So far 2012 is an awesome year! I'm already beginning to see God's brush strokes, beautifully sweeping the hearts of His servants to draw His people to Himself. I see fruit on green trees as God builds up his church and uses them to glorify His name. Here in New Zealand it rained and rained for the first part of the summer. Now the sun has come out and flowers, plants and crops are springing ahead with growth. I see this sometimes happening in our hearts. We feel the pounding of rain, we feel cold and damp and we don't realize that we are soaking up nutrients and learning truth so when the sun shines we can leap ahead in our faith.
When clouds hover overhead and you're enclosed by fog it's hard to see past the here and now. Dreams and hopes are crowded out by the mundane. There's difficulty in seeing outside your own narrow life or in including others in the picture of each day. Small problems rise to choke us and even simple tasks grow overwhelming. But when the clouds are lifted and a heaven of blue sky is exposed our minds open with possibilities and we drink deeply of Light. We see outside of today into yesterday and tomorrow. We see that we're not the only ones around and that our lives are brimming with opportunities and relationships. It's this hope that breeds life and life breeds hope. We find that the path we walk today is made up of hopes and prayers birthed yesterday.
I used to dream of marrying a farmer and hope to be a missionary. Andrew's both. I used to pray my husband and I won't argue. We don't. I prayed he'd be tall with big hands and much faith. Check. I read books about Goerge Mueller, Amy Carmichael and I dreamed of living by faith and watching God provide. Today we're working with Prison Care and waiting and watching as God makes a way.
So
keep praying, keep hoping, and
keep dreaming. Just beware that the conversations you have with your Mighty God and loving Father may shape the path you walk ahead.
In Peter Reynold's class 'Introduction to Pastoral Counseling', (we are studying as a night class at Grace Theological College) one of the questions in his first handout reads "What are the blockages to your peace and thankfulness?" These blockages can be like the clouds hovering, keeping us from seeing and owning all that is ours in Christ.
I hope that in this New Year we will each partner with Christ in doing a little "Spring cleaning" (no matter the season:) of our hearts to free up an abundance of peace and the joy that is ours in Him.
