When the fog begins to clear

The darkness here has lingered
the hours have been long.
The notes have long since faded
of your old favorite song.

Morning after morning,
you drag yourself to life
with prayers for hurried hours
and patience to survive.

But where's the joy, you wonder,
the light that used to shine,
when you dreamed of roads to travel
and using every ounce of time.

You lift your head up slowly,
knowing this is not the way.
The sun still shines above you,
lost is not where you must stay.

Your pulse begins to quicken,
oh all the life there is
is waiting right here for you
along with all you have to give.

August 2016

the Lord's doing

"This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see." Psalm 118:23

I love journaling. During certain seasons I'm terrible at actually keeping up with it (which I'm sure a lot of people can identify with) and sometimes I'll write a lot more depending on what is happening. Sometimes it's as simple as a list of my favorite things about what's going on. Sometimes it's just trying to process a situation. But even if it has been several months since I've sat down to write, I jump back in because it has such a purpose for me besides remembering fun things that I did and people I got to hang out with.

Writing about what God is doing in your life right now will encourage you down the road when you don't know what He's doing. 

This morning I picked up a journal that I haven't touched in over a year, and read back to when I was in my senior year of college trying to figure out what to do next. I had no idea that God was about to open a door for me to go to California and serve as a missionary. I had no idea that I was going to meet some of the best friends of my life that year. I just had no clue where He would lead me.

I love reading back on those thoughts because it is such a great reminder that when things are uncertain in front of me, my God is not confused. He is not worried. He is steady, constant, and He has a plan for my life to lead me down roads I can't even imagine right now in this moment.

So many times I am focusing so much on figuring out what God is doing that I forget to remember all that He has already done. He has already done so much and never failed to prepare my heart for what He's planned next. He is faithful, friends, and He is not just leaving us to figure it out.

Right now I'm in a new season of transition and trying to figure out my next steps. And it's easy to slip into anxious thoughts and feelings of being unqualified - fear of failure is real. But just to spend a few minutes in His Word and to read back in my journals to see how He has patiently carried me through different seasons in my own life is enough. Such simple reminders - He is enough, and His plans are good.

Rest in who He is, and watch as He leads you down roads you could never plan on your own. And then spend some time remembering His glorious, unfailing faithfulness to us. Because He is so good.