Running with Patience

You may consider this a short little post this morning. But these brief words I read this morning I found so powerful, straight from Come Away, My Beloved:

"'Running' with 'patience.' -In these two words I have combined the intensity of purpose and the quiet waiting upon Me which ye needs must have, else ye be overtaken in the race by fatigue of body and soul."

Intensity of purpose...RUNNING
Quiet waiting...WITH PATIENCE

Just because you may be in a season of waiting -for whatever it is!- it does not mean you should just sit in a corner all day -continue running! Stay busy, remain faithful... As I read a while back somewhere else, continue in the path God has already placed you on. BUT just because you are running doesn't mean you shouldn't take the time to listen for His voice, constantly alert for a change in direction to run towards, taking time to "recharge" at His feet. The narrow road to Shiloh's Mount can seem so long at times, yet, as my pastor stated last Sunday, "you may have to sit a while on this journey, simply crying out to the Lord in weariness...But that's okay as long as you don't start going back the way you first came from."

Run. With Patience. Persevere. Don't Quit. Be Faithful.

Proclaim Liberty

A month ago, I decided to dive into the book of Jeremiah. Never did I expect the riches I would discover in a book I once deemed depressing and only about judgment. God has used my reading there to reveal so much to me about His nature, His balance of holiness and grace, His heart, His brokeness for those who do not walk with Him...and His faithful provision, presence, and revelation to those whose heart is after Him. I think I could probably write many, many posts on all that is discussed in Jeremiah; but for now, I would like to focus on NINE words of ONE verse: Jeremiah 34:17.

Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty...

WOAH. In this passage, if you look at the context, God was frustrated with His people for not following His commandments on how to treat their slaves/servants, who were supposed to be released after a certain number of years of service. The owners were indeed releasing them...but then bonding them once again after a year or two. The Israelites were failing to PROCLAIM LIBERTY.

Am I proclaiming liberty?

Believing in, chasing after, and defending liberty has kind of become "my thing" ever since I left the more simple ways of childhood. From the moment I watched for the first time a movie where a child chose to set a wild animal free to the heart-gripping instant of gazing at the collapsing Twin Towers to the life-changing decision of following Jesus Christ, the idea of LIBERTY began to take on new, revolutionary meanings to me.

I followed my dreams of studying government and early American history at the university level, but now, I am a college graduate, working a regular "7:45 AM to 4:45 PM" kind of job that I did not originally think I would ever do. But who I am in Christ -my true identity- is one who cannot stop striving to proclaim liberty. I firmly believe that individuals can find liberty from the toils of life through participation in equine-assisted therapy and other horse programs; I adhere to the same principles of liberty that the Founding Fathers of this country called their own and inscribed in every word of our Constitution; and most importantly, I have found true, constant liberty in the Lord Jesus Christ -a liberty that continues to exists when there are no more horses to ride or when every single right as stated in the Bill of Rights has been snatched away.

The cool thing in all of this?

This identity follows me -no matter where I live, no matter where I work, no matter how much I think I am contributing to my convictions. Now I realize that God is opening doors for me to live this identity out, even if they seem small doors at the moment. He did say after all that if I am faithful in the little things right now...He will open even more greater doors later.

So now what? WILL I PROCLAIM LIBERTY -even in my seemingly, simple, day-to-day routine? After all...I did graduate from a school with "liberty" in its name!

So Me -A New Favorite Song

"Airstream Song"

Miranda Lambert / Natalie Hemby

Sometimes I wish I lived in an Airstream
Homemade curtains, lived just like a gypsy
Break a heart, roll out of town
‘Cause gypsies never get tied down

Sometimes I wish I lived on a mountain
Drank from a stream instead of a fountain
I’d stay there, top of the world
But I was born a red dirt girl
Unbridled or tethered and tied
The safety of the fence or the danger of the ride
I’ll always be unsatisfied
Sometimes I wish I lived by a pier
In a lighthouse with a chandelier
I’d watch everybody’s ships come in
And then I’d sail away with them
Unanchored in the storm
Or safely on the shore
If this is all I need, why do I want more
Sometimes I wish I lived in an airstream
Homemade curtains, lived just like a gypsy

Adventure & Passion

A few months ago -it seems like yesterday!- I discovered that being a gypsie is not necessarily a bad thing. January and Februrary brought amazing provision as I began making a home for myself. March, on the other hand, rolled in, bringing with it once again the longing of my now fully gypsied soul for adventure, for greener grasses, and for excitement. My job had taken a slow spin since I was not yet fully trained and ready for all my coming assignments. Other circumstances in my life were having me wonder if I was in the right place, if I belonged to something "greater," if I should be still searching for home. Opportunities for "more exciting" jobs seemed to run through my inbox; a realization of friends leaving and moving on to the next step in life was hitting me with full force and brutality; and suddenly having options for which Masters to pick became an unsolveable dilemna. I was restless. I needed "adventure." I wanted something "greater." I didn't want to let go of friendships and watch God work in their lives in other places.

Last weekend, though, I was able to take a little getaway trip. Even though it was for academic purposes, God used it to completely shift my perspective. I LOVE IT when He does that!

• My home is where His heart is. It's as simple as that! I need to look no further. Where He has placed me is where I belong.
• Naturally, people come and go. My job is to make the most of my time with them, no matter how long or short it is, to be a blessing to them, to enjoy every moment.
• My life IS an adventure in and of itself -if I let God take control and if I live my life fully. I don't need to travel the world, take the Gospel to foreign lands, or open a tradepost in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Here. Now. Today. Is when God's adventure calls me.

So I created a new motto... Not aimless wanderings but ADVENTURE. Not mindless obsessions but PASSION.

What's next? I'M READY!

