Today, I'm just going to write from the heart. No fancy pictures or videos...just conversation.
I've posted a lot of memories about the recent trip to Grand Turk and as I've looked through all the pictures and watched the videos my heart longs to be back there. The presence of the Lord was so strong with us from start to finish.
I remember walking through the security checkpoint at my local airport only to find out that my flight had been delayed and then given a voucher to have lunch while I waited. Rather than getting frustrated by the delay, I walked around, strolling in and out of the different shops and chatted with some of the people who worked there. Some asked where I was going and as I shared with them, so many were quick to share their faith with me.
My husband was a little nervous about me traveling into Miami alone, but at the Birmingham airport, 2 gentlemen approached me with beautiful smiles and asked if it was my first trip to South Florida. We had a lively conversation and again, I shared what I was going to be doing and they both were quick to share their faith with me as well. One of them was from Cuba and another was a native of Miami. They sat across from me on the plane and when we got there, both were so kind as to show me the way to go to pick up my baggage and catch a cab to the hotel. I never felt afraid. Even the cab driver was a Christian - a sweet man who openly shared his faith with me and played Christian music in his cab on the way to Ft. Lauderdale.
On the way home, similar instances happened. A delay at the airport gave me the opportunity to visit a little longer with some other members of the Metro Big Band who were also delayed. At the Atlanta airport, I was eating lunch and a kind gentleman asked if he might sit beside me and before long before we were talking about the goodness of the Lord and he prayed for our safety in traveling back home Then sitting at the terminal, a sweet flight attendant sat beside me and it didn't take long before we were talking about the Lord again and a little Alabama football too - which always makes me happy!
Sometimes God may call us out of our comfort zones in our very own homes. He may ask us to care for an aging parent or sick loved one or a small infant as something we've never done before. He may put us in a workplace with unbelievers or difficult co-workers. He may allow financial hardship or relationship storms to come our way. But if we're willing to trust Him and give over our anxieties and hurts during these seasons, our faith will grow stronger and our knowledge of His presence will be deeper - and the stories we can share will help others along the way.
Sometimes God will invite us to pray out of our comfort zones. He will give us situations and opportunities that cause us anguish in praying. Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, wayward children, unexplained illnesses, deaths, losses and more can drive us to our knees...but He is there. We need to venture outward especially in our prayers because it's there that intimacy with our Heavenly Father is found.
Venturing outward is hard and can be dark and scary. Letting our guard down is risky, especially if we've been wounded deeply. Forgiveness of wrongs done is painful. But God is there...drawing us closer each time we walk boldly in faith with Him. Venturing out can also be refreshing - a time of renewal. For me, this last trip was exactly that. There was testing and stretching and on some things I didn't quite pass but on other things I spread my wings more than ever before and I found that to be exhilarating! I want more than ever to learn from the tests I didn't quite pass and try again and then build on those amazing successes and do more!
Someone once said that if God calls you to do something that scares you -- do it scared! I know in my own walk with Him, there have been lots of scary moments. But when I know my brothers and sisters are praying and when I earnestly seek Him too, I find that even the scariest moments become filled with His presence. Do they go away? Rarely. Is there always a happy ending? Sometimes. But the blessing is always a deeper walk with the Lord.
I think the point of all this rambling is this...If God leads us to go out of our comfort zone to follow Him (and He will!) - and if we obey Him in it - He will go with us as He promises. We should never worry. The destination may be in our homes or just to the grocery store or the post office or it may be completely around the world - but if He calls us - He is going to be there with us. I think that's why I love these opportunities so very much...it's always a great opportunity to see just what the Lord will do.
So today if you find yourself at a place where you could venture outward or pull inward, let me encourage you to take the outward path. You may not have a choice in the matter -- you may be knee deep in venturing outward and not enjoying it all -- if that's the case, let me encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him what can be learned in this season and look for His presence there. He is so faithful - and He will send others to stand with you - but you must be willing to let them. Seek Him today, dear friend...and know that He will meet you right where you are.
