When did you stop...

A friend of mine shared a quick devotion with a group of us the other day. It was just a 10 minute portion of a ladies crafting event, something simple and light. I didn't quiet expect it to rock my world the way it did.

She began with this illustration:
There's an old story about a man, sick in soul, who visited a monk in the desert.
The monk asked him 3 things:

1. When in your life did you stop singing?
2. When in your life did you stop dancing?
3. When in your life did you stop telling stories and finding enchantment in your own life's story? 

My internal answer? I don't remember.

When did I stop singing? - Well, never. I still sing to myself all the time. I've always got a song stuck in my head.
When did I stop dancing? - I don't know that I ever started. Now don't go thinking that's so sad. I'm just not a dancer. Maybe a little swing of the hips every once in awhile but I'm not one to blare the music and dance in my underwear (Grey's Anatomy reference anyone? No? Okay...)

But when did I stop telling stories and finding enchantment in my own life's story? Now that one got me.

I've always loved stories. I'm a bit of a book nerd, fiction being my favorite with biographies in a close second. I love to delve into someone else's experiences. But my all-time favorite stories have always been my dad's. He tells the best ones. I've always found so much joy just sitting next to him and listening to him retell all his adventures and the crazy situations he got himself into. He always has the best accompanying facial expressions, sound effects, and hand motions. I may have heard the one about the three wheeled volkswagon bug driving through the middle of the desert a hundred times before, I could probably tell you that same story in the same exact way he does, but I'll patiently listen again and again because I cherish hearing his stories from him.

And I've always wanted to tell stories like he does. To remember the pieces of my life and recount them to others in all the vivid details. To share the life lessons, to speak some wisdom, even just to get a little laugh. I've always wanted my stories to mean something to someone else like my dad's have meant to me.

But somewhere in the last few months, maybe it's even been slowly happening over the last few years, I've lost the enchantment in my life's story. In some way, I stopped noticing the beauty, the wonder of my own days. I've written them off as unimportant, less than, and unnoticeable.

I stopped telling my stories because I stopped believing that they meant anything.

The friend who shared the devotion led us to the book of Zephaniah, a small two page record of one of God's prophets. At the closing of his book he prophecies the restoration of Israel and in chapter 3 verse 17 he says this,

"For the Lord your God is living among you. 

He is a mighty savior. 

He will take delight in you with gladness. 

With his love, he will calm all your fears. 

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

I've returned to this verse over and over in the last few days.

God takes delight in me. He rejoices over me with joyful songs. My stories, my life, mean something to Him - He is enchanted by my stories! 

If the Almighty God, Creator of the world, Savior of men, the all-knowing Lord is enchanted by my story, how can I not be? If He rejoices over my life, how can I not find joy in my days?

My stories mean something to God. Even if He is the only one who ever cares, isn't that enough!? 

Yes, His delight in me is more than enough.

Like the man in the illustration, my soul has been sick. But I'm so thankful God intervenes to heal and restore even at the most unexpected times. So this is me, striving to rediscover the enchantment, delight, and love for my own story. Meanwhile, I'm finding rest in the Lord's joyful song and His wondrous presence.

Picture by Greg Rakozy/unsplash.com

Life is hard

Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn't, I haven't been here since August. 

Yikes. 

I have no other explanation then to say -

"Life is hard. Then you die." 

Ha. Can you relate with that statement? 

No? Well, good for you. 

Yes? Yeah, me too. 

Life is hard.

But I'm so thankful that God sits with me right in the midst of the hard. 

I don't have to rely on my wisdom, my strength, or my fortitude. I can rely on His. 

I'm so thankful that God's shoulders are so much wider and stronger.

He holds my burdens way better than I ever could. 

Life may be hard, but my God is good.
And I'll be back soon enough.

"Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus,
God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand.
And this peace will control the way you think and feel."
Philippians 4:6-7

Want some more thoughts on dealing with the hard?

 Check out this awesome post from The Pearl Press.

...and you can thank my OT professor for that wonderful saying there.

I quote him all the time :) 

Four on Friday | Life-Giving Verses

It's Friday! Hallelujah! Can I get an "Amen?!"

Well, I'm joining in on the "Five on Friday" hype but with a little twist. Today it's Four on Friday because I like even numbers and it's my blog, so I say so. How's that for sure, logical reasoning?

My Four on Friday is living-giving verses. I just want to take a quick moment to share some verses that have been on my mind and getting me through the week. They've encouraged me, challenged me, and driven me to my knees in prayer. I hope they might do the same for you.

1. "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight." 

- Jeremiah 15:16

Jeremiah makes this statement in the midst of the darkest prophecies. The Lord has been speaking destruction over Judah and as his prophet, Jeremiah must share this terrible fate with his people. And yet, despite the famine, death, and threatening exile, Jeremiah takes joy in the words of the Lord. He loved EVERY word God spoke, with no exception. He took the good with the bad, trusting the Lord for deliverance.
I was so challenged by these words of Jeremiah's. Do I hunger for God's Words? Do I crave them like food and devour them? Do I take joy and find delight in them? Shesh. Probs not. I'm sure working on it though; how about you?

2. "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, 

for you have been with me from the beginning." 

- John 15:26-27

This was a double whammy - both an encouragement and a challenge. Jesus is promising the disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to take up residence in His followers after He is gone. The disciples have been charged to testify concerning Christ - to tell the world of all He has done (the challenge), yet they we don't do it alone. The Holy Spirit also, and even more, so testifies about Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and changes hearts (Jn 16:8), not us. That is the encouragement. We don't bear witness to Christ alone. All we need to do is tell the world about Him; the Holy Spirit will do all the heavy lifting. Doesn't that take off some of the pressure? It should! 

3. "For you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." 

- 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

This one is still challenging me from camp a few weeks ago. God continues to "awaken" me to the areas of my life where I have been spiritually asleep. And I hope and pray that He won't stop waking me up. I need it all day, every day. Anyone with me? 

4. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 

- John 16:33

This is one of my all-time favorite verses. These are some of Jesus' last words to His disciples before He is taken and crucified. He doesn't sugarcoat their future. He doesn't promise that everything will be easy and that they will live long, happy lives. In fact, He tells them that they will face persecution because of Him. Yet, He promises that they will have peace because He has already overcome it all. Praise Jesus for that!

I am so very thankful for those words! All of them. 

How has God's Word been challenging or encouraging you this week?