Not Noticed.

     I have this new obsession. And it truly is an obsession. One Tree Hill. It's a tv show that has been airing for quite some time. I am not very good at watching shows every week and planning my schedule around it. (I think it's a good thing.) However, my friend has loaned me the entire seasons. So that makes it easy to escape and spend hours watching this show. At the point of the show I am in, they are in high school. And boy, does it make me want to go back to high school.
     That's a big statement for me to say. But really, if I could, I 'd go back at least for a week. And I would eat lunch with the ones who have been left out. I would walk down the hallway with the young man who always gets made fun of, and I'd get to know the slightly awkward girl who never speaks. I would make a difference. 
     When I was in high school, I was wrapped up in how much I hated it that I didn't even look to see what I could do to make it better for someone else. There are students and people that go to school and work who despise their lives. Who go unnoticed. Who miss school for weeks and no one ever notices. They live with pain and depression. And why didn't I do anything about it!? Why don't I do something about it? 
     I don't have to be in high school to change someone's life. There are still lonely people. I want to find them. And I want to love them. Why? Because that's what life is about. Life isn't about the coolest new trend, or having the coolest things..... Life is about making a difference. It's about sharing Jesus' love. 
     I hate to admit it, but I'm not sharing His love these days. I'm in my safe "clique" of Christian friends, I've lost my heart for the lost, broken, and down-hearted. But through a television show, the Lord has opened my eyes to them once again. I sat on my couch and cried for them yesterday in shame. Because my heart had never heart for them like that in way too long. My heart is in process of being broken. Broken for the things it should be broken for. And for that, I am not ashamed. 
     Life isn't about me, life is about Jesus and the hurting. Make a difference. Begin today. 

Isaiah 58 says it best,  ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 

to loose the chains of injustice 

   and untie the cords of the yoke, 

to set the oppressed free 

   and break every yoke? 

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry 

   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— 

when you see the naked, to clothe them, 

   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, 

   and your healing will quickly appear; 

then your righteousness^[a] will go before you, 

   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; 

   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Living in Faith.

Raise your expectations. Step out in faith. If you can determine the outcome then I ask if you are truly trusting and relying on God. There has to be an unknown factor in living for God. That's where true faith comes in. When we don't know what's going to happen, or how it's going to happen- that is when God has the freedom to move and work in miraculous ways. We have to allow the Lord to be Lord over our lives... to let him move in our lives. But if we only live in the box of what we can do and what we can control.... then perhaps we are lord of our lives. Time for a bigger box where I don't know how it's all going to come together. 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

A Man of His Word.

     Who am I to question God and His plans for my life? I do it wayyyyy to often. "Are you sure you want me to give this up?" "You want me to pray for them.... IN PUBLIC?! are You crazy?" "This way? You sure?" "You want me to decide!? You do know who I am right?" These are just a few examples of the dialogue in my head between God and me. He usually responds in "Yes, do what I just asked of you."
     So why do I have such a hard time obeying and doing and trusting God with it? This morning the Lord lead me to read John 4... towards the end of the chapter a man begs Jesus to come home with him to heal His son.... Jesus responds, "Go, Your son is healed." And at that moment the son was healed. The father didn't see that his son had been healed until he obeyed Jesus and returned home to check on him. There wasn't facetime or sms text messaging for him to double check with before he walked home. He had to take a step of faith and walk home and trust that the Lord had healed him even from being miles away.
     The thing is, at the spoken word of Jesus- it happens. He is a man of His word. Pun intended. He does what He says He will do, He will fulfill every promise made in the Bible- word of God, and every promise that He has made to You. He is a man of His word. I can trust Him.  YOU CAN TRUST HIM. 
     In today's time- it's hard to find people that you can trust. But you can trust Jesus. You can trust the Lord of Your life. He has everything at kingdom view. With our carnal eyes we only see the now.... sometimes we have to step out in faith. And sometimes the Lord will give us a glimpse of His viewpoint. But He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to obey so He can do what He promised us no matter what our view is. 
     His ways are higher than my ways. And His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. So who am I to think that my thought/idea is better than his? Step out and obey what the Lord has asked of you. It more than likely is an answered prayer from either you or someone else. :) 

waiting......

     Timing is everything. That is my lesson that I am learning. Timing. It is also probably the hardest lesson I have learned. And I'm not even done with it. (great!) Just so you know this post links back to this post. I am still waiting for my gifts. 2, almost 3 weeks later. The good thing? One of em came in! My blow dryer! Yay, yay, yay! But there are still others that have yet to be released. The ones from the Lord. And tonight I had a lady speak into me about it.

     She said, "It's all in preparation."

     Man, if I get only get that word drilled into my head. Preparation. Life is a constant state of preparation. One preparation leads to another preparation. So my guess is, I better get this lesson learned and do it quickly. Because- I will deal with it again. 

     I am such an extreme person, all or nothing, do it and do it now, move from this to that. I can go from different things quickly. Which, can be good. And it can also be bad. Such as, when I am instructed from the Lord to wait. So wait I will. 

     The word "wait" is in the bible over 100 times. Think it was important? Psalm 27:14 says it best:

 ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; 

       be strong and take heart 

       and wait for the LORD.

     There is beauty in the waiting. It's a time of leaning on the Lord. That is simply all I can do at this point. Is wait for Him. And in that waiting lies the preparation. He is preparing you for "such a time as this". He is preparing you to be where You are! God has big plans and He wants to use you where you are. He is preparing you. In the midst of preparation you can still act. You can still love, share, praise, and honor Him and others. 

     Waiting is not an excuse to kick back and relax and ride easy. Not at all. Waiting is a call to be on your knees in prayer and fasting. It is a call to kick the enemy in his face and tell him to go back where he belongs. It is a call to worship God even in the midst of waiting. It is a call to stand tall and firm in your walk with Him. Waiting really is a beautiful thing; especially if you do it God's way. The way that you choose to wait will make the outcome that much sweeter. 

Wait. Patiently. Fervently. Passionately. 

Prepare. Expect. Believe. Walk it out. 

Beauty. 

-B