Thoughts on my True Love

You cradle my so fragile heart
That falls easily to a worldy dart
That cowards at earth's quick rots
That withholds secrets and private thoughts

You desire to change my mind
That struggles against today's grind
That fears at fleeting castles in sand
That forgets Your controlling hand

You chase my wandering soul
That drives after only a fool
That follows lies and other words
That becomes vulnerable to swords

You are my constant who never leaves
You, to my soul a King who cleaves,
You wrap my all in a pure embrace
And promise wholeness face to face

You will carry me on an angelic wing
Your name and glory I will sing
Finally united with You and fellow travelers
No more separation or sinful surrenders

Intimidated by Your Love

I don’t think I have shared with you yet my deep appreciation for Bethany Dillon songs. It seems that every time I listen to them, they either pierce my soul with conviction or put my deepest thoughts into words. She just seems to know how to say what I really need to hear or how to express how I truly feel.

I have been thinking a lot about how my concept of LOVE is far, very far, from God’s concept of this mysterious force that emboldens mothers to desire to take their children’s place in pain, that moves a man and a woman to seek to give up their differences, and that motivated a holy God to sacrifice His own Son for a selfish world lost in darkness, suffering, and shame. To me, love doesn’t happen unless it is shared, becomes a strong mutual feeling, or isn’t reality until it is recognized and embraced by all the involved parties. How many times am I moved to love someone because I can see accompanying benefits or a promise of returned love?

This may be a very human perception of love –but oh how inaccurate is it! We have so perverted and stained our concept of love that we can no longer recognize it when it is there, present, and at work…and fail to even grasp a glimpse of God’s powerful, UNCONDITIONAL love for us. Because that’s what true LOVE is –it is unconditional.

The Bible speaks of this love on many occasions. I John 4:19 states that God loved us way before we even thought about loving Him. James 4:6-10 and Jeremiah 29 distinctively relate the idea that long before we decided to grab His hand, it was outstretched towards us, simply waiting for us to call upon His love and claim it our own. God loves unconditionally –and He never stops loving us, even when we think He does due to our human, small conception of love. One of my favorite Bethany Dillon songs “So Close” alludes to this idea: for a major part of the song, Bethany talks about how easily we fall into sin, into prideful negligence of His Word, and into a feeling of distance between the Lord and us. However, she concludes her song with a powerful truth: He never once turned His heart away, even when we felt so far away. He was always “so close.” We are the ones with wandering hearts; but HE is always so close, even when we feel so far away from Him. Now that’s love.

So what now? What must we –I –do about this love? I want to challenge us –I want to challenge me! –to truly LOVE…love through a transformed mind (Romans 12:2): love boldly, love humbly, love sacrificially, love fearlessly, love unconditionally, love without expecting anything in return…Love the LORD with all your heart, mind, and soul…and love others as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).

What A Bargain -Blessed Are Those Who Wait

Today I went grocery-shopping with one of my best friends, and to our delight, we found some amazing bargains that, thanks to our freezers, will satisfy our taste buds for weeks without compromising our bank accounts. We were so thrilled! I can honestly say that roasted chicken with my salad tonight was one of my yummiest dinners in my little home so far. It made me so excited and grateful about something that is easily considered so simple.

Many times, bargains become some of our most prized delights if we are patient and diligent to actually look for them and are willing to give up having them immediately. Sometimes we may even have to pay a little price –but compared to the eventual result, it is only minute. This isn’t just solid, smart grocery-shopping. I know this may sound a little strange, but waiting and finding “bargains” applies to our other aspects of life, too. Countless times it may seem to us that God asks us to give up our dreams, talents, and gifts and to patiently seek His face as we wait until He opens doors and reveals us our “life bargains.” Recently, through a series of amazing new opportunities, I realized that God has a timing for everything, including my talents and dreams. He uses every single one of them in His beautiful, perfect timing when I patiently wait, making the most of the here and now while being available to His call.

Summer 2011, I realized how much I still craved to ride, care for, and work with horses; but I was not really sure how that could happen anymore. I decided to just surrender that dream up to the Lord –maybe that was all it had ever been supposed to be? That fall, I found out about my college’s new equestrian center which was offering free riding lessons. I had my first back-in-the-saddle experience before Christmas break, and once I was back from vacation, I took lessons probably maybe about four to five times a month. I was finally experiencing what I had always dreamed of. I continually wanted more –I could not get enough time in the saddle. God allowed me to work at a summer camp where I spent three months taking care of horses and eventually teaching beginner lessons maybe 75% of the day –even though I had only started seriously riding that past January (don’t tell me that there is anything that God can’t do!). As I neared the end of camp, I realized how much I had enjoyed the experiences I had run across. I had truly loved every single opportunity that had involved working with children and horses, and I couldn’t imagine stopping now that I had tasted what delight those activities were. I researched community outreaches near my college that used horses to touch people’s lives. To my excitement, I discovered one only ten minutes away from campus! Needless to say, I quickly became an active contributor to the horse ministry throughout the fall by helping out with horse conditioning and youngsters’ horse clubs.

What am I doing now, you may ask?

Well… after only so little time, I am now the ministry’s horse clubs manager, and I was just asked yesterday to write part of our developing manual that we plan to make available to anyone out there interested in knowing how to start an equine-assisted therapy program! I know…INCREDIBLE, RIGHT!? I still cannot believe it. I can only sit here on my living room floor, amazed at what God’s plans are and ashamed of the many times I still try to control them and fit my life to the mold I think it should be. He really does know best, even when we feel as if we are giving up what we love most. If I had been given horse opportunities earlier, I honestly don’t know if I would be using them to try to reach out to others. Many times He makes us wait because we are not ready, or not as many people would be blessed through us, or He ultimately wouldn’t be glorified as much. After all, life is all about just that, touching people’s lives and bringing Him glory.

To be continued…