Something the Lord has been teaching me recently – besides patience – is how to be content and diligent with where I am, on the way to where He wants me to be. In other words, most of us have felt shaken, to our core even, with everything going on. Up until recently I looked at this in a negative way. However, God is showing me as the old song says, “There is a whole lotta shakin’ going on” and it is actually for my benefit. To piggy back on what a few ministers and teachers have been saying, there’s a shaking happening right now, and God is removing some things in our lives that need removing. Just like a strainer sifting all the clumps out of flour so it’s usable for baking, God is trying to sift the things in our lives that are holding us back from all He has for us.

Maybe it’s things God said had to go a while back and you’ve been stubborn in releasing them….I know this is certainly true with me. I’m the type of person who enjoys routine and normalcy. If I like something, I have a tendency to get comfortable in it and avoid change at all cost. However, sometimes comfy equals complacency. Ouch! You might need to re-read that sentence. This is hard for me to write because I don’t want to hear that. I want to hear God say, “Don’t worry, you are comfy right now so I’ll just leave you alone for a while.” If you are in a “Spring” season there’s nothing wrong with that, but God didn’t promise us life would be easy and we’d always have things going “right”. Jesus said in John, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (16.33 NIV) The good news is we won’t always have hard times either, and when we do God is right there to give us his strength and peace. Another thing God asked me recently was, “How will you be/do you want to be when this is over?” After this pandemic, this season of “social distancing” and avoiding big crowds, this election year is over how do I want to be spiritually, physically, etc. ? How far will I have come and how will I turn out? Or as I titled this week’s post, “Who will I be on the other side of this?” Honestly, I would like to be more appreciative of my loved ones and friends. I also would like to value first responders, police, the medical field, and those serving others in need much more than I’ve done before. I want to be present when I’m in a conversation with someone. I want to be less distracted and less “busy”, I want to live more simplistically, and live with the knowledge that I’m really not guaranteed tomorrow. These are things I want to take away from this year. I also want to be more proactive when it comes to standing up for those who either don’t have a voice, or are not in a position to fight for themselves. I want to stand up for justice, love, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit we read about in Galatians.

The Bible says to not only be a hearer of the Word, but a doer as well. (James 1:22) So how do we put into practice what I’m talking about? I encourage you to keep a journal, a vision board, checklist, maybe all three, whatever you decide to use, create something that will give you a call to action and a reminder to be the person God designed you to be. For example, I want to love more and be more intentional in my relationships with others. How does that look? Well, first and foremost I seek the Lord on how this looks in my life. Maybe taking time out of the week and sending a card or note in the mail to my friends and loved ones. Maybe I call or text them acknowledging the fact I’m thinking of and praying for them. Maybe – when it is safe to do so – I schedule a lunch date or dinner with them and we just spend quality time with one another. However it looks, I make our relationship a priority. The next thing I do is write it down where I can see it (See Habakkuk 2:2a). The way this works is I create a vision board with what I want to accomplish in my lifetime, then I use my planner – which is multipurposed as a calendar and journal -, to write out my goals for not just the month but also the week and year. By doing this, I am putting it in front of myself daily as a reminder of what I want to accomplish and what I want to see God do in and through me.

So, where do you want to be after this is all over and we go back to normal? What are things – or people – you can let go of to embrace God’s best for your life? I look forward to reading your comments below!

May God’s blessings and favor be upon you, may you embrace His love and shine bright for the world to see!

~ Angie ~