Do you ever have a song or a phrase that gets stuck in your
head and you can’t get it out no matter what you do? After a while you give up
trying and just belt it out? And then suddenly, something clicks… A phrase or a
word sparks something in your mind and it seems relevant to something going on
in your life? To be honest, this happens to me quite often. (Especially when I
listen to Country music or a sappy love song. I start having flashbacks of past
life events that left me feeling the same way. Anyways…)
There is this one phrase in this one song that I haven’t
been able to get out of my head for the past 6 months: (Not kidding!)
“I will look back and see that
you are faithful, and I’ll look ahead believing you are able.”
I am in a transition stage in life. Life is full of those
in-between stages and most of us hate them!
That awkward stage between elementary school and high
school (I can see you cringing..), high school senior to a college freshman, a
college grad entering into the “adult world”, singleness to dating, (Don’t forget
about that horrible “we-go-on-dates-but-we-aren’t-dating” stage), the engagement
stage (it’s like marriage without the perks), the first year of marriage
(trying to figure out how this is supposed to work), the waiting period in between
different jobs, moving houses (or having work done at your house. Eventually
you get tired of living in a construction zone and you can’t wait to get back
to normal!), and then you get to retirement phase (which is GREAT as first and
then you are wondering what to do with the rest of your life.)
And of course, these are not all of them! With life full of
awkward stages and transitions, how do you deal with them? Sometimes they are
filled with tears of frustration and you just can’t wait to move on to a new “normal”
so you can function in society again. Sometimes these stages can be the most
fruitful time of your life! Mine has been a little bit of both.
I recently became a college graduate and moved back home for
the summer (which turned into fall and then winter too). I am in the process of
preparing to move to Vancouver, B.C. to partner with Origin Church at the
University of British Colombia. I have met with hundreds of people to share
about the incredible things happening there and personally inviting them to
partner with me to reach the world with the Gospel.
The whole world is at
this one university seeking an education and a purpose in life, and they all
are required to speak one language: English! What better way to reach
the world with the Gospel, than to share with these students and send them back
to their countries to share with their own people?! (Are you catching the
vision and excitement?)
Needless to say, I am stoked to get there and be a part of this.
However, things need to happen in order for me to get there. I am in the
process of raising all of my own support so that I can live there and work with
the church fulltime. It’s tough! It’s tough taking the initiative to meet with
as many people as possible to share this vision and pray that God moves in their
heart to join. I can’t go without them. I am also anxious to have my own space
again, to function, work, cook and decorate how I want. I am ready to just be
settled instead of worrying about starting over again.
What has kept me going, even though I get discouraged and
discontent is claiming this truth: “I will look back and see that you are
faithful, and I’ll look ahead believing you are able.” The Lord gave me this
verse the last time I was in Vancouver: Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able
to do more than we can think or image, according to the power at work with us.”
When we look back and remember
how faithful the Lord has been to us, we can turn around and believe he will
continue to be faithful, even when we are not.
In faith, I will press on because I see how the Lord has
provided for me every step of the way and believe that He is able to continue
His amazing provision. I am taking each step in faith, since I have no idea
what will happened tomorrow. I have trust in the Almighty God and I will be
thankful for His faithfulness.
As we prepare our stomachs for Thanksgiving, take some time
to prepare your heart by thanking Him for His faithfulness!
