Hello August…
Good morning, sweet Rise and Shine friends! Goodness, I have missed you.
August is here!
I am so thankful for a new season, and a little bit of a different schedule.
Being a creature of habit, I crave familiarity in my days.
Summer can be a topsy turvy of crazy, which has its time and place.
Yet, my heart always need some steadfast rhythm to beat to.
Kids back in school, schedules are in place, I am beginning to feel a bit more steady. :)
This Summer was not the Summer I had planned, as you all well know.
It was very difficult at times. Long days. Long weeks. Long everything it seemed.
Time seemed to tick by like molasses.
Oh, but God was ever Steadfast and Faithful through it all. Stretching me, growing me.
I will be honest, I like things all wrapped up in a neat little box tied with a beautiful yellow ribbon on top.
Ha!
Well, that is not always the case with life, is it?
There are so many things I want to say about how my faith, my heart, my vision, everything has been changed this Summer.
This post will not even begin to sum it all up…
I will just say that I have seen Jesus in a new way.
He has been my Helper.
He has been my Friend.
He has been my Constant Companion.
He has been my Rock when everything else felt like quicksand.
The things I thought I knew about Jesus have been completely and utterly turned upside down…in the very best way.
I have seen miracles.
I have seen answers to prayers that I did not even realized I had verbalized to Him.
His Faithfulness has completely undone my heart.
Not one of us wants to go through trials, not one.
But, when we do…God does something that can only be done on that battle field.
Many of you know what I am talking about.
The thing is…
We have to choose to see.
We have to wake up every day and say, “I give it all to You, Jesus. Your will be done. The end.”
We have to ask Him for His vision, or else the world will swallow us up and the enemy will whisper hopelessness in our ears.
In difficult times, we literally have to day by day “abide” in Him.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:51
We must set our eyes on Him and truly live out this verse…
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
A mentor friend told me years ago that life with Jesus was the ultimate adventure!
I was in my mid thirties when she told me this, but now I see it in a whole new way.
Each and every day…we have this opportunity.
To lean in, to abide, to snuggle up next to Jesus.
To trust Him.
To praise Him.
To worship Him.
To fall at His feet.
His grace is sufficient for us and His power will be made perfect in our weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:9
I love the picture of that.
The lower I fall to His feet, the more He can do in my life.
Where do you find yourself today?
Wherever you are, lean close into Jesus.
He will not leave you.
He will not forsake you.
back in the rhythm,
jill
