Exodus

My fiancé and I have been reading through the Bible chronologically, and I'm learning how sweet the Father is to reveal Himself in stories I've heard my entire life. As I've read the story of Moses this month, I was struck by the prophecies and promises God made to His people that slipped through the cracks before.

My revelations with Exodus began in Moses' burning bush moment. God tells Moses that He's going to free the Israelites, but promises that the path to freedom will be difficult.

"But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt."

Exodus 7:3

Sometimes, God places difficult situations in our lives so that He will be glorified through them. At first glance, this doesn't make losing a family member or changing jobs or moving across the country any easier; however, if you can shift your perspective from how a situation affects you to how you can glorify God through your situation, then joy and hope will come. As long as you focus on the Father, you'll be infinitely more affected by His heart and the valleys of life won't shake you. In stress and devastation, think about how your grief can glorify God. He reiterates this in a message to Pharaoh halfway through the ten plagues:

"By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose-- to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth."

Exodus 9:15-16

As Christians, our end goal is to glorify the Lord with how we live. God is more than worthy of our worship and praise, and the second you realize that, the second your perspective begins to change from the temporary to the eternal. 

The Spirit brought another revelation when I read about the plague of flies. God tells Moses that for this plague, He will spare the Israelites' region of Egypt. Again, there's a promise that He is the Lord and that He is present in the heart of struggle. 

"But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow."

Exodus 8:22-23

We serve a good, good Father who longs to take care of us. He is present in our less than, imperfect, messy lives. He loves us through our mistakes and disobedience. He longs for the day when we will be brought back to Him. Yahweh, the Great I Am, sees us in the midst of a fallen world and reaches out to wipe our tears. The Israelites had suffered through plagues of blood, frogs, and gnats before God decided to spare them. They suffered, but He didn't forget them. If you feel like you've been forgotten or abandoned by the Lord, think of the Israelites. They suffered, but God never left them, even after their disobedience in the wilderness.

Lastly, I saw a foreshadowing in the Passover that I hadn't noticed before. When God is explaining the purpose of the Passover to Moses, He commands that each year, the firstborn male animals be sacrificed as a memorial to the plague that finally softened Pharaoh's heart.

"Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord-- except that the firstborn sons are always brought back."

Exodus 13:15

"The firstborn sons are always brought back." Before Isaiah ever prophesied about the coming Messiah, God revealed that His son would be brought back. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb, killed at Passover, who was brought back just as the Israelites' firstborns were. Isn't that incredible? Centuries before Christ came, God promised the resurrection. God planned for Christ to come possibly before the world began, and He knew every moment of your life before Creation. There is always a purpose for everything in God's hands. 

I encourage all of you to open the Word today. You may reread a familiar passage and discover something new. You may read a scripture that heals your heart in a way only the Word can. 

Hustle

"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

Isaiah 60:19

This season of life has been filled with anxiety for the unknown and undone. I'm halfway through college, burdened with debt, working a part-time job, and planning a wedding. There are times when I'm consumed with fear over one of those tasks, and there are times when the pressures of life hit me like a tidal wave. I have an acute strength for worrying. The slightest change of plan can seem to irrevocably shift the course of my life, in a span of five seconds. I'm becoming an adult in an Instagram culture, where every image and post that I see sends the message that everyone else is more successful/happy/wealthy/secure/polished than me. This is the era of the social media model, when a woman with decent photography skills can make thousands of dollars for every like on a painstakingly posed picture. This is the era of the Etsy shop owner, when a mom with Adobe Photoshop can create journals, prints, and accessories from the comfort of her toddler-laden home. This is the era of the #girlboss, when women are encouraged to climb the corporate ladder and shatter the glass ceiling in the pursuit of recognition and respect.

None of these pursuits are inherently bad. None of these women are necessarily wrong or behaving in an unbiblical manner. The problem lies in the pressure to compete, the pressure to prove yourself or establish security for yourself based on your own accolades and skill set.

