Sunday, August 2, 2015

One Year Reflection

 


It has been one year since I have left my home in Washington and moved down to Arizona
I still can not believe how fast one year has gone by
I struggle between feeling "its seems like yesterday" to "feels like I have been here forever"
It was a radical leap of faith for me that God has blessed
The peace I am feeling is an answered prayer that it was the right choice
 
Even amidst the peace, to say that it has been perfect would be lying
It has been a year of doubt, fear and comparison, but also a year full of receiving Gods good Grace, Mercy and Love than ever before
 
Here are a couple lessons I have learned throughout this year of transition and growth
  
1)  Just like books have chapters, so do our lives
 
To some, moving to another state is not a big deal. But to me, moving to Arizona was a radical leap of faith. It was something I never thought about, dreamed about and definitely never wanted to do and when God made it clear to me He also placed excitement, thrill and a sense of Adventure on my heart. Feelings I thought would last everyday!

But when got down to Arizona, real life came crashing in
 I realized quickly that a new chapter had began
I felt my life went back to the mundane and ordinary
A life I wanted to leave behind
 I started longing for more, trying to force events and doors that were not meant to be opened
I was living without appreciating or even recognizing the season God had me in
 
Yet, I have been reminded that even through these seasons of what seem "mundane and ordinary" God is using it to prepare me, equip me for the next chapter. I can see now that I can still have a radical faith life with every season I am in and every season of my life does not have to be the most exciting chapter of the story
 
Each season prepares us for the next and we need each and every chapter or else the whole story would not make sense.
 
2) When God closes a door in our life, He slams its shut and gives us Grace to move to the next open door.
 
I have NEVER doubted Arizona was the next move for me.
God slammed the door on my life in Seattle and opened up the new door in Arizona
I have never looked back. I have never wished I was still in Seattle.
When God wants something to be done He WILL open a door and make a way for us
 
"See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert"
Isaiah 43:19
 
3) Grace allows us to live freely and boldly, knowing that no matter what happens we are covered in Grace
 
I am learning that even in the all out cry- face on the floor- hands in the air- surrender moments
There is Grace that wraps you up, holds you and says "I am here"
Grace says "You are loved"
Grace says "You are forgiven"
Grace says "You are seen"
 
 No one is too far away where the Grace of God cannot go
No one is in too deep where the Grace of God cannot reach down and rescue

 
4) Surrender is a daily, intentional act of trust and I am seeing the blessings, even amidst the trials, that when we surrender to God, we actually gain a life better than we could ever imagine
 
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6
 
This might possibly be the verse for this past year
Control has always been a struggle for me to let go of
Whether I am trying to control where to hangout with friends or flying an airplane
I want it
 
Letting go of control with MY LIFE and giving it up completely has been a work in progress
Some days are easier to give it to God when my life is going how I want it 
Other days I hold onto with my death grip when I feel my world caving in
 
But God has a way of reminding me He is always in control
He has His way of reminding that His plans are always better than mine
 
He shows me when I walk into City of Grace and feel at home
When I see the Arizona sunset
When I get a phone call from a friend I was thinking about
When I am driving His peace overwhelms me
When I see glimpse of my future during Bible Study
When I read a bible verse and hear Him speak to me
When I get an inspiring text message from a friend that I needed at THAT exact moment
When I receive a Facebook message from a friends mom letting me know she thought of me during her morning devotional
 
Why would I allow my human, worldly, selfish desires to control my life when the God of the universe, the God who made me, made the sun, the moon, the ocean, made every star has a plan for me better than I can ever ask for imagine?
 
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us"
Ephesians 3:20
 
 
" Jessie, let go, surrender control and trust Me. Let me work in your life. Let me show you. Let me bless you. Let me guide your life. Trust me, daughter, I see every tear, every prayer and every desire. I promise I have not forgotten you. Stay focused on what I have coming for you. My promise is Yes and Amen. The story I am writing for you is better than anything you could ever dream up."
 




 
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