This is My Journey

“Each step tells a story, of the journey that’s yours.”

Loren Thornburg

Each of our lives is so different. They each bring a uniqueness of personality and experiences. No person can ever fully know what it is like for another person. Each of us is on a journey unlike any other person. We may journey together and the stories of our lives may intervene, yet still no matter how much time we spend together, we still have a different story than any other person. Your journey is special. Yet, often we miss the mystery and the wonder of our story wishing we were on another story. We look around and see this person or that person whose story looks to be more like what we wish our own looked like and thus we miss our journey. We forget that each story comes with it’s good days and bad days. Every story has different conflicts and battles along the way that you may not see. So dream, yes; desire, yes; be inspired by the stories and lives of others, absolutely; but don’t miss the beauty of the story of your life.

“The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

Job 1:21 NLT

The Lord is writing a story with our lives as part of His bigger story. The journey is ours but our lives are His. Thus, we are not entitled to anything. Job recognized this in the midst of his blessings being taken away. Often in the midst of loss and struggle I forget that God doesn’t owe me anything. This life, this journey, is a gift. With a gift our best response is thanks and praise for what we have been given, rather than resentment for what we don’t have. Whether in plenty or in need we can still say, ‘Praise the name of the Lord.’ And, we can keep saying it until we have learned to truly believe it. Receive this gift of life He has given knowing He is with you in the midst of it and He is using it to write His story. Wherever you are at in your journey you can choose to say, ‘Praise the name of the Lord.’

Takes a Little Time

“Keep waiting, Keep hoping, Keep trusting, Keep going. You’ll be glad you did.”

Loren Thornburg

Patience is not an easy thing. To be able to wait without becoming annoyed or anxious is not easily attained. I get impatient waiting at a stop light, which is less than a few minutes, so I can understand how hard it can be when we are waiting weeks, months, years to see something change. We all have things that we have been waiting and hoping for a long time. It can be hard to continue to wish and hope and desire for something to look differently when we see it look the same. However it takes time. Like a fruit that is ripening you have to give it time until it is ready. If you pick it too early you will wish you had waited longer to fully enjoy it. I don’t want to give up or miss out on the joy available to me if I had only given it a little time and waited a little longer. “It takes a little time sometimes”...so as Amy Grant sings,“give it time”...we will be glad we did.

“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God...Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.”

Romans 12: 1,12 AMP

Paul has just spent 11 chapters speaking of doctrine and here in 12 he begins to encourage readers, and to encourage us with what this doctring looks like in the daily outworking. It means continuing when it’s hard, but not just continuing but continuing with joy and hope by prayer. It is waiting, it is remaining, it is continuing, it is persevering; but it is not without reason. For as Paul begins this chapter he says to do so in view of the mercies of God. We don’t wait or endure without reason. We have hope. It is by this hope we can rejoice. By this hope we can remain steadfast and keep waiting in patience through suffering and tribulation. By hope we can pray constantly. Yes, when keeping in mind His mercies we can hope, even still, even now, nevertheless. Hope remains, therefore we can continue to remain hopeful as we wait.

Until

“The time between, the time until, it’s time to live not time to kill.”

Loren Thornburg

Hope is a good thing. It is the believing expectation that something good will happen. More of life is found in between those things we are hoping for than in them. So much of our lives occur in that time between, that time “until” that which we are hoping for. The way to keep that hope alive is to make the most of the time “until” you see your hope happen. We often use the phrase time to kill which means passing time in a meaningless way. That is often what we do in life is kill time “until” the next big thing that gets our excitement. Yet if we live this way we miss most of life. For most of life is small stuff in our dailyness. Now this doesn’t mean you always have to be doing something for even rest is meaningful, but what it does mean is this moment matters. There is much life in the little stuff in the time until that thing you’re hoping for...don’t miss it.

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ right up to the time of His return, developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”

Phil 1:6 AMP

There is always HOPE when we know Jesus. That is one of His great provisions in our lives. Even in the waiting, in the time until, there is hope. For the change in you that you’ve been praying for and waiting for there is hope. At times it seems it will never happen, yet we have this promise that we can take right to where we are knowing that He is working even now, even here, developing and perfecting you. And He won’t stop “until” it is to full completion. So as you wonder what is going on in this place that seems like killing time, know that God is not killing time He is at work in You now and until His return. Knowing this we too can continue until...our hope is seen.

Instead

“Instead of worry...find faith

Instead of trouble...find peace

Instead of fear…find joy

Instead of despair...find hope

Instead of darkness...find light

Instead of how it’s been...find another way.”

Loren Thornburg

Instead is by definition an alternative or substitute. It means that another possibility is available. In a gluten free house we have had to learn to find other options for wheat. There are many alternative ingredients for our recipes. Instead of wheat flour you can use things like rice flour, almond flour, and tapioca flour. There are different ingredients in our lives as well. However, sometimes in the midst of things we forget that there is another option. In the midst of a difficult situation worry seems the only option , but you can find faith instead. When finances get tight you don’t have to live in fear you can find joy instead. There is another way. When your dreams feel out of reach you don’t have to despair, you can find hope instead. There are more possibilities. Trade your worries and get joy instead.

“So don’ be afraid and don’t worry. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.”

1 Peter 3:15 NLT

The apostle Peter is writing here to encourage persecuted believers to respond well in the midst of their suffering. Although our persecution and suffering may look a little different from the believers of the early church the emotions remain the same...worry, fear, anxiety, and despair. In situations like theirs and ours it makes sense that we would respond that way. Even more, most people would expect and understand for you to respond in that way. However, there is another way. Instead of whatever you are feeling you can worship Christ as Lord of your life. For in Him there is hope, in Him there is peace, in Him there is joy, in Him there is freedom, and in Him there is truth. Although you may have all the perfect ingredients for fear, you don’t have to...you can worship instead!

Call for Time

“There is reason to be thankful. There is reason to hope. There are reasons...take time to see them.”

Loren Thornburg

In sports you can call for a time-out. This is a time where the game is stopped so that the team and coaches can communicate and strategize. We see this in many sports at important moments in the game to ensure everyone is on the same page and to re-focus. It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of the game where things begin to spiral out of control. Let’s take up the strategy of coaches in our own lives and call time. We all need time to stop, rest, and reflect on what has happened and what we want to see happen. As we look back there is much to be thankful for. As we look forward there is much to be hopeful for. The start of a new year is a great time to do that. It’s a great time for thanksgiving and hope. As you look back what are you thankful for? As you look forward what are you hoping for? Lets call for time as we begin this new year and let that become a part of our whole year. Keep calling for time in the midst of your day, in the midst of your week, in the midst of your season. Call time for thanksgiving and hope!

“On your feet now--applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep”

Psalm 100:1-3 MSG

God loves time with you! When we call for time to be with Him things change. If not our circumstances then our hearts. Yet sometimes as we take time thanksgiving is no where to be found. Don’t let that keep you from coming, but rather there in that spot “sing yourself into his presence.” For whether you see reason for thanks or for hope or not one thing doesn’t change: God is God! God, the One who made you! He says that you are His and you are well-tended. Yes, you are His well-tended sheep and that is something to be thankful for, that is something that gives reason to hope even now, even still. So on your feet! Applaud God for who He is! He not only sees you and knows you but is attending to you well. Keep singing until you see you have so much to be thankful for and so much to be hopeful for. Take time with Him, the One who loves time with you.