"But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value."

1 Corinthians 3:13

The word of 2016 seemed to be HUSTLE. Delayed gratification is all but nonexistent as people buzz like bees to meet their goals in the quickest manner possible. Working hard certainly isn't wrong, but Paul poses a counter-cultural perspective in 1 Corinthians 3. The problem with hustling isn't the hustling itself, but the motivation behind it. Oftentimes, I find myself hustling because I'm filled with fear at the double-digit number in my checking account. College students around me lose sleep over assignments that they have two hours to do because their day was filled with class, work, sorority meetings, and Bible studies. The pressure to build your resume as a college student is high. The pressure to make connections that will potentially help you in your career field is high. The pressure to raise children who make the world a better place all while being incredibly photogenic and accomplished is high. Pressure, pressure, pressure, all for fairly temporal goals. The Bible encourages hard work for an entirely different reason:

All for the glory of God.

Too often, the motivation for working yourself to the bone is to build your own security instead of trusting God to secure you. When you begin to believe that your efforts are your safety net and provision, you've launched yourself out of the Father's hands and into your own flimsy butterfly net. We hustle to earn money for a bigger house, more clothes, and less anxiety all while forgetting that the house will crumble, the clothes will be donated, and the anxiety will stay unless we get right with the heart of Jesus. Jesus denied earthly comforts for the sake of heavenly rewards, and his confidence rested in God alone. Jesus was less concerned about the hustle, and more concerned about the eternal. You don't see Jesus worrying about whether people would show up to hear his sermons. Open scripture, and you'll see a man who did what his Father asked of him, each and every day. Jesus didn't work tirelessly to gain followers and establish himself in the community. He worked tirelessly to represent his Father in every move, big or small. He put more thought into his responses than into his next preaching location. Jesus was concerned with the responsibilities directly in front of him, and trusted God to lead him to the next chapter and season of ministry. 

"The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' "

Matthew 25:21

We too, are meant to handle what's directly in front of us before looking five years into the future. If your only task for today is to love your spouse well, then the Lord will give you more opportunities to love them as He does. If your only task for today is to see the people that Jesus sees, then your slightly awkward conversation in the dining hall may plant a Gospel seed in a stranger's life. If your task for today is to write a blog post that gives glory to God above men, then He will bring readers to your page. In the pictures above from my time as a camp counselor this summer, my only tasks were to serve and love. I served my head counselor by blowing up kiddie pools for an hour. I loved babies who most likely don't remember me now, six months after camp. If God can trust us with today's blessings and opportunities, then greater things will come to us. We serve a Father who longs to give his children good gifts, but He can only give to those whose hands are open to Him. God wants us to trust HIS provision more than our own because His perspective is always eternal. He knows what tomorrow holds, and He knows what guides our motives from our past.

"In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall."

2 Samuel 22:30

If we work by the Spirit's strength rather than our own, we can accomplish great things for God's glory. Not for our fame, finances, or security, but for GOD'S GLORY. Working by the Spirit requires total surrender to God's will above your own, total surrender of your own strengths and comfort so God can shine through your weaknesses and humility. When you glorify the Lord, joy is found. When you direct praise back to Christ, your strength will be renewed. When you give your time, energy, and resources to the Father, you're laying bricks in heaven's walls.

As the holidays wind to a close, and your normal schedule resumes, leave with these promises from the Father. Consecrate your hustle to the Lord, and remember where your worth is found: not in your accomplishments, but in your creation.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit."

Ephesians 3:16

"And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely."

Isaiah 32:17-20

Creativity

Marcus Clarke Photography

"The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born."

Psalm 33:6

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He set the sun ablaze in the sky, handcrafted each flower and creature, and blew breath into humanity's lungs. God created all the materials that man uses for final products, whether those products are used for good or evil. God is the CREATOR.

