Take Care

This past week I got the immense joy of going to Jesup for a couple of days and then down to Florida with the grandparents for Thanksgiving. I don't know if you don't enjoy your grandparents, don't know them, or never got the chance to truly know them, but I wholly invite you to come be apart of my family. Looking back on my favorite times with my family, my grandparents were there. Not just Grandma and Grandaddy from my mother's side but my Pop and Gan from my father's side as well. Any question I had to ask, they always had an answer. Grandparents have the best food, stories (which I believe to be somewhat enhanced from my grandfathers), and they have the best perspective. 

Now there are two men that I am particularly fond of and they are my Pop and my Granddaddy. These men stepped up and stepped in when I lost my own father and I have to say that they did a spectacular job. They filled my life with unconditional (and sometimes tough) love. If I have learned anything from my own short life here on this Earth, I know how time is fleeting. However, I never felt the depth and gravity of that knowledge until recently. For some reason this week I realized now more than ever is the time I should be spending with the best men I know. My life permanently changed after I lost my father but I couldn't ask for better men to have come in and give me that love, and my heart overflows with thankfulness and just awe at them.

This thankfulness extends so far past just these two men though. Sunday in church my pastor hit on the point. "The lack of a thankful heart is the beginning of man's rebellion against God." Well if that just didn't hit the nail on the head. I remembered Deuteronomy 6 where it says to take care lest you forget the Lord and what he has done for you. So often I just gaze over my blessing instead of truly thinking about them and the impact they have had on my entire life. I also realized that while we are given blessings, they are nothing if you don't remember to enjoy them.

As humans it is ridiculously easy for us to get caught up in the habit of thinking rather than action. I have thought about my blessings. I mean, I have taken time and just let the gravity of their impact be fully felt. And now I intend to maximize those blessings and really enjoy them. Whether that be more "just because" phone calls, slower runs to actually look at the scenery, or taking a moment to go swing. I encourage you to do the same. Don't let your days pass by in a haze because they are worth much more than your passing attention.

Live Today.

Never Late and Never Early

"Therefore preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13

Reading and mulling this verse during my quiet time today brought up a point that I had overlooked when I read it last. "Set your hope FULLY". Honestly in this world what do we every do fully? So many times we think, well I just won't really put a lot into this because I don't think that it's going to be worth it in the end. I'm not saying that you should put yourself fully into something that is foolish, but I can't bring myself to think that hoping in the Lord and his plan is foolish. Heaven knows how many times I have been reminded just how great and powerful my God is and always will be. 

Recently, I've put serious consideration, a lot of belief, and action into my being a full time children's minister. This is a completely different path than MD or PA or nurse but I know in my heart that teaching kids about how much God loves them is a very strong passion of mine. Does this mean I am taking a risk? Yes. In many ways I have thought about and sought counsel on just how much of a risk I would take by going into full time ministry. Even after analyzing the cons (and the pros) I want to follow this passion. To me, seeing a child "get" God's enormous love and his amazing provision is something that makes me overjoyed. Children aren't afraid to ask questions, and hard questions at that, I am never ceased to be blown away with the complexity of a question about God a child has come up with. I mean, I've even asked the kid "Did you really think of that yourself?" because they are yearning to know something that people that have been Christians for years haven't even thought to ask. With that being said, looking back over my life and seeing how events and people came together, how those events and people helped shape a passion, and how much support I have received I am simply in awe of how God has led me to this season of life.

We always talk about how God is never late. We use bible stories like Lazarus and how Jesus raised him from the dead after he was in the tomb for four days to show just how God is never late. We also forget another important fact. God is never early. When Jesus first got word that Lazarus was sick, even the disciples assumed that they were immediately going to Lazarus. Jesus loved him. He knew his name. Yet Jesus said to wait. He didn't want to be early because he knew that being early and healing Lazarus before his death wouldn't show the people the entire power of God.

I struggled with impatience to get a direct and clear answer yet I wanted to know before it was my time to know. I fully trust that my hope in God and his direction for my life is not in vain, he has after all made us that promise.

Live Today.