Monday was spent with Morgan in Tacoma and spending some time catching up with friends there before flying back to Idaho with Morgan to be with my family for the week.
So now here I am at JAVA on Wednesday afternoon. I look outside and there is snow falling from the clouds!
What a difference: one day in Haiti in the HOT and HUMID and within days being in the COLD with SNOW!
It really puts life in perspective.
One thing in reflecting on the past trip to Haiti that I was struck with on the plane is the call Jesus has given us. Most commonly known as "The Great Commission".
One doesn't have to go to Haiti-or to any other foreign place- to fulfill the call that Jesus has given to us. It all really comes down to allowing our eyes to be opened to our circumstances and walking forth intentionally with the knowledge that we can make a difference in the Kingdom everywhere we go and through everything we do.
Ask yourself, "What do I spend my days doing?" and then ask the Lord to reveal to you the work He is doing in your everyday seemingly mundane tasks and then go further and ask him what he wants to do in the seemingly mundane.
Applying this in my own life has definitely been a journey.
In the past my days were fully booked with work, classes, practicum, ministry responsibilities, and personal devotion time. It was in this busyness throughout Fall semester, J-term, and the beginning of Spring semester I was challenged the most. I often would begin the day looking forward to the end when I could sleep- most nights only getting 4 to 5 hours- and I just felt burnt out and as if I was going through the motions. It was also in these stressful times that the Lord's grace and love became most evident to me as everything always got done (which in my own understanding should not have been possible). I was forced to see him working through the seeming requirements of life and he brought me so much joy in work, in school, and in everything else! I even got to travel amidst the busyness and run a half- marathon! Our God wants to make himself evident to us. Our God is not disappointed in us.
We are simply commanded to
"Trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding;
in all our ways submit to him, and he will make our paths straight."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
My life has changed majorly now and a typical day in the life of Emily is not very structured. There is usually some sort of work/ logistics that need done, working out/ exercising, devotional time, and meeting up with friends. Basically, I spend a lot of time at coffee shops and in fellowship where I have had opportunities and connections presented to me that I never could have developed in my own doing; I have had my eyes opened to community building and the work within individuals that is being done over time.
I am no where close to knowing the full love of Christ, but through reflecting on the past and choosing to be in the present (which I will admit is a constant process and not always easy) I have begun to be able to recognize His presence more and more (training/renewal of the mind- Romans 12:2) in everything! I have found that my life is more full of joy as I stop, look around and allow the Lord to reveal the work He is doing around me. We have to let go of ourselves and our own ideas and expectations of what God is doing and LET IT BE. For, I think, that it is in this release we will begin to see more signs, miracles, and healing happen in our lives and the lives of those around us. Christ moves in all things and all we can do is agree.
So I am challenging myself- and you are welcome to join me- to let go of my own ideas and walk in the Spirit at all times (1 Thessalonians 5) asking the Lord what He is doing and wants to do and walking in obedience with that.
So ya, that was not necessarily where I thought this post was going, but I hope you got something out of it. To wrap it all up, GO and KNOW Christ is working. In everything He is there! So as you go through your day ask the Lord what He is doing and what He wants to do as you simply BE in Him (for He is in you!).
Is there someone sitting next to you at the coffee shop that seems down? Is there a co-worker who needs a friend? Take that step. Be BOLD. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Look at the life of Jesus- read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and/or John- and allow the Spirit to open your eyes to how you can live like Jesus in your life today.
We really have no excuse to not go out and "make disciples of all the nations"- whether it is going out in our own community or going to foreign nations- GO and BE where you are.
"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."
For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."
Psalm 33:8-9
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