From The Shore to The Waves

I recently attended a women’s conference and it seemed that every speaker I heard was speaking to me. I heard, “trust God….. grow in Him….. don’t be comfortable…..” Even in one song we sang (You Make Me Brave by Bethel), spoke about God calling us out beyond the shores into the waves. Everything pointed to leaving what I know and embracing what He wants from me next in life.

My husband and I know that God has called us to the ministry. Later this week, we go for a meeting and get a yes or no in regards to what we do next. Either way, yay or nay, we will still minister in some capacity. But being called to something bigger than us worries me. It’s easy to be hesitant because its unfamiliar. It’s scary. And it may even be something as big as a move, a relocation. I’ve never lived outside my county lines…

This is comfortable. My hometown is comfortable. Home is my shore. God has something bigger in store for me though. He’s calling me out into the waves, into the great abyss that is the world, faraway from the safety of my shore.

So what do I do?

Do I ignore Him? Do I live in fear of the unknown and hold steady to my familiarity with the shoreline?

Or do I trust in Him? Do I navigate the uncharted waters beyond my front door?

The answer is the latter. I have to step out in faith and live out the calling on my life. It may not be fulfilled this week, this month, or even this year. But I know He’s called me and my family to something far greater than what we can even imagine. The details will come into focus in His timing through prayer and time spent seeking His direction. He has it all planned out and has since the beginning of time. All He is waiting on is submissive, willing hearts.

Jeremiah 29:11-13, “11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!”

Psalm 71:20-23

Psalm 71:20-23 says, “20 You have given me many troubles and bad times, but you will give me life again. When I am almost dead, you will keep me alive. 21 You will make me greater than ever, and you will comfort me again. 22 I will praise you with the harp. I trust you, my God. I will sing to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. 23 I will shout for joy when I sing praises to you. You have saved me.” I came across this verse when I was doing some research on being called to ministry. I’ve felt a greater pull in regards to the calling He has placed on my life. A pull that lures me into something bigger than I thought I could do. This passage just spoke volumes to me. I’m going to break it down, verse by verse, and share how it has spoke to me.

“You have given me many troubles and bad times, but you will give me life again. When I am almost dead, you will keep me alive.” Psalm 71:20
It’s no secret that I don’t have the greatest past. One could say I sowed my wild oats and didn’t make the best decisions. Even after I found my salvation, the road wasn’t smooth. I’ve had hardships. No one said Christianity was easy. But here’s the best part, He gave me life again. He met me in my darkest valleys and gave me hope. He breathed life into these dead bones and gave me a purpose.

“You will make me greater than ever, and you will comfort me again.” Psalm 71:21
God has placed a higher calling on my life. Sometimes people and the world tries to stifle that calling or keep it contained in a little box of rules or conformity. But that purpose He has put on me is far bigger and better than anything man says. When I feel beat up by the rules of the world, it’s okay because He meets me in my hurts and gives me comfort and peace.

“I will praise you with the harp. I trust you, my God. I will sing to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” Psalm 71:22
I was made to worship Him. It doesn’t matter whether I use an instrument or my voice. I am a worshipper at heart. My sole purpose in life is to worship Him. I can worship Him because I can trust Him to care for me. I may have hard times but my song of praise to Him never ceases because He is faithful to see me through to the finish.

“I will shout for joy when I sing praises to you. You have saved me.” Psalm 71:23
I ran hard and fast from God during my teen and early adult years. I rebelled. I did everything wrong. But those wrongs just turned into a testimony. He really did save me. He reached down from His holy throne, scooped sinful me into His hand, and whispered to me that my life has a purpose. He chose me to fulfill a calling of music ministry. He gave me the gift of music to be used for His Kingdom. I have no other choice but to “shout for joy when I sing praises” to Him. Worship is not just my calling, it’s a lifestyle choice I’ve embraced because of His saving grace.

Well, hello 2014!

First off, let me begin by saying I’m sorry for having not posted lately. Personally, the end of the year has been hectic for our family. My husband switched shifts which has thrown off my own schedule. It’s been a bit of an adjustment but hey, every trial becomes a triumphant with faith.

Okay, so it’s 2014! Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to how this year is going to play out. 2013 had been a year of ups and downs, happiness and some frowns. But at the end of the day, God has blessed us tremendously. During the span of the last twelve months we’ve bought our own home, Trevor began a new job which enabled me to become a stay-at-home mom, we’ve dealt with losing friends and even loved ones. But the greatest part of this year has been our faith. Over the past year, we’ve both really grabbed hold of our callings and are running with them. And this year, I feel, will really show us where to go and how to serve with these callings. The Lord has blessed us with the means to afford my husband the opportunity to do schooling from home to accomplish his ministry calling. God definitely equips those He calls. I plan to just really delve into my music ministry some more. I hope to upgrade my keyboard and just really work on the technical side of my playing. I just want to be the best I can be in my service to His Kingdom.

