I was going to stop blogging. No, really.
I even posted it on last weeks UNITE, “Why God Hasn’t Given Up On You”…that I was going to stop writing in order to “think and pray” about what God was doing on my blog.
But truth is, I was tired…really, really tired.
For days before last weeks writing, I had written and edited a post, yet never felt content with what I was planning to post here.
So, at 4:45 last Monday evening, I went to my front porch and almost instantly God whispered to me, “I am not done with you”. I felt inspired and knew I better not let this fiery word die in me…so I ran to the computer, to get it down in writing.
More amazingly, my four kids were gone…yep, all four of them. And my husband too. In years and years, this is something that never happens and I knew it was strange and God wanted me to do something with this time carved out for some clear purpose.
Soooo, I jumped on the laptop and utilize this quiet….brainlessly tapping away, whatever came to my mind. Posts usually go up at 6:00…and I didn’t want to miss a deadline.
Later, I learned, it was a moment chosen only by God.
By 5:15 I had tapped out my thoughts. Then, I spent the next forty-five minutes editing, finding pictures, and adding the linky for all you to connect here.
I knew it was unbelievably strange that within 1 short hour, an entire post was ready to go…which is about two hours shorter than what it usually takes me….
But, I just “chalked it up” as a miracle. Said a little prayer. Then, hit “publish”.
A few days later a friend I had never met writes me a private e-mail. She says how God used my chaotic moments of typing to speak to her and her family. I was blown away. God use me?
But know what was even cooler??
Later, she types me saying it was exactly at 4:45 – 5:30 that God called her away to pray. Did you get that? She had been praying at the exact time that my husband left with the kids, and my heart was lured to the porch. Yep, none of it was a coincidence.
Yep, that’s right….Her praying somehow sparked my writing frenzy. And those words “coincidentally” confirmed her prayers. Then, her initial e-mail of encouragement stirred in me the notion that, “God is not done with me yet”, Him pricking my conscious to not step away from blogging yet. (Does that even make sense?…I hope so!)
And O.k. Yes….For all those skeptics..God could have spoken to each of us encouragement or confirmation separately…but He didn’t. He could have sent a pastor, or leader, or a friend who lives near us to call us towards His will…
But instead, He picked two complete strangers, linked their hearts and their purposes together and then used each one of them to bless the other.
Can someone say our God is so unbelievably amazing!?
But better yet? When encouragement or confirmations comes through someone you have never met…you just know it’s not our imagination….and it is then that God gets all the credit.
There is so much more to this story, but the gist of what I am trying to say is that God’s people were never meant to be strangers, distant, unheard of, or unseen by like-minded women fighting the same battles, living in this same world.
God purposefully chooses to use other people to reveal…He sees our needs, our worries, our doubts, our prayers…and by grace He speaks to us, if we will pause,
and wait on, and listen with the intent of obedience.
and wait on, and listen with the intent of obedience.
O.K. Now here is my confession? God didn’t call me to stop blogging. He didn’t call me to “take a few weeks to pray about the direction of my blog”.
That was MY idea.
And friends, sometimes we cannot grab the full picture of what God is doing. Sometimes the road looks dark, the days of dreaming seem to go on for an eternity…and we get frustrated and doubt as our vision seems bleak, as if we are led through a proverbial desert, trying to figure out what God is creating…But today, I am stirred to turn away from logic, or even Jen’s “wants” or “reasonings”. Today, I am determining to wait upon His Spirit, rest in His timing, and anticipate with joy that what God has spoken, HE will bring to fruition…
Because God has only good things in store for all of His people…Even if it doesn’t look like it yet.
Will you join me today friends in committing to, treading, pressing forward, looking, and seeking the vision He has planned for you?
Because watch out! You never know when He just might bright strangers who become friends, people you never expected (like my friend)…to come and encourage you.
Friends we can join arms with, fearlessly walking by faith, not by sight with…
Here. Now. As Ambassadors of Kingdom purposes.
Hebrews 10:23-25
So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.
UNITE LINK PARTY
It’s now time to UNITE. Join us? Here’s how….
Post a link, add a link back, then take a minute to comment on a few other posts.
Remember, UNITE is an all-inclusive, no-rules, blog hop.
22 Comments
Oh my sweet friend if you had any idea how much your writing inspires SOOOOOO many!! The Lord totally uses you every time you share! I pray to someday to be used of Him in some portion of the way He uses you!! His hand is all over you sweet Sister!!
Tears in my eyes. Thank you Sue. And I KNOW He uses you as well! I think that’s the thing…we each, no matter who we are, or whether we even blog or not….touch so many lives. Yet, often we don’t see it. And I wonder if God does that, so we might stay low and not take the credit for what He is doing?
Thank you so much for encouragement today, friend! It touched me and so blessed me!
Amen! Oh, Jen, this is a powerful testimony of God working His mercy and His grace through both of you, and now through me. I am here not to link up because I have not got my post up, but your email came for Unite and I, for “some” reason, clicked on the link and came and read without having a post. I love this. I love you.