If God is the CREATOR, and we are made in His likeness, shouldn't we be able to create too? If God was able to create masterpieces of cosmic proportions, then shouldn't we be able to create masterpieces of earthly proportions? Imagine the Northern Lights, Niagara Falls, a mountaintop sunrise. Those views are so exquisitely magnificent, so fully creative, one can't help but think of God's omniscience upon first view. 

Sunrises are my favorite component of Creation. I try to recreate them with oil crayons, camera, and colored pencil, but I cannot. However, I can recreate the sunrise with words. 

The world was pitch black with only silhouettes and shadows slightly visible. Dawn's golden fingers stretched themselves over the canvas and threw a spray of watercolors over the horizon- cotton candy pink, periwinkle, and lavender hues filled the once dark canvas of sky. As dawn stretched herself further across the canvas, a muted glow became brighter and brighter, until it's vivacity pierced my eyes. The sunrise had arrived.

My only tool for recreating Creation is through words. I cannot draw to save my life, I always lose Pictionary, and I will never understand how to create shadows and liveliness on a two-dimension surface. But I can describe a painting to you in prose, verse, whatever you prefer. My version of God's breathe-life creativity is words. You have a version of that breathe-life creativity too. In fact, we are all given spiritual gifts to reflect God's magnificence and artistry. 

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another."

1 Peter 4:10

Perhaps you're an engineer, in which case you are the literal representation of breathe-life creativity. You think of an invention, and somehow know every component of its being. I applaud you and am dazzled by your ingenuity. Perhaps you're an artist, one who captures the Creation before you. Kudos to you too. Perhaps you're a fitness coach of some form or fashion. You are creating muscle where there was none, you are creating poses and twists that seem impossible. Perhaps you're a stay-at-home mom. Your children are your creations, both physically and figuratively. Your role as creator is to mold an adorable, egotistical baby into a man or woman with strong morals and selfless tendencies. Perhaps you're in the business field. You are creating a product, advertisement, budget, or team where there once was none. You are filling a need in society.

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Romans 12:6-8

Loving people well takes immense creativity. Immense thought and effort goes into answering the question, "how can I best love this broken person?" Forgiving people takes immense creativity. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box to see the miscommunication or potential outcome of a situation. Seeing the potential in people takes hindsight that can only come from God, the one who authored that person's story. We all have the ability to be creative, whether your personal spin on creativity fits into the fine arts category or not. Our creativity is meant to point people back to the Master Planner, Divine Guide, Ultimate Creator, and Author. Did you have an ingenious idea at work? Thank God for allowing you to push the limits of thought. Did you find the perfect sentence to describe a feeling or sensation? Thank the One who penned every word to your story. Did you hit a home run, nail a pirouette, or perfect your lay-up? Thank your Creator for giving you the ability to instill awe in spectators as He does. Creativity doesn't always end in a pretty picture. Creativity is finding a way to bring joy, awe, or wonder into a cynical and apathetic world. Whether your creative effort results in a delicious meal or a smile from a stranger, embrace your God-given talents and abilities. You don't have to be the best _______, you just have to give your best effort. Our purpose is to bring glory to God, and the best way to glorify Him is to reflect Him. How do you embrace your creativity? As a wonderfully creative teacher once told me, "do what makes your heart come alive."

"Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them."

Isaiah 43:7

Girls Are Not For Sale

Photos courtesy of Apricity Photography

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
Colossians 3:17

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."
Isaiah 1:17

This post tackles subjects that may ignite anger, fear, or denial. Before we dive in, hear my prayer for you as we walk through this injustice: 

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called- his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Father, just as Ephesians 1:18 says, may we be enlightened on what breaks your heart today. Enlighten us on the injustices that have become mundane, the hidden sins we fall into, and our culture's spiritual fallacies. May we see every person you created the way you see them, with love and hope. Amen.

