Shortly after moving to New York City, I wrote a blog post titled, “A Road I Must Travel Alone”. I got quite a bit of kick back from friends at the time, who took exception to my claim that my relationships (friend and family) had been tested during my trials. And the people I thought I would be able to depend on in difficult times proved to be completely undependable during various periods of hardship. I went on to say that when we are struggling in the tests that God throws at us, we should not look to our human relationships for deliverance. God will never equip others for the role He desires to fill in our life. No one really paid attention to that part….
I think about A Road I Must Travel Alone a lot. It was written as I was entering this vulnerable-and-dependent-on-the-Spirit stage I am currently in. I was completely broken, spiritually lost, and confused in the world. And lucky for me (**slightly sarcastic tone**), I had just uprooted myself and moved across the country to the big bad city of New York with no life lines or fail safes other than my trust that God would work my life out for me…in His time and in His way.
And He is. He’s doing a marvelous job — far better than I could have imagined doing for myself.
As I think back on all I’ve been through in the last seven and a half years (not even the whole of my life, just a fifth of it) the moments that shine the brightest are the moments when someone showed up to light my darkness with their presence. Perhaps they just called to see how I was doing. Or they sent a note to let me know they were thinking of me. Or they stopped by to talk and sometimes share a meal…. Those people were lamps to me in those dark, lonely moments.
However, the most empowering and spiritually edifying moments, during this same period, are those times when I showed up for myself. Those moments when God instructed me to do something — usually something that seemed outrageous to me and perhaps appeared crazy to the world — and I took Him at His word and did as I was told. Those moments have provided me with the most profound LIFE lessons of all.
There ‘s a popular quote that applies here: God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. This is one of the truest clichés I’ve ever heard.
God isn’t looking for perfection in us, but He does expect our obedience. Through our obedience, we become perfect examples of His transformative grace, amazing mercy, abundant provision and overflowing love.
As we enter this new year, I urge you to show up for your life – your new LIFE in Jesus Christ. Every day is new. Each new day is a blessing.
Lord, remember my suffering and my misery, my sorrow and trouble. Please remember me and think about me. But I have hope when I think of this: The Lord’s love never ends; His mercies never stop.
They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great.
I say to myself, “The Lord is mine, so I hope in Him.” ~ Lamentations 3:19-24, NCV
