He's Not Finished With Me Yet

God is good.

That pretty much sums it up, because if it weren't for Him, for His goodness, I may not be here right now. 


It's been a long, exhausting week of musical preparations, and having come down with a sudden cold, I was ready to just come home and get some rest. I'd been thinking to myself only minutes earlier, you know it's dress rehearsal week when you're driving home (at ten o'clock at night) and you're so tired you put your blinker on to go around a curve.

Just before leaving school after dress rehearsal, I was cautioned by my mom and boyfriend to be careful on the roads. The temps were warmer today, causing quite a bit of snow to melt, but were now approaching freezing, with a lot of melted snow on the roads. 

Only about five minutes away from home, I hit a patch of ice, and my car slid toward the left side of the road, headed right for a fence and some trees. Panicking, I turned the opposite way, and my car spun into a gravel parking lot on the other side of the road. I know a semi usually sits along the edge of this lot, since I drive past it twice a day, and all that went through my mind at this point were thoughts of my brother, who was in the passenger seat, slamming into the semi's trailer. I pump-slammed the brakes, and my car continued to spin in an entire 360 rotation, coming to a stop with my car facing the road. 

Everything was still, and we just sat there. Perfectly fine. No harm done. Safe.

"Thank You, God," my brother sighed, and we looked at each other. I leaned over, hugged him, and kissed the side of his still made-up face. 

I put my hands back on the wheel and repeated "Thank You, Jesus," over and over again. We pulled back out on the road, and I slowly drove the last few miles home.

The whole thing definitely shook me up.The fact that if things had happened differently, if we'd hit the truck, or slammed into a tree, or the people in the church only a couple hundred feet away had been leaving, or if a car had been coming by, or a biker, or someone walking… I may not be here; my brother may not be here; things could be different. 

I am so thankful for God's hand of protection over us tonight.

In the past, when I've seen things like this happen to other people, I've always seen it as God's confirmation that He's not done with them yet. That He could have taken them, but  instead reminds them that He still has plans in store for them. Tonight, I found myself on the other end of the situation, being reminded that God's not finished with me yet. I have no idea what He has up His sleeves, but whatever it is, He's still using me. 

This whole incident also reminded me that every day is a gift and tomorrow isn't guaranteed. So I need to make the most of each day I'm given, and not fret about the future. Life's too short to waste time worrying about frivolous, temporary things; it's too short to hold grudges, to complain, to take anything for granted. 

So my challenge today is this: Tell someone you love them, give someone a hug, say a prayer of thanks, and remember that if you're alive, if you're reading this, God has you here for a reason; He has great plans for you; and He isn't finished with you yet.

The Perfect Recipe

Sometimes I second-guess myself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it all wrong. Sometimes I feel like things are going well, then a sudden event, comment, or thought immediately changes things. Sometimes it's hard to discern conviction drilling a massive hole in my pride from senseless worry over unnecessary guilt. 

Right now, which is which, I do not know. 

I'm not bipolar; really, I'm not. Sometimes though, lately more often than not, I feel like my emotions are a ten-ton boulder sitting atop the thin, delicate peak of an iceberg, waiting to plunge hard and fast when a slight breeze drifts by. 

I don't want that. I just want to know what's right. I want to know what I am supposed to do, how to balance everything in my life, measuring out the right number of teaspoons of this ingredient and not too heaping a spoonful of that. 

You know the saying, too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth? Sometimes I feel like I'm in a kitchen full of cooks, trying to concoct the perfect, most delectable recipe. What if I have to take orders from others, who seem to have the recipe all figured out? Who seem to know exactly what ingredients to mix in the perfect increments? What if they're wrong? What if I'm wrong? Who knows the right recipe?

The Master Chef. He wrote the recipe, He knows the perfect ingredients, the serving sizes, the final masterpiece, like the back of His hand.

Maybe the other cooks are right. Maybe I'm right. Maybe we have bits and pieces of the recipe down pat. Maybe we're missing an ingredient or two. Maybe we found the special ingredient. 

But when it comes down to it, the Master Chef is the only one Who knows. Without a doubt. He's the One I can count on to reveal to me the perfect recipe. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, 
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 
plans to give you hope and a future." 
Jeremiah 29:11

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Blessed and at Rest

This weekend was incredibly refreshing. 

The past few weeks have been quite busy and stressful, and spending some time visiting some of my college friends was just what I needed to get my mind off of all I have going on. 

It was a great time of road trippin' with one of my closest friends, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new people, happy reunions with my boyfriend, and many humorous moments with his buddies. 

Throughout my time away I kept noticing the importance of having godly friends, and how big of an influence our friends have on our lives. I have been blessed with many incredible people in my life. I haven't always appreciated the friends I've been given like I should; too often I take the people in my life for granted. 

This weekend I had some good quality conversations with some pretty awesome people. It's a blessing to have people in my life that I can have legitimate conversations with about things that matter, about God, life, and lessons learned. I am so thankful for so many people who have been an encouragement to me, who have challenged my faith and taught me things without even realizing it. 

Spending time away with everyone this weekend just encouraged and refreshed me, and left me feeling super thankful. I am quite blessed with some incredible people in my life, who make me smile, laugh, cry, and learn; people who sacrifice their time, energy, and own agendas for me, who love me no matter what; and for them I am extremely grateful.

~

On another note, last week I found myself in a strange mood slump. I wasn't acting like myself, I felt inadequate and like I couldn't do anything right, and was just quite easily irritable. For no reason in particular I found myself getting so annoyed by little things and the people around me.

One night I just felt so stressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated. I was encouraged by a close friend, and was reminded of the fact that I'm not perfect, I'm gonna make mistakes, and no matter what, God is always good and full of grace. I received an excerpt from a devotional, which stilled my frantic mind: 

"Grace defines you. As grace sinks in, earthly labels fade. Society can label you on an assembly line… But as grace infiltrates, criticism disintegrates. You are who God says you are. Spiritually alive. Heavenly positioned. Connected to the Father. A billboard of mercy. An honored child."

These sentences, packed full of truth, were so refreshing. It doesn't matter what other people think of me. It's okay if I fail. Because I am going to. Everybody does. What matters is that I'm trying, and that I am who God says I am. Saved by grace, changed by grace, defined by grace, and growing in grace. A billboard of mercy. An honored child.

Think about it; we are honored children of the most majestic, powerful King. The King who loves us, cares for us, and gives us rest. I was given this verse, which I had never come across before, but when I read it, it filled my heart with an indescribable peace…

He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms 
and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

Immediately after reading this verse, I was calm. It painted an incredibly vivid picture in my mind. I imagined God holding me tight in His arms, hugging me close to His heart. And I was reminded that He's got this. He's in control. I don't have to worry, I simply have to trust. Because He's holding me in His loving arms, and I am an honored child of the King.