I first discovered The NET on Jamie Ivey's The Happy Hour podcast, in an episode where Jamie interviewed Melissa Ice, the founder of The NET. Melissa was sweet, genuine, and passionate, and I fell in love with her mission immediately. Melissa started a nonprofit in Fort Worth that connects the local church with the struggling, the privileged with the unprivileged. The NET seeks to partner with a network of businesses, churches, nonprofits, and volunteers to form a safety net for the marginalized. The idea is simple, but the impact is incredible. Connect an average American with an outcast in the name of the Gospel, and with a little bit of training, compassion trumps prejudice. The NET ministry that's wrecked my heart is PURCHASED, which strives to connect the privileged with victims of sex trafficking.

This is the part where many of you are tempted to close this tab and turn a blind eye. That's certainly what's easiest, what's comfortable. But where in scripture does Christ call us to stay in our comfort zone? You may be under the impression that sex trafficking only happens in Vietnam, Thailand, the Congo, and India. The sad truth is, American women and children have the same risk of being exploited as they would have in developing countries. In fact, you'll see a plethora of young women who choose to exploit themselves on Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube if you follow any millennials on social media.

The message that the media has shouted in my ears as a young woman in 21st century America is that my worth and identity are totally shaped by my physical appearance. My body, my complexion, my hair, and my facial features have to fit into a certain category in order to be physically attractive. I'm flooded with tutorials on Pinterest that teach me how to alter my facial structure with makeup, and can't search the internet without coming across an article on this or that celebrity's body. From the moment a girl becomes a woman biologically, the enemy begins convincing her that her body and her outward beauty are the most valuable tools she can offer the world. If he doesn't succeed, he moves on to a man.

From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Eden, men and women have been in a power struggle. God created Adam to lead and love Eve, and created Eve to help and love Adam. Sin distorts love into selfish, short-term, impatient lust. God created men and women to live peacefully with one another, to be fruitful and multiply. God created marriage as a reflection of Christ and the Church. The enemy HATES anything that glorifies the Lord, so he went after the forbidden fruit just as he did in the Garden: sex. Sex was created by God to bond a man and woman to one another, and to fill the earth with Creation. However, sex was made for marriage only, and our adversary loves misleading God's children. Today, we live in a world plagued with advertisements and social media that completely distort the heart of God.

"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27

Women were created in God's image, but are often seen as objects for pleasure and exploitation.

Women were created to be helpmates, but are rarely seen as adequate collaborators.

Women were created to reflect the spotless Bride of Christ, but media constantly uses women to reflect male desire.

Women have become a commodity to be purchased, whether in the flesh or in an image. A culture steeping in female exploitation tries to convince women that they have to show off their bodies, change their God-given features, or sleep around. Teenage girls show as much as skin as possible, totally unaware of the dangerous male lust they're feeding. Young women go to chaotic, substance-filled house parties, unaware or in denial that their risk of sexual assault has increased exponentially just from stepping in the door. Wives and mothers ignore or hide from their husbands because the men in their past rejected or betrayed them in moments of intimacy. Women have become enslaved to the male gaze in one way or another. Personally, I'm afraid to walk alone at night because of the invasive catcalls men throw as they drive past me. As a young woman, I'm a prime target for perverse men. I know that I have to dress a certain way to protect myself from ogling stares, and that a fingertip-length skirt won't always detain the male gaze. I'm scared by a lingering stare from a male stranger because I know that girls my age are kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking every day. In fact, the Human Trafficking Hotline reports that there have been nearly 500 sex trafficking cases in Texas this year. Men and women are imperfect, and lust rules the world that God created for love.

So, how does PURCHASED fit into this injustice?

