Bigger and Better

My family and I have lived in the Lone Star state for the past 3 years. Moving here, I had limited experience with anyone from Texas, but the experiences I did have told me that everything in Texas was “BIGGER AND BETTER”! I mean, their houses were bigger than mine, their furniture was bigger than mine, their cars were bigger than mine, and their personalities were bigger (and more fun!) than mine! So, coming to TX I was expecting GREAT things!

 Well, we are now nearing the end of our journey here, or at least the end of Part 1. And I’m reflecting a lot lately and going back to my original expectation that everything here was bigger and better.

Has it been?!?

I would have to say…..yes, but not for the reasons listed earlier.

Texas has brought our family bigger time of trials, bigger times of intense spiritual warfare, bigger times for leaps of faith, bigger times of stretching beyond belief, and bigger times of just pure exhaustion from it all.

But are we better for it?!?!?

Absolutely YES! God is refining us to be more like Him, to want more of Him, to seek more of His kingdom, to desire for all to be part of His kingdom, and to fill our time with a sense of urgency.

 Times of refinement are never pleasant, but we hold fast to the promise that though we may face refinement, we do so in order to give praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:7).

And, oh, by the way, God has also provided us with bigger and better answers to prayers than we could have EVER dreamed of! Just one more way He’s more awesome than we could even imagine!

 

The Unknown Road

Martina McBride wrote a song a few years ago called “In My Daughter’s Eyes”. The first lines say:

In my daughter’s eyes, I am a hero. I am strong and wise and I know no fear. But the truth is plain to see, she was sent to rescue me. I see who I want to be in my daughter’s eyes.

The song is such a loving tribute sung from a mother to her daughter. I cry every. single. time.

But the truth of the matter is that I do know fear. I stare into its’ eyes every day. It’s called the fear of the unknown.

Now, most who meet me would never think I would struggle with something as trivial as this. And if you knew my entire testimony, you would even think I was being heretical to struggle with the fear of the unknown when God has clearly brought me through some difficult challenges. But I'm trying to stay honest here.

Take the rest of the lines of Martina’s song.

In my daughter’s eyes, everyone is equal. Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace. This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak. I find reason to believe in my daughter’s eyes.

I could definitely sing this song to my 2 daughters, and to my son for that matter. They have truly been such a God-send in my life. They have taught me some lessons that you would think I would have known at this age, but that I obviously hadn’t learned. 

Lessons like learning to let go of the fear of the unknown and leaving the unknown in God’s hands alone.

My daughters are quite opposite of one another in their own right. My son is a mixture of the two, with a little of his own uniqueness sprinkled in. But they all love Jesus. And when this life is said and done, I pray amidst my fear of the unknown, that I have had some part in who they have become in Him, because I KNOW they have had a huge part of who I am in Him.

Miles of Air

As I sit on the plane, staring down miles of sky through the beauty of God's creation below me, I am struck by the following stirring in my heart:

God has called me to be His disciple; to be a follower of Christ. That means I follow Him anywhere. I don't get to choose whether I follow Him in warm or cold weather, in the midst of a city or the countryside, near or far away from my extended family, living in a luxury high-rise or on a dirt floor.

God's people are everywhere, waiting for one of His called disciples to say, "Here I am, Lord, send me"!

I am willing, ready to give up my wants, desires, and what I think are necessities because I know God desires that of me...."Take up your cross and follow me"....

Are you willing to follow Him wherever and however He leads?

Isaiah 42:6-7: I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.