Trusting in His plan.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and they way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:-13-14

This week has been about trust. As I continue on this journey and as I continue looking at my options, trying to figure out the path God has laid out before me. I have come to realize that my options are many, the potential is great, and the world is available.

As I make major decisions, I look back on my heroes; my role models. Amazing men and woman who have lived out my dreams, done things that I can only imagine and who have radically lived lives full of faith, love and passion. I look back at the humble beginnings of Mother Teresa. I look back at the testimony of a woman, who spent over sixty years overseas on three different continents blazing boldly with the fire of the Holy Spirit. I look at the people I admire greatly who work "normal" 9 to 5 jobs, but whose unceasing love has spread not only to me, but every single person they come into contact with.

As I visualize these people, their lives, and how God has used them, I see the things I value, I see what I treasure and cherish. I see the path God laid out before them. I saw their commitment to a faithful God. I've come to see the that this narrow gate we strive towards on this narrow path of righteousness is broader than I thought before. With the full strength of an all-powerful God calling the shots, I have no limits nor do I have any boundaries.

I see God telling me that these people didn't know or realize when they were my age that they were going to have such an impact on my life, nor do I know the impact that I will one day have on someone else's life. As I make decisions now I see that my commitment to God, my trust in Him, my confidence that He will take me where He wants me, by allowing His conviction into my life, and relying on Him with my everything and my faith that "He who began a good work within [me] will carry it on to completion" is what will take me to my full potential and all that God has in store for me and I don't need to worry about the details between.

Challenged.

"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart ♥ May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and the exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done."

At church today the Holy Spirit hit me.

I have come to realize when I hear God best, it's when He hits me in the face with His truth and reveals His heart and His passions for my life. It's then time to take a step back and review my life, get back onto that path that He's set out before me and align myself once again with His vision and THEN move forward again.

I sometimes am challenged when I pray SO long and hard for something to happen, and it just doesn't. I start to question God, I go back and look over those truths that I knew to be true and ask why?

I was reminded today to adjust my focus. To put the focus not onto the things that God isn't doing, but to my own actions. Have I made the proactive step of living a Christ-like life? Have I taken a step outside my comfort zone to encourage these dreams? I was humbled when I realized I was just sitting back and waiting for God to do it all. I recognized that I was blind to see that it was me who was hindering these prayers.

Instead of being on the front lines of battle, I was hanging back and waiting for God to do all the work. I lost sight of the meaning of FRIENDSHIP: A TWO way relationship. I saw that a mighty, powerful, omnipotent God wanted me to fight alongside Him. I saw a God that could do it Himself but cared enough to not want me to sit back, He knew I'm ready, He knew I'd find the strength and knew that I believed I'm covered with His grace.

I was encouraged today to follow my dreams. To chase after what I know God has called me to do. Not to sit back and watch the world go on around me, but to be PART of the world as I lead the way. To make the world sit back and watch as I work for the Glory of His kingdom, as I battle on the front lines and as together as the body of Christ we spread our light throughout the nations.

"If the devil were wise enough and would stand by in silence and let the Gospel be preached, he would suffer harm. For when there is no battle for the Gospel is rusts and it finds no cause and no occasion to show its vigour and power. Therefore, nothing better can befall the Gospel than that the world should fight it with force and cunning."
Martin Luther