PURCHASED rescues women from the detrimental mindset that their worth is entirely in their bodies. This nonprofit started after The NET heard countless stories of women who were bought and sold in Fort Worth sex trafficking each day. Sex trafficking is modern-day slavery, and The NET is in business to set captives free. The NET calls people like you and I to come alongside sex trafficking victims and love them as Christ does, in whatever capacity possible. If you live in the DFW area, I urge you to connect with this ministry on PURCHASED's official website. Fortunately, for those of you who live elsewhere, the NET wants their mission to reach as many people as possible. This is where that snazzy shirt I'm wearing comes in. This shirt has a bold message: Girls Are Not For Sale. Women are not commodities to be exploited, and their worth is found within. These unisex tees allow you to fight injustice through awareness.

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible-- and everything that is illuminated becomes a light."

You have the power to shine light on the darkness that plagues our culture, and all it takes is a comfy tee. Become a light by illuminating the injustice that women face every day and the evil that causes others to exploit them.

As a bonus, PURCHASED is offering my readers 15% off your purchase of a Girls Are Not For Sale tee! Whether you buy the black women's tee or the unisex white tee, use the code THOUGHTS15 for a few dollars off your purchase. Go the extra mile by posting a pic of your shirt with the tag #PurchasedFW, and join the battle against sexual exploitation.

Represent

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

Colossians 3:17

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Philippians 2:14-15

Today in my film class, we discussed the purpose and effect of violence in media. We've watched films with various degrees of violence, from Casablanca to Pulp Fiction. When my professor asked what I thought of violence in media, I admitted I don't watch gory films. I believe images are powerful, and that violent images demoralize viewers and decrease their ability to sympathize with others. Personally, one way I can live purely, as Scripture calls me to, is to focus my mind on things above rather than cheap entertainment. Gruesome films provide little benefit, other than possibly enlightening viewers on the devastation of war or genocide.

Minutes after my confession, I was stopped by a photographer from the campus newspaper, who asked if she could take a picture of me for the Student Style section. I happened to be wearing my Girls Are Not For Sale shirt from The NET store for a photo shoot later this afternoon, and suddenly had an opportunity to share a bit of Jesus with an unexpected audience. The photo shoot is for my blog post this Thursday on women's true worth, but now my message will be broadcasted to faculty and students all over my campus. Today I've had two obvious opportunities to represent Jesus, but how many subtle opportunities have passed by, unnoticed? Have I used edifying language today on my walk to class with my fiancé? Did I smile at a stranger who feels invisible? Could I have struck up a conversation with that photographer about the spiritual aspect of my shirt? 

We have a thousand chances each day to share the Gospel. Scripture tells us that we are children of light, that we should shine like a city on a hill. Honestly, how bright is your light? How much impact can you truly have on a stranger without accidentally deterring them from Christ? Some of you may have rejection stories after you tried to invite someone to church or a Bible study. Maybe you've been directly persecuted for wearing a shirt with a Christian message, or maybe you've been called a hypocrite for marking yourself as a Christ-follower after a life filled with darkness. Maybe you're an eager middle schooler who will invite anyone you can get your hands on to youth group. Whatever your situation, know this: God has equipped you with all the wiring necessary to shine.

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases him."

Philippians 2:13

God will never call you to stand for Him alone. Outwardly, you may look isolated or forsaken; inwardly, you have the Spirit of God Himself beside you. In Luke 12, Jesus tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit will give them the right words in times of oppression and persecution. Later, in Acts 1, Jesus appeared to his disciples after the Resurrection and promised they would receive the Holy Spirit as a guide and witness. Throughout Acts, we see Christians perform miracles and bring people to Christ after being filled with the Holy Spirit. Before the Spirit was sent to them, they were moral people who loved Jesus. After the Spirit was sent to them, they were world changers who were divinely guided in every opportunity. This is exactly what we are called to, believers. We are called to be divinely guided in every opportunity. We are called to be on guard and stand firm in our faith, to be courageous and strong, as 1 Corinthians 16:13 commands. We are called to stay alert and clearheaded in our pursuit towards righteousness in 1 Thessalonians 5:6. Ephesians 5:17 warns believers not to act thoughtlessly, but to understand what the Lord wants them to do. 

