing… and I am completely convinced of this! He allows the impossible to come. Then, He allows it to be even more impossible… Ever feel that way?
I kept clinging to the truth that these ‘things’ that kept going ‘wrong’ were distractions.
That none of these were surprises to our God – the crazy impossible was simply opportunity for Him to show up in bigger ways.
What looks like impossible… or even beyond impossible to me – simply isn’t to our King.
{It isn’t about what I see.}
My view is through a filter of this world.
I see deadlines and am bound by time.
I see how little we can stretch our dollars and am bound by the cost of things.
Our King?
NONE of these things bind Him.
As long as I am keeping my eyes on Him and focused on following where He is leading me – I don’t have to worry about the time it takes to do it. I don’t have to worry about how to fund it or where the money will come from.
Distractions.
When December came… we started the month not sure how we were going to get through the month. Yet, looking back, I realized that I had said that every month since August. ha!
It is so good to look back and see what He has done. God showed up every single time. He is so faithful that way… He was faithful before… He will be faithful again.
And… then, of course, we found out that James’ unemployment insurance was ending in one week…
Everything looked impossible…
It looked super ugly.
We should have felt desperate – at least that is what the world would have felt.
Distractions.
At the same time, James had finished up his first book for a new ministry he is involved in, Adventure Dads. We have been encouraged by the outpouring of support from unexpected places… in the midst of some financial discouragement, we were continuously being encouraged and receiving confirmation that THIS is where we needed to be.
Again, God started getting our attention – with this theme about giving. We kept hearing Him say that we needed to be giving… we couldn’t get around it. We started reading a book I’ve shared about here by Robert Morris called the Blessed Life. It has been incredibly convicting and so full of truth about God’s extravagant love that He pours on us.
We had nothing extra in December.
We had bills that we had put off from previous months that couldn’t be put off anymore – and yet, we were finding ourselves in a place where we couldn’t avoid God’s calling in our lives to give.
Give to him.
Give to others…
And not only that – but, to NOT give out of leftovers (or lack of – ha!).
So, we have made it a priority to give to our King first.
Again – God showed up.
{Surprise!}
In the last 7 days of the month, we have been able to tithe more than we EVER have… we paid all our bills for December – and have our mortgage payment for January paid.
As we leave 2013, I am more convinced than ever that nothing can separate us from the love of our God.
But, not just that… I am getting a glimpse of just how incredibly extravagant this love He has for me… for you… is.
Nothing can snatch me from it… or keep Him from pouring it all over me.
I’m sure 2014 is going to be filled with it’s own set of adventures… but, I am slowly learning that I can forget about the small stuff… because, friends, we don’t even have to sweat the big stuff!
For me, 2013 has been about finding my King in unexpected places.
It’s been about living in the ugly… but seeing His beautiful – right there in it’s midst.
His love is extravagant… and heading into 2014 – may we always, always choose to see the beauty of this incredible love.
“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
-Romans 8:38-39 (MSG)
On facebook I asked what your biggest take-away from 2013 is? Do you know? How does that effect how you move into the new year?