Last night, my husband and I chaperoned our church’s youth group lock-in and during the time of prayer, my husband prayed over our own lives and in that prayer he mentioned The Great Commission. And that has been on my heart for the last 24 hours. The most important part of 2014 for me is my resolution. Yes, I know resolutions can be overrated. Why wait until the new year to make a positive change? But a new year is a new season—a time for new goals. My personal goal for the year is to really let my life be an example. I want people to see Jesus in me on a daily basis. I want to be the example of what people want for themselves in a relationship with Christ. Whether that be through a personal conversation or a random act, I want my life to be the Jesus someone needs to see. Jesus has called us apart to reach the world. He’s called us to be like Him—loving, praying for, and reaching out to a hurting world. When it’s all said and done and I see Him face to face, I want to have accomplished that to the best of my ability. And that starts now.

Here I am, God. What’s next?

Today is my last day of my first week as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM from here on out in this post). That’s right. I’ve crossed over and am now a SAHM. I consider it a huge blessing. We have relied on God to meet a lot of our needs and He has, as always, came through. My husband has been blessed with a job with the state’s department of corrections which has enabled me to stay home. There were other reasons for me to quit my job (a sitter was getting too pricey) so we opted for me to just be the sole caregiver. And in this new stage of life, I’m learning things about myself and where I go from here.

First and foremost, my duties are to take care of my husband, children, and home. I want to live my life much like the woman in Proverbs 31 (see previous post). I want to care for my husband and children in a way that I haven’t been able to before due to working outside the home. I know God has blessed me with a husband and children to fulfill my Biblical role as a woman. But even more than that, I feel God pulling me to do more. The only issue is, what is it that He is calling me to do?

Now that I am home and have a schedule somewhat in place, I begin each day at six AM with a cup of coffee, my Bible, devotional readings, and writing in my prayer journal. Six AM is quite early but I know if I don’t get up to accomplish my alone time with God before the kids get up, it most likely won’t get done that day. And in this time, I’m feeling the Spirit speak to me. I feel God calling me to do more. Some things have been laid on my heart but sometimes I doubt myself. Not necessarily in my ability to accomplish the calling, but rather is it the Spirit or my own desires. I’ve prayed for the Lord to show me confirmations so that I know it’s really Him. And I’m still waiting on those confirmations. But I believe in God’s ability to provide a way and guidance for whatever it is He wants from me. I know He has bigger and better things in store for me and my family. I recognize that these new opportunities (Trevor’s new job and my becoming a SAHM) are a God-thing to enable His calling on our lives. God makes a way for those He wants to use. I’m willing to be used in whatever capacity. I just have to step out in faith and say, “Here I am, God. What’s next?”

Side note:
A lady at my church loaned me the book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst. This book is great so far – about halfway through it. But two sentences on page 72 have been on my heart since I read them. If this is all I take from this book, it was well worth it…

“God is using all your experiences, both good and bad, to develop your character to match your calling. After all, dear friend, you never know how God will use you until you let Him.”

Purpose. Calling. Passion. Gifts.

Purpose. We all have one in this life. But what is it? How do we figure out that purpose? Does it come to us in a dream, over time, through trial and error? How? I’m sure we all discover our purpose through different means. Maybe a preacher spoke over you, or maybe it came to you through your prayer time. Or maybe it’s as simple as being drawn to something specifically, like a passion. What we do know is that God put us here intentionally and with a purpose.

Now, here is a bigger question. Is our purpose directly tied to our passion?

For instance, as I’ve shared before, my passion is worship. Is leading worship or being involved with worship my purpose? As for me, yes. He has placed a passion in me and given me the gifts — and that’s important — to fulfill my purpose. And those gifts go hand and hand with purpose. I genuinely feel as though God has given me the ability to sing and play a musical instrument to glorify Him and not for my own gratification.

God blesses each and every one of us with gifts. We just need to figure out how those gifts correlate with our purpose in His grand plan. And that can be tough. Maybe your gift isn’t something as simple as mine. Maybe God has placed perseverance in your spirit so that you can reach out to those who are hurting and feel as though they can’t go on anymore. Or perhaps God has given you the gift of gab. You can go up to just about anyone and strike up a conversation which could open the door for you to invite that person to church or a bible study. What God wants of us ultimately is to use our gifts for His cause. Those gifts are just that — gifts. He has chosen to give us those out of love and with the intention of using them for His purpose within His Kingdom. 1 Timothy 4:14-15 says, “14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” Paul is writing to Timothy on what it means to be a good servant of Christ. Our gifts from God are meant to be used for His good. The gifts which He has blessed us with must be apart of our daily lives. We need to eat, breathe, and sleep those gifts so to say.

Our purpose in life is the calling to use the gifts God has instilled in each and every one of us. Our purpose drives our passions. Our passions are driven by the gifts He gives us. If we could all just grasp that concept it would be amazing how His Kingdom would just explode. Each of us are given gifts that intricately work in tandem if we could only step out if faith and embrace our callings in life.