Each of these verses applies to you, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah and the sole path to eternal life with God. You won't have the time or energy to verbally preach the Gospel to everyone you pass by, but you do need to set yourself apart from the world by the way you live. Maybe an opportunity will come along to defy cultural norms in favor of holy commandments. Maybe someone will ask you what your tattoo means, or why your t-shirt says girls aren't for sale. Maybe you'll have the chance to incorporate spiritual truths into your speech at school. If you take a few moments each day to ask the Holy Spirit what the day holds for the Kingdom of Heaven, you may be surprised at the lost and hurting people you encounter. Everyone needs to encounter Christ's love in their day, and He's given you the resources to share it. You have a mouth that speaks, you have a face that can smile, you have a mind that can decide what to participate in and what to refrain from. 'Tis the season for lights and giving, why not shine your light and give Jesus to someone?

Decisions

Last night, one of my dear friends came to my house in a panic over her senior year. Like any high school senior, she's scrambling to settle on a college, meet application deadlines, and decide what she wants to commit to for the rest of her life- at the ripe age of 17. This season of her life is filled with life-changing decisions, first times and last times, and heavy expectations on what her choices should be. If you graduated high school within the last five years, you can probably remember the stress, anxiety, and pressure of creating a future that meets everyone else's expectations. My fiancé and I are in the midst of a similar struggle; we're striving to lay a spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial foundation that the rest of our lives, and our children's lives, will be built on. We're also trying to find out how to blend two dissimilar upbringings into one cohesive lifestyle, weeding out what works for us as a couple versus what worked for our families. This season of my life, like my young friend's, has turned from a predictable brook to a coursing river. As Pocahontas sings, "you can't step in the same river twice/the water's always changing, always flowing." As a young adult who's lived in the same house for the majority of her life, "always changing" isn't exciting. It's scary. I'm not an adventurous person by any means; I thrive on routines, schedules, and clear instructions. There's no manual for major, life-changing, world-shattering decision making. Or is there?

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever." 

Isaiah 40:8

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Psalm 119:105

Y'all, the Bible is POWERFUL. The Holy Spirit didn't inspire forty men to write decrees, wisdom, and eyewitness accounts just for kicks. The scrolls haven't been preserved, protected, and recreated for centuries "just because." The Word of the Lord is faithful and true because it is God's love letter written TO US, His children, for the sake of our purity and His glory. Yesterday, I opened my Bible to Proverbs 19 and found five slices of wisdom, perfect for the decision I've been praying through and seeking wisdom for. My fiancé frequently refers to scripture to reach solutions, and my mom and dad's parenting style is fully shaped by the Bible's teachings. An entire religion with hundreds of denominations has been shaped around this book. Reading my Bible has never failed to bring peace, closure, or direction. These words have fallen to us directly from God's perfect lips. Reading and memorizing scripture is essential for knowing and following our Lord. Don't you think you should check it out? For those of you struggling with any major decisions, these scriptures have helped me tremendously.

"Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes."

Proverbs 19:2

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

James 1:19

"Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest."

Proverbs 20:4

"God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

Matthew 5:5-10

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy."

James 1:2

"Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs." 

Proverbs 19:11

The Story

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

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14

You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail.

Proverbs 19:21

Isn't our Lord so sweet and tender in the way He reveals truth to us? As I raise my hands in worship, fall on my knees before Him, or pray in my bed at night over worries and fears for tomorrow, God always reminds me of His might, His goodness, and His loyalty. A few nights ago, I was worshipping to Steffany Gretzinger's "Out of Hiding" before bed, when the Holy Spirit gave me inspiration for this post. "Out of Hiding" is a plea from Jesus to drop our defenses and give into His love. The song is filled with love-soaked promises and declarations, and the line that sunk an arrow into my heart echoes throughout the bridge. 

