Hi guys. I hope you are all well wherever you are. We have been enjoying this holiday season and feel so blessed. The Lord has been laying on my heart of a new blog about seasons and finally got around to sitting down and typing it out. It’s the word that has been percolating in the body around me and worth meditating on.
Well..I've got 5 kids now. Its been fun and crazy. Joey is 4 months old and we just really love him. He is a extra “healthy” boy and gets lots of extra snuggles, hugs and kisses. (sometimes unwontedly) I am so blessed; my heart is so full. Joseph’s name came from a word we got last year that we were in a Joseph season. (like Joseph in the bible) When we got pregnant in this season unexpectedly we knew that he would be Joseph. It took us weeks to get used to this unexpected surprise. I felt different this pregnancy than I did about any of the others. I was praying about him and the Lord gave me the word “to set apart”. Isn't that funny, thats what happened to Joseph in the bible. So this transition has been different than all the others. Four kids broke up a lot of ground in me. It was tough man. took me a long while to learn how to function in real life. I think a lot of why it has been easier with the transition to 5 is because he broke up a lot of that fallow ground with 4.
Hosea 10:12 (ESV)
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
I have felt with Joey so much blessing and covering. I mean, yeah, its crazy and hard but its so so good and sweet. I feel the love of the Savior on me. I know I did during the breaking up season as well. The Lord disciplines those He loves. I know there will be more breaking to come but I just want to encourage you to embrace your season (hug the heck out of it! Like pastor Sam said) Whether the Lord is breaking up your fallow ground or sowing righteousness in your readied soil, He is good and there is so much purpose for it.
My now season:
I was talking to Ryan the other day of how I feel at the end of the day. I feel full and blessed but also I am in a season now of knowing I don't have a lot of extra to give at the end of a day or really during the day. I’m just enough for what He's called me to and only because He's given me enough. I know how to obey and I know how to hear and abide but if our spiritual significance was based on extensive bible studies or hours spent in meetings and prayer closets then I would fall miserably short.
As I was telling Ryan about this I had this picture of me on a journey with this narrow dirt path and I had set down on the way on this giant boulder on the side of the road to rest. In my mind I was trying to talk myself into getting up, but as I scaled back in the picture I noticed how the sun rays were shining down all around and on me and ministering to my body and soul. I just realized that I wasn't failing, I was exactly where the Lord had me. He put that rock(himself) there for me to rest on and He also was ministering to me with those son-rays (see what i did there=) as I set exactly where he had me in this season. It shifted my heart from thinking I wasn’t doing enough or giving enough but was exactly where he wanted me and I could feel His love for me, ministering to me. My heart shifted from feelings of inadequacy and failure to peace. I do believe that it is only in a place of peace that we can truly move in faith to the next place in the journey whether that be a sprint, walk or maybe a boulder just ahead. I do know that it wasn't till I had peace and submitted to my season that I felt any encouragement or strength to even think about moving.
As I was sitting in service this morning, I was beginning to feel that weight and condemnation from the enemy of me sitting on that rock and not moving. I mean I was not going to unreached places and sharing the gospel, not having a lot of discipleship meetings or telling the world about Jesus. You know whats cool though? Our Lord takes the lies and death from the enemy and frees us with His truth, purpose and Will for our lives. I almost immediately had that picture of me on a narrow dirt path sitting on a boulder in the sun but this time I was surrounded by 5 little people all snuggled in close to me. All of us basking in the Son. (see there i did it again) What a sweet sweet season. What a sweet sweet picture. I may not be talking to strangers about Jesus every day or traveling to unreached people groups to share the gospel but I have 5 little people that are all around me and I'm teaching and telling them in our little world about Jesus. And also just by being obedient in my season to soak in Jesus (the sun/Son) and let Him minister to us. If I didn't submit to my season then I would be sitting there struggling and not enjoying the sweetness of the season, not teaching my kids what it is to bask in the presence of the Lord.
So thats my season, folks. I may not be doing great things or moving great crowds by any bit of elegant speech or knowledge of things but i’m basking in the presence of the King with my 5 gifts nestled next to me. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll learn to rest and feel the warmth and comfort of the Savior because of it.
What season are you in? I once heard a preacher say, “Life is not so enduring when you are listening for and obeying a fresh word from the Lord.” What is your fresh word in season? Are you struggling to stay afloat while the Lord uses a storm to break up fallow ground? We know that God works all things for His good to those who love Him and are called according to HIs purpose. HE IS WORKING GOOD. Or are you getting to reap blessing from those spiritual seeds planted because the fallow ground was broken up? Or at a place where you just don't have enough strength to take another step and need to just bask in the presence of Jesus for a while. I promise you whether you think you are doing something worthwhile or not, if you are submitting to your season then the Lord can and is moving through you and in you and sometimes it just might be through those 5 little kids snuggled next to you.
Love you all my sweet sweet brothers, sisters in Jesus. IF YOU DON’T KNOW/FOLLOW JESUS THEN I WILL TELL YOU NOW, HE IS WORTH IT. HE IS GOOD AND THERE IS NO LIFE WORTH LIVING WITHOUT HIM. I CAN TESTIFY TO HIS GREATNESS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and may Jesus be your reason for every season!
Peace and blessings from a crazy quiver full to you and yours
