Cassie“Don’t Australia it.”
This is where my beautiful friend, Kristann, and I ended our hour-long, and about 5-hours-too-short, conversation in a Starbucks on my lunch break today.
This girl, who is literally a straight up RAY of golden sunshine and beams Jesus Christ in her smile and her kindness, met me giddily today, jumping up and down at the excitement of seeing me for the first time since my wedding day, and for the first time since she and her husband have come back from travelling.
Kristann had struggled for some time with wishing she could be back in Australia, where she had encountered God in a big way at YWAM. She dreamed and hoped of going back, to the point where she missed, for some time, on some of the beautiful things the same God was working right in front of her.
Isn’t this all of us, sometimes?
Sometimes we’re looking to what’s next, or what’s over there, or what’s on Instagram, or what’s behind us… and we’re missing what is all around us.
Firstly: Jesus. Always. At every moment. Forever. Amen. He invites each and every one of His children into relationship with Him.
Secondly: Promises. No matter what kind of crap you might be walking through, His promises are for your good and His glory. If you would only give Him your life and choose to follow Him, He WILL lead. In this life, we can choose to follow Him, or not to. One or the other. Both is not possible.
A life of following Him is not always glamorous… and definitely not so in the world’s eyes. A life of following Him is the way of eternity. A life of following the world’s ways is one of living for a mere instance and dying.
Jesus is the God who overcame death. He is the kind, freeing, present, faithful, delivering God of the Universe, and He is your Father.
Faithful.
This is other word Kristann gave me. Faithful. I was expressing how I felt uncertain in some aspects of my life, but I knew that God had called me to them, at least for the time being. She told me that, when she had been praying for me, she had heard God praise my faithfulness, and ask me to continue in it. Tearfully, I thanked her for spending time in fervent prayer for me, and affirmed that the word was from God. He knew I needed to hear it.
Faithfulness is a clear and beautiful characteristic of the heart of God, so, of course, it’s one that He asks us to adopt and shine with our lives. To be faithful to the people in my life is to be like Jesus. To be faithful to the job He’s called me to, with His guidance, is to follow Him. Give me Your servant’s heart in ALL THINGS, Oh Lord!
May I know You more deeply and truly every single moment, Jesus, that my life would be a true offering. May I be faithful to all that you call me to, knowing that, for all I know, the miracle You’re in the middle of working out could come to be TOMORROW. May I trust you, not in part, but in full. Would I not look to the left or right, behind or in front, but just right to You. Lord, have Your way. Amen.