"Oh as you run, what hindered love will only become part of the story."

When I heard that line, the Holy Spirit gave me an image of an elaborately intertwined vine growing up, over, and around a pale pink flower. He told me that the flower was me, was you, was him and her, and that His plan for our lives and His love for us are as entangled with our everyday lives as the vines and weeds of an untamed garden. A few summers ago at a youth conference, God used a series of events to show me how elaborate and intricate His plans for me are, and I firmly believe that His plan for you is no more or less than His plan for me. Every person you meet, every decision you make, every opinion that you allow to become a fact in your heart and mind are part of the glorious unfolding He wants to bring through your humble life. Psalm 139 declares that God knit every piece of you, that He personally selected every fiber and thread of your being to form the person you are today. Whether you like the yarns that form you or not, He has a purpose in each one. One version of Psalm 139:14 reads "the greatness of the way I was made brings fear." That means your formation was so glorious, so grandiose, that the method would bring awe and wonder to man if we could understand it. You were placed on earth for a divine purpose, to bring attention to the Gospel and the God behind it in some way. 

On a deeper level, past the basics of your formation, God has handwritten your story in a series of sagas and chronicles that will take a lifetime to peruse. God's plans are to prosper you, to give you hope and a future with Him. Unfortunately we live in a sin-ridden world and have been given the free will to obey or not to obey God's plan, so there's a high chance that we may take some detours and wrong turns every now and then. The incredible aspect of our omniscient God is that He knows the route we'll choose to take anyway, and His plan leaves plenty of opportunity for us to jump back on the straight and narrow path. Imagine a windy, lengthy road map filled with ample rest stops and scenic outlooks. The path God has for you may involve a steep uphill climb, or a leap of faith across some great gorge, but the end goal for every person is to fall into the arms of Jesus in eternity. This undeniable truth, that our ultimate purpose is to find communion with Christ, leads us back to the bridge of "Out of Hiding." The uphill climb that seemed like a setback in your plan didn't escape God's notice. The struggle you've had your entire life, the thorn in your side you can't pinch out, is an integral part of the story God has written for you. Am I saying that God purposefully puts tragedies and darkness in your life? No. What I mean to tell you is that there isn't any chapter of your life too dark or twisted for God to illuminate. Your eating disorder, the abuse you experienced in childhood, the loneliness you feel engulfed by today, the financial anxieties you're chained to, and the distorted image you see reflected in the mirror can all be used in your story for God's glory. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my struggle with forgiveness. The majority of the people I had to forgive were first graders, second graders, and third graders who abandoned me as a little girl, kids who picked on me for being uncoordinated, middle class, or just plain different from other girls. The reasons for their teasing are so insignificant as an adult, but the jabs and cuts they left on me formed scars that have shaped my self-image for the past twelve years. Instead of acknowledging my acceptance in the kingdom of heaven, I focused on the rejection that plagued me throughout childhood. I began reading obsessively to avoid social interaction, because if I didn't talk to anyone, than no one could reject me. Later in adolescence, I became consumed with dating and romance because I believed that if someone fell in love with me, there would be one more person who would never reject me. Eventually, every aspect of my appearance and character was scrutinized to make sure I measured up to the person I believed everyone wanted me to be. My middle and high school years were exhausting, depressing, and so distant from God's plan. Graduating high school was a relief, because I didn't have to put up a facade against the same people I'd been faking it to for twelve years anymore. If only I'd realized that no one actually expected me to be the person I tried so hard to be. 

Thankfully, I've experienced tremendous healing from my childhood pains, and now walking in the identity God created for me. The all-consuming insecurities and self-hatred I experienced as a preteen and teenager were painful and damaging, but they have given me immense patience for the teenagers I see weekly as a youth leader. My history with an eating disorder causes my heart to break for girls who struggle with body image even more than I did. I viewed myself in such an unhealthy light as a kid that my self-image kept me from giving and receiving Christ's love. The very darkness that hindered love in my life has set a fire in my heart that enables me to cast a torch over similar struggles in other people's lives. The bridge of "Out of Hiding" has a grip over me because of the hopefulness it gives to every struggle you'll ever face.

