Let them see You in me. Let them hear You when I speak. Let them feel You when I sing, let them see You in me.
Not only do the words belong to one of my favorite worship songs, Let Them See You, but it’s also the prayer I have over my life, over my day, and each and every time I write a blog post or Instagram picture. I have shared my faith often and openly and today is no different. Each month, I’m going to share with you what God is placing on my heart and in my life. I believe that each one of us is a chapter in the book of God. Scout and Bex – we’re just one chapter in this big story that God is masterfully piecing together. I want to actively participate in the writing of my story and in sharing what that looks like here. If you’ve been following me from the beginning or you’re just landing on my page, my one goal is that you will leave with a little more hope and a lot more grace for yourself and those around you because I truly believe that’s what God wants for each of us.
Staying Steady in the Face of the Unknown
Raise your hand if you struggle with change or the unknown…both of my hands are in the air btw. I’ve never been good with things I can’t control. Truth be told, I still sometimes struggle with that natural instinct. I was at a talk yesterday when a speaker told us that our brains are hard-wired to think in the future tense. It comes from our ancestors and the need for survival. She used the example of people needing to take action in the present to avoid interaction with say…a saber tooth tiger in the future. Now, we’re not facing life or death against a wild animal (at least not usually) but we are constantly facing the pressures of modern life. Whatever that looks like for you. For me, paying my bills or having work/life balance, or juggling relationships etc. Those are the broad ones. But then there are things like, am I putting myself out there enough? Am I being preventative against a future outcome I know I don’t want?
Am I doing enough? Am I enough?
It’s interesting to think that we’re not hardwired to be in the present moment. But living for the future is exhausting. It can come with worry and doubt or apprehension. Something I’ve personally worked on is getting out of a “what if” mentality. What if I take this job? What if I don’t? What will happen if I stay here or if I leave? How am I going to meet someone or find a house? What if I don’t make it? What if this isn’t meant for me?
The what-ifs can swallow you whole. You can fall down and stay there just trying to figure out and game plan for things that haven’t even happened yet. Please tell me I’m not the only one that does this.
But here’s the cold hard truth. Worrying over things we can’t control is not of God.
“For I know the plans I have you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
You don’t need to know the plan. You just need to have faith in the one who created it. Every time I doubt or worry, I’m telling God that I don’t believe He has it or that maybe I know better. Faith is not an object. It’s a verb. You don’t just “have faith”, you practice it.
I have a journal where I write the miracles God has performed in my life. When I can feel myself doubting what’s to come, I look at this journal. If God has brought me through it before, why wouldn’t He now? God is not a God who abandons. He would leave the 99 to come find you. Look back on your life. Connect the dots. If I hadn’t gone here (blank) then I wouldn’t have met/seen/been there for/etc (blank). For example, if I hadn’t gone to the university I did, I wouldn’t have had the mentor I did who told me I could either go to grad school and pay for further education or I could start working right away and get paid to learn. Because he told me that, I didn’t go to the grad school I was applying for and I got the job at my dream company right out of school. Which changed the entire direction of my life.
God connects pieces. He comes full circle. God is passionate about you and your life. Your life is a chapter in the book of God, why would He not want to make your chapter great?
The future, the unknown is scary. But everything is on the other side of fear and God is there to take you through it. You are able to sit in God’s peace and still not know. There is so little in life that we can control. What is the use in spending energy on what is out of our control?
Here are things we CAN control:
Outlook
Attitude
Perspective
Reactions
Kindness
Behavior
Words
Standards + Boundaries
We can not control other people, events that haven’t come to pass, how conversations will go, the list goes on. We can control how we listen, how we love.
Let’s get real.
I have really big dreams. Not just one, several. They are big and impactful and incredibly important to me. I know what I want the end goal to be but I have no idea how I will get there. Well that’s terrifying. I have no idea how I’ll get there, I just know what the end would look like. I oftentimes doubt these dreams/goals. Is this what I’m meant to do? Will I be able to do it? Is this coming from me or is this of God? But then God interrupts these useless thoughts. God has placed desires and dreams in my heart. If I am willing to go beyond simply wanting them and am willing to go where God leads me, that’s when mountains will move.
If you are unsure about what is on your heart, start with praying. I journal my prayers. Writing them down gives me focus, intention, and a record of how God is changing my heart. If you just know this is what you are meant for, then keep praying over it. Tell people who love you to pray over them. And then take necessary steps in faith. Recently, my pastor has been doing a powerful sermon series called Will > Want. I’ve linked it for you. In today’s sermon, he said:
“God can do absolutely anything if you’re willing to do something.”
Being afraid of the unknown is normal and you can continue to be afraid or you can place your faith in God and have Him speak peace into your heart. It is a constant practice, at least it is for me. I constantly have to remind myself that I am not in this life alone. I am not the only one that has my best interest at heart.
You are not alone.
So even though we may not know what tomorrow holds or where we’ll be in 10 years, we do know we are not alone. We know we have God who has a plan for us. He has it completely mapped out. It’s like we’re on a road trip. Stick with me here. We’re on a road trip. We’ve got our snacks and Slurpees and a soundtrack to have the windows down to. God is in the passenger seat. He’s got a big map out in front of Him. You have to keep driving and looking at the road in front of you. You aren’t able to sneak a peek at the direction you’re going, you just have to trust that your copilot here will tell you where and when to turn. God sees the end destination and He tells us which turns to take, which roads to avoid, where there’s a point of interest like a giant rocking chair at the next exit. When you start to be afraid of the unknown, when you start to think you know better, you ignore the direction to go right and instead make a U-turn or take a different highway. Well that didn’t really make sense now did it? Because you don’t know the road to the final destination. So now you’ve missed the giant rocking chair and you’re off course. God can course-correct but you have to be open, you have to listen.
The only way to be able to hear God when he’s turning on the navigation system is to stay in a relationship with Him. Pray to Him, read His word, meet in community with like-minded people. It’s like talking to someone in a foreign language. If you don’t practice, you’re going to get rusty. The communication is still there but it’s harder to understand. Man, I am just filled with metaphors today lol.
The best news of all of this is you can start today. God has already forgiven you and He is waiting for you to come hang out. Another gem from this sermon series is we need to choose in comfort what we’ll need in a crisis. Set yourself up so that once the unknown is what is ahead of you, you already know what it is to have God by your side.
You are such a treasured child of God. You and your life is a beautiful chapter in this giant book God is writing. Whatever happens, know that He has plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. I am also here. As a resource, as a friend, as a sister in Christ. If you need an outstretched hand, know mine is there for you to grab. We were not meant to live through this life alone but in community. I hope you will be a part of mine.
Praying for you in faith constantly,
P.S. The sermon I mentioned is available —> here. There are also journal prompts for every day of the 6 weeks the series lasts. It has completely changed how my year is starting. This series has instilled in me a need for a deep foundation of faith and how I can pursue Jesus and the life I want when I’m willing to do what it takes. Check it out and let me know if you do!
Tip: A really easy, tangible way that I keep God and my faith at the forefront of my mind is to listen to my morning worship playlist. When I can feel myself getting negative or my anxiety levels rising, I play this playlist and refocus on what matters.
Here’s another article I think you would love:
I would love to connect with you and create a faith-filled community. Are you in?
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