Sunday, March 31, 2013

He is enough

There's something about the sturdy sculpting of the cross by Isabel Bloom that reminds me of God's unwavering love.  The fact that He's always there...even when we are unaware or unwilling to take notice.  An unshakeable rock.  

When I got home from the World Race, I kind of had this ‘new life’ imagined that the Lord was going to deliver.  My future husband would walk into the pages of my life and together we’d write the remainder of the story together; fulfilling the vision for ministry the Lord had given me, or rather, as we’d come to find…given us.  Well it’s 2013 and while the Lord has blown me away with what He is doing with Field of Hope and my career with John Deere…no husband has picked up the other pen.  One night, early in my impatience…I flat out told the Lord that I knew His Word said that He alone was enough to satisfy…but I didn’t want Him to be.  I wanted my future, all inclusive of the husband…delivered and tied with a bow. 

Let me recommend something to you…never tell the Lord that you don’t want Him to be enough.  I probably walked through the darkest season of my life directly following the utterance of those words.  I don’t know how God views these situations but I feel like He must of looked down and said…“We could do this the easy way or the hard way…why must you always choose the hard way child?”

Fast-forward…and the most beautiful and hard to describe transformation has occurred in my heart.  Through tears and loneliness…joy and blessings…it happened…He became enough.  I now know the authenticity of Paul’s words in Philippians 4 when he said…

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

This doesn't mean that I don't still have desires, hopes and dreams...because I do...but my peace and contentment in this world is no longer controlled by my circumstances or relationships, it is rooted in Him. 

Why do I share that story?  Because I guess that gets me to the cross.  You may all be in a different place on your faith journey…or maybe you feel that you aren’t on the journey at all.  And that is ok, in fact that is the point.  He will remain faithful, even when we remain faithless.  He will be ever-waiting, always-anticipating, and open-armed welcoming us to turn to Him. 

I’m not surprised that we often have to dig to the bottom of the barrel…to be humbled in some way or suffer a great loss before we turn to Him.  Instead, what does surprise me…is that He meets us there.  In those places of heartbreak, shame and defeat…He is there.

I can not find in the Word where He says that our lives in this world will be easy, in fact quite the contrary as He states in John 16, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

After all, we live in a fallen world where evil runs rampant, relationships may fail, disappointments shall come and death will pass…

He alone remains.

He is constant.  He is unchanging.  He is faithful.  He is love.

He is enough.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:19-20

May the blessings and treasured relationships that we receive from above…be built upon the cross...our Savior...an unshakeable foundation.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17

Happy Easter!