"Oh as you run [towards God], what hindered [your acceptance of] love will only become part of the story [God has written for you]."

God's story for each of us is infinitely more intricate than we could ever imagine. Every person we meet, every conversation we have, every opinion we form has a purpose in His inevitably beautiful plan for our lives. Regardless of what your life looks like now, when God wrote the final chapter of your story, He leaned back and said "It is good". 

Miracles

My dad 10 days after his stroke- praise God!

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."

Psalm 103:2-3

This weekend, my family had our first health scare. Friday morning, my dad had a major stroke, caused by a previously unknown hole in his heart. My mom quickly called our family doctor and 911 before waking my sister and I up.

"Madison, wake up. Your dad's having a stroke."

I walked into my parents' bedroom after letting our doctor into the house, and saw my invincible father lying half-paralyzed on the bed. I was too in shock to cry, and the weight of my dad's near-death experience is just beginning to sink in. To comfort myself and my sister, I started praying for my dad's healing and peace for our family. That morning was so chaotic that I don't remember whether I or the doctor suggested prayer. What I do know is that shortly afterwards, my dad was able to speak again and became more responsive than he had been before the prayer. Later, I learned that my dad's pulse had dropped dangerously low, and had stabilized during our prayer. Our doctor claims there's no medical reason why this should have happened, which is incredible because that means God gets all the glory for my dad's healing.

Not only did God begin to heal my dad within seconds of prayer, He also parted traffic like the Red Sea for the ambulance in the middle of rush hour traffic. Annie and I made it to the hospital in record time, and I don't remember hitting my brakes once on the highway, despite the fact that it was 8 am on a Friday morning. God's hand was on my family from the moment we woke up that morning. Our doctor was at the house 3 minutes after my mom called him, the ambulance was at our house 15 minutes after my mom called them, and my dad was administered blood clot medication within 2 hours of his stroke. Had we been an hour later, the medication would have been nullified or detrimental, as it has to enter the body within 3 hours of initial symptoms. Had my dad been asleep when the stroke hit, he may not have been able to wake my mom up before his pulse dropped. There's no medical explanation for my dad sitting in his recliner a week after the stroke, fully able and present. All praise and credit goes directly to God, the God who heals and resides over all things. Nothing is outside of His dominion, and nothing is too big or small for Him.

Psalm 103:2 serves as a reminder to never forget the good things God has done in our lives. God brought my dad back from near-death, and has used His people to stock our fridge and pantry. Yet somehow, last night I laid in bed and worried about my financial situation. Tim and I have missed out on work this month due to various engagements and crises, meaning our weekly paychecks have been slim or nonexistent. I allowed myself to fret over purchases I've made, money I don't have, and the meek savings account that Tim and I will have to rely on in seven months. God healed my dad within two hours of his stroke, so how can I doubt his miraculous power in other aspects of my life? How can I worry over my fiancé and I's financial situation when God promises in Luke 12 that He will give us everything we need if we seek His face above all else? I've been praying for God to make a way for my student loans to be paid off for 2 years now, and He hasn't stopped answering my prayers. He just hasn't answered my prayers in the timing I'd like.

"Look at the lilies and how they grow, They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" Luke 12:27-28

Maybe you haven't experienced recent medical healing, or even emotional healing. Maybe you're applying to colleges, recently got laid off, or doggy paddling through student debt, like myself. Whatever your worry or struggle, let my story stand as a testament to this truth: God cares for you, and He hasn't abandoned you. Whether his answer to your prayers are immediate or not, He hears you and has you. He won't abandon His plan for your life in the middle of crisis. Even in chaos, fear, and worry, God's hand is on you. Never forget that.