More About Time Thursday 2.23

To obey God IN TIME often means that we find ourselves separated unto God and away from anything comfortable or familiar. That is true for us. How about you? I not only find myself in a strange place but I find something strange about myself in a strange place - how I respond and how I feel and what I do and who I meet. I find myself again in time in a new way when I am positioned somewhere that I am not totally familiar with in my life. That is often exciting but some days it can be tiring so I have to lean into all of God's strength and none of my own. 


Again I want to say that what I miss being here in this time in my placement and not being somewhere else,  can't be made up so I have to trust God that in obedience to Him, something greater is happening in my life. I can't often see it but I have to trust that when we obey God in time,  there are many things happening that are bearing eternal fruit. For instance, here is one simple example. If I am separated from my kids and it is God's will for me to be here, perhaps ( and I am saying this with a full smile) it is because they need to learn to trust God for themselves in some way. I am, perhaps that hindrance when I place myself in time my own way or through guilt, or loneliness or some such thing. There is a cost to obedience to be stripped from the familiar and out of my control to simply trust Him. Make sense? I hope so. 


Moving out in time in our own desires, in our own thoughts or perhaps even through guilt or loneliness that drives us is basically time that can be what we want, but not what God wants for us. Marvin and I have seen that God asks us to give our life and our time to Him.   We place our lives, our desires, and our time in His hands and trust. There is a safety in God. Even when we don't understand why or how or what - we know that His ways are perfect and all things work for good for those called according to His purpose. 


Life is lived in time. Life is lived in the fullness of His time and His way or our time and our way. I have found it is best to go the way God wants us to go. That is why I find myself in Finland right now. Would it have been my choice? Probably not but it is God's choice for me in time. And His desires are my desires forming day by day because there are many days that I love it here alongside many days that I miss Cali. :)


So where are you in all of this as you read this? When you are positioned in God's timing in His placement, there is peace even though there may be chaos all around you. That is where trust is required. When things on the home front may not be going well, we trust. When things around us are not going as we thought where we are, we trust. Simply stated, we trust God with our time in our lives. Step out in God's path for you even though it may call you to a separation from things that are familiar and comfortable. In God's light there is fullness of joy.


So how to sum this up to encourage you to focus on the Lord alone. When you are IN TIME in God's way and will for you, even though you may not understand it, your emotions may be running wild, and you feel chaos is stirring around you, it's okay. Speak peace to the storm and keep stepping out of the boat following Him. Don't look back and regret things that could have or should have been. The path in time in front of you is a great adventure. Don't feel guilty about all the things you did wrong. That is what the cross is for so stop carrying the burden yourself. Leave it all behind, no matter what age, what gender, what culture. You have this moment in this time......make the most of it and enjoy the journey.