I've posted a lot of memories about the recent trip to Grand Turk and as I've looked through all the pictures and watched the videos my heart longs to be back there. The presence of the Lord was so strong with us from start to finish.
I remember walking through the security checkpoint at my local airport only to find out that my flight had been delayed and then given a voucher to have lunch while I waited. Rather than getting frustrated by the delay, I walked around, strolling in and out of the different shops and chatted with some of the people who worked there. Some asked where I was going and as I shared with them, so many were quick to share their faith with me.
My husband was a little nervous about me traveling into Miami alone, but at the Birmingham airport, 2 gentlemen approached me with beautiful smiles and asked if it was my first trip to South Florida. We had a lively conversation and again, I shared what I was going to be doing and they both were quick to share their faith with me as well. One of them was from Cuba and another was a native of Miami. They sat across from me on the plane and when we got there, both were so kind as to show me the way to go to pick up my baggage and catch a cab to the hotel. I never felt afraid. Even the cab driver was a Christian - a sweet man who openly shared his faith with me and played Christian music in his cab on the way to Ft. Lauderdale.
On the way home, similar instances happened. A delay at the airport gave me the opportunity to visit a little longer with some other members of the Metro Big Band who were also delayed. At the Atlanta airport, I was eating lunch and a kind gentleman asked if he might sit beside me and before long before we were talking about the goodness of the Lord and he prayed for our safety in traveling back home Then sitting at the terminal, a sweet flight attendant sat beside me and it didn't take long before we were talking about the Lord again and a little Alabama football too - which always makes me happy!
Sometimes God may call us out of our comfort zones in our very own homes. He may ask us to care for an aging parent or sick loved one or a small infant as something we've never done before. He may put us in a workplace with unbelievers or difficult co-workers. He may allow financial hardship or relationship storms to come our way. But if we're willing to trust Him and give over our anxieties and hurts during these seasons, our faith will grow stronger and our knowledge of His presence will be deeper - and the stories we can share will help others along the way.
Sometimes God will invite us to pray out of our comfort zones. He will give us situations and opportunities that cause us anguish in praying. Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, wayward children, unexplained illnesses, deaths, losses and more can drive us to our knees...but He is there. We need to venture outward especially in our prayers because it's there that intimacy with our Heavenly Father is found.
Venturing outward is hard and can be dark and scary. Letting our guard down is risky, especially if we've been wounded deeply. Forgiveness of wrongs done is painful. But God is there...drawing us closer each time we walk boldly in faith with Him. Venturing out can also be refreshing - a time of renewal. For me, this last trip was exactly that. There was testing and stretching and on some things I didn't quite pass but on other things I spread my wings more than ever before and I found that to be exhilarating! I want more than ever to learn from the tests I didn't quite pass and try again and then build on those amazing successes and do more!
Someone once said that if God calls you to do something that scares you -- do it scared! I know in my own walk with Him, there have been lots of scary moments. But when I know my brothers and sisters are praying and when I earnestly seek Him too, I find that even the scariest moments become filled with His presence. Do they go away? Rarely. Is there always a happy ending? Sometimes. But the blessing is always a deeper walk with the Lord.
I think the point of all this rambling is this...If God leads us to go out of our comfort zone to follow Him (and He will!) - and if we obey Him in it - He will go with us as He promises. We should never worry. The destination may be in our homes or just to the grocery store or the post office or it may be completely around the world - but if He calls us - He is going to be there with us. I think that's why I love these opportunities so very much...it's always a great opportunity to see just what the Lord will do.
So today if you find yourself at a place where you could venture outward or pull inward, let me encourage you to take the outward path. You may not have a choice in the matter -- you may be knee deep in venturing outward and not enjoying it all -- if that's the case, let me encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him what can be learned in this season and look for His presence there. He is so faithful - and He will send others to stand with you - but you must be willing to let them. Seek Him today, dear friend...and know that He will meet you right where you are.
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