It's Friday night and I am sitting in front of a cozy fireplace at a small town coffee shop and breathing a sigh of relief.
For the first time since I can't even remember when, I have a whole weekend with nothing on the calendar.
No places I HAVE to be.
Nothing in stone on my trusty calendar app.
It's the weirdest thing.
And it's awesome.
I'm staring at this blank white space on my MacBook screen and realizing I really don't know what words are going to fill the emptiness.
This week has been hard. Draining. Exhausting. Tearful. Stretching.
And I'm still sorting through and processing the events and emotions and thoughts and difficulties.
But even more so, I'm completely awed by God's faithfulness and care and mercy and sovereignty over all of it.
He's sovereign over the difficult appointments, the excruciating pain and loss my friend and her family are going through after the loss of their mama, the challenging relationships, the huge uncertainties, the various illnesses amongst my loved ones, the multitude of burdens I try to help shoulder for my friends and family.
He's also sovereign over the little moments and it just blows my mind the "little" ways that He shows up everyday.
This week He has placed people and conversations and text messages and songs into the mundane moments of my days that have spoken truths straight to my heart or given laughter and healing to the weights and worries...
...a link from a friend to a little video that was exactly what I needed to hear.
...a conversation with coworkers about not constricting or manipulating plans, situations, or people to fit what we want or think is best...but instead leaving things up to God and living according to His clear commands & guidelines for living, surrendering all to Him, and waiting on Him for plans or people to fall into place or to not fall into place.
...laughter and ice cream and french fries with youth group peoples.
...the strength to get out of bed and get a workout in before work every morning this week (personal record, peeps).
...two hour conversation with my bestie about life.
...huge hugs from some of my favorites.
...familiar Scripture passages that breathe life and peace into my jumbled heart.
...a last minute invite to join the roomies at this relaxing coffee shop, giving me the opportunity to actually sit and write like I've been longing to do.
No places I HAVE to be.
Nothing in stone on my trusty calendar app.
It's the weirdest thing.
And it's awesome.
I'm staring at this blank white space on my MacBook screen and realizing I really don't know what words are going to fill the emptiness.
This week has been hard. Draining. Exhausting. Tearful. Stretching.
And I'm still sorting through and processing the events and emotions and thoughts and difficulties.
But even more so, I'm completely awed by God's faithfulness and care and mercy and sovereignty over all of it.
He's sovereign over the difficult appointments, the excruciating pain and loss my friend and her family are going through after the loss of their mama, the challenging relationships, the huge uncertainties, the various illnesses amongst my loved ones, the multitude of burdens I try to help shoulder for my friends and family.
He's also sovereign over the little moments and it just blows my mind the "little" ways that He shows up everyday.
This week He has placed people and conversations and text messages and songs into the mundane moments of my days that have spoken truths straight to my heart or given laughter and healing to the weights and worries...
...a link from a friend to a little video that was exactly what I needed to hear.
...a conversation with coworkers about not constricting or manipulating plans, situations, or people to fit what we want or think is best...but instead leaving things up to God and living according to His clear commands & guidelines for living, surrendering all to Him, and waiting on Him for plans or people to fall into place or to not fall into place.
...laughter and ice cream and french fries with youth group peoples.
...the strength to get out of bed and get a workout in before work every morning this week (personal record, peeps).
...two hour conversation with my bestie about life.
...huge hugs from some of my favorites.
...familiar Scripture passages that breathe life and peace into my jumbled heart.
...a last minute invite to join the roomies at this relaxing coffee shop, giving me the opportunity to actually sit and write like I've been longing to do.
God allows trials. He doesn't just allow them, He promises them.
And they're hard and they hurt and let's be honest: sometimes they make us angry.
But they are one of the greatest gifts He gives us.
He uses them to shape and mold and teach and grow and bless us in eternal ways we can't even fully know.
And one of the coolest things to me is how He shows up amidst them. How He gives so many amazing gifts through them. How He comforts us in them. How His promises become so much more real and alive during them.
And sometimes He even gives us rest and breaks and blank days on the calendar.
Happy weekend.
And they're hard and they hurt and let's be honest: sometimes they make us angry.
But they are one of the greatest gifts He gives us.
He uses them to shape and mold and teach and grow and bless us in eternal ways we can't even fully know.
And one of the coolest things to me is how He shows up amidst them. How He gives so many amazing gifts through them. How He comforts us in them. How His promises become so much more real and alive during them.
And sometimes He even gives us rest and breaks and blank days on the calendar.
Happy weekend.