Praising God for His wonders and His ways. ~ linda
Dearest Linda – He works in wonderous ways…doesn’t He? I love that about Him…about fellowship…about seeing God’s blessing in ways that we could never think or imagine! Have a great week ahead! Lots of love back, my friend, Jen
Jen, I’m so glad you found affirmation in the words of a new friend! God is truly faithful beyond what we can imagine and is always working in our best interest! It’s hard to remember that sometimes, though, isn’t it? I, too, have had some “maybe I’ll just quit writing” thoughts lately. Truth is, I know another Christian woman who writes Truth but has been struggling in her writing lately, too. (Are we seeing a pattern? Perhaps Satan is working overtime to discourage us. If that’s not reason enough to keep writing, I don’t know what is!)
Susan – A big and resounding, “AMEN”. I pray for encouragement for you today Susan..and for those you know discouraged and wanting to quit writing. May God alone charge us, empower us, equip us, and use us despite those temptations to slow down, quit, or give up this race in light of what He is doing and wants to accomplish in and through us!
What an amazing story. God is unbelievable amazing. I believe I said that just last night with my small group. Your words always inspire, Jenn. Blessings.
Sweetest Beth…THANK YOU!
So many times I don’t know the big picture. I don’t have an all-emcompassing message – it’s just find God’s encouragement in the next breath or the next step! So glad God took your heart for Him and helped you focus on what He wanted you to see!
Oh sister – I hear ya! That next step, right there in front of us…calling us forward! Linking arms with you today as we take that “next step” together…and press on, moving forward despite the temptations to turn the other way, or stop and quit completely! Hugs and prayers that Yahweh would strengthen us all today…
I sit here…tears streaming…literally…as I take in the magnitude of what God has done. We just never know what is riding on our obedience. It is in those moments that we truly, with all our hearts, want to quit, that we just might be right on the verge of either making or breaking someone else who is dependent upon our obedience. What if there is no one else to fill our shoes? What if we drop the ball, then someone else goes down in defeat because they never heard the words God wanted to say through us? I could never put into words how much I love and appreciate you and all you do here. PLEASE don’t ever stop writing or give up this blog. GOD uses you here….your ministry far outreaches anything you can really measure…only eternity will reveal what God is doing with and through you and through UNITE. We need you more than you know. God is SO awesome to have done what He did this week…no one else could have ever orchestrated it or made it happen. The timing and the details just make me stand back and tearfully proclaim “How Great Thou Art”. So grateful for you, my dear friend.
Shivers and cheers along with you, “How GREAT Though Art”. Oh, He is so worthy of our praise! A miracle working God who does things that take our breath away! You are so right Cheryl…this week, only God could have done and turned time and called hearts and impressed lives like He did! Oh the Sovereignty of a God who sees all of it…right down the core of our very own hearts! So blessed to live life and share miracles like that with you dear sister! Oh the beauty of intercessors and a life where God connects strangers and makes them kindred spirits!
I love how God works in our lives. I am so thankful that you are continuing to write. God truly uses your words to bless and encourage so many.
He is so good, isn’t He, Barbie!
I’m thankful that God had other plans for you and gave you such sweet confirmation!
Ya, your comment just reminded me of the verse I read doing devotions with my husband a few days ago…”A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs His steps.”
wow Jen….just W O W.
LOVE hearing about God moving in ways like this….thanking Him right now that myou will not stop blogging as your blog is my top favourite by FAR~!
Why?
Because you write straight from the heart and it goes from your heart into our hearts and it is so powerful….so even if you doubt yourself…never doubt God’s ability to muse you and your poetic writing to bless your readers. xxxx
Oh Mary – In a world of so many amazing writers, it is easy to forget that. Easy to forget that God can use weak people, those least expected, people least worthy, individuals least “polished” or “refined”…..seemingly useless vessels.
I think there are so many of us here that need to hear that today! ~ Thank you!
You are not allowed to stop writing. Noooo! Not ever. 🙂
There is power and healing in our redemption stories. xoxo
Ha…Lyli…you are sooo sweet! 🙂
Sometimes people ask, “Where is God?” And sometimes, since His Holy Spirit lives in us, the answer is as close as another person. I am so glad that God reached out to you, through these precious encouragers, for I do indeed think He uses you greatly in Blog Land. Your writing is honest and vulnerable, and it reaches many, many people. There was a time when I came very close to quitting my blogging, and yet, I just kept getting one more idea at a time. I couldn’t break away from the feeling that God was saying, “Stay.”
Yup, He’s saying that to you, too! And we are the ones who will be blessed watching and hearing how He works in and through your life!
GOD BLESS!
I wasn’t going to take the time to linkup. I am exhausted. I was ahead on my blog and now I am not. It gets discouraging. Thanks for such a timely post 🙂 And, I love the pictures by the river. It looks to me like the west coast. I may be wrong. Love rivers. They remind me of God.