Hello everyone!
Wow.. Long time no post, huh? Well life has been a little crazy recently... Hopefully I can share some fun info with you soon! So be on the lookout!
I pray that you and your families are doing well. God has been on the move in Tennessee I know for a fact! I pray that you have learned new things this past month and that your relationship is stronger with Him than ever!
I have missed writing, but no fear I have a blog for you today! This one came to me a few weeks ago and I have just been trying to find the time to sit down and write it. Luckily, today seems to be that day!
So... here we go!
Close your eyes... (after this sentence of course) and picture a huge celebration. Whatever a celebration looks like to you. Maybe it is a birthday party, maybe it is Christmas, maybe it is a concert. Whatever being happy looks like to you!
Got that image? Good! Hold onto it...
Recently during a time of worship I kept getting a vision of someone splashing in puddles while it poured down rain. I remember days when I was younger and it would rain and all you would want to do was go and splash in the puddles and get soaking wet. Now when it rains all I want to do is sleep... Oh I feel like an adult saying that. Anyways, think about that time when you were younger and you were splashing in puddles in the rain while your mom yelled at you to come inside so you don't get the flu. This vision to me brings back a time when I was celebrating. I was so happy to be soaking wet, I did not have a care in the world. All I wanted was to be outside enjoying everything that was going on around me. I did not care about anything except having fun.
In life we all go through times where we need God's help. I have been going through a time over the past few months where I needed God to show me direction. I kept asking and asking. I got some pieces here and there, but never anything concrete until one day BAM. God placed something in front of me that he wanted me to take and run with. My point here is that I went through a time where I was constantly asking from God. I needed Him to do this and this and that for me, but I never once sat down and celebrated Him. I never sat down and thanked Him for the things he was doing. I never sat down and thanked Him for the process He was taking me through.
We must "surrender to the process." I understood that and said "ok, great I get that. I'll just wait it out." God, on the other hand, wanted to take me deeper into that thought. I can't just surrender to the process, but I have to celebrate the process. I have to celebrate what He is doing, even if I do not understand why he is doing it. Surrendering is one thing, you can surrender to anything, but surrendering and then celebrating the process God has you in is a completely different thing. Now, I am not saying that everything God takes you through is going to be flowers and sunshine and rainbows, because it will not be, but God knows what He is doing. So, in the hard times, celebrate that he is grooming you for what you need. Celebrate that you do not know every step of the process. Celebrate the fact that you are being raised up as a child of the King of Kings. He has not forgotten you or abandoned you. If you are following Him with your whole heart, then celebrate the hard times. Thank God for these times of uncertainty. They aren't meant to tear you apart, no, they are meant to make you stronger. To increase your faith. To increase your trust and ultimately shape you for who you are created to be.
So, come back to the image of your celebration. Got it? Never lose that. In the hard times, celebrate God. In the hard times, throw a party because God is on your side!
Until next time friends!
Austin
