A new beginning - Isaiah 40:30-31

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV) (30) Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; (31) but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

     I can't believe I haven't blogged in 6 months.  That's ridiculous.  It's the beginning of a new year.  A new start, if you will.  DO-OVER!!! I love Jesus and know that He is the way, the truth and the life.  My life would be an abysmal black hole without Him.  But I get tired; I doubt my purpose at times; I question God's timing.  We all have those questions to ask God: Why do you want me to go down this uncertain path?  Can't you just fill me in on your plans a little?  When?  Where?  How?  Why?  Whom?  Yet God doesn't answer us in the way we want Him to.  Why should He?  He's God!!

     As I start out this new year, I have no regrets, but just ask forgiveness from my Lord and Saviour for my stubbornness and procrastination.  Because even though He put me on an incredible path, when it started to get a little intimidating for me, instead of prayer and submission, I sat down.  And although I tried to justify my actions by telling myself that I just needed to rest and needed to regain my thoughts, God knew better and so did I.  I was just trying to convince myself that I was weary and overwhelmed.  The funny thing is, I will continue to be overwhelmed by the path and direction God leads me on, unless I actually LET Him lead and follow the steps He places before me, not stumble all over myself and try to do things my way.  Obedience is key to God's will in our lives.  And "partial obedience is total disobedience" (that's a Lisa-ism).  I know that I have to be totally obedient and trusting in His plan if He is going to be able to use me.

     I got a really good glimpse of how this obedience and trust worked in the last couple of weeks as my car engine went kaput (not worth fixing).  After a couple of days of panic and freaking out, I laid it down at the foot of the cross and told God "this is completely in your hands, there is absolutely NO WAY I can do anything in this situation, so however you want to deal with this, it's up to you.  If you want me bumming rides from friends for however long or if you want me to ride the bus, I'm good.  Just show me what path to take."  All the while, I asked my friends to pray that God's will be done in this situation and if He saw fit to provide a miracle, so be it; but just pray for God's will.  After a couple of weeks of catching rides from friends here and there, I figured out the bus schedule for myself and was working on the bus schedule to get my son back and forth from school and swim practice.  And just when you think that's the path you have to take and are humbled and accepting of it --- BAM --- God brings you a miracle.  Friends knew of a vehicle that was in great shape and was perfect for us (I trusted this person with their knowledge of vehicles and his judgement of it) but it was more than I could afford on my 20 hours a week. This person said they may be able to do a personal loan and I could pay it back as I could.  I started to cry and told them I did want to pray about it, and they told me they would call me back later that same afternoon.  Of course I sent out an immediate mass text to ask that if this was God's will, that the doors would blow wide open, if not, He would immediately remove it (I was to emotional to make a clear discernment at that time and knew it).  During that waiting period, another friend made my prayers known.

    Without going into any more detail, God gave me a reliable vehicle and overflowed my cup enough that I was able to bless a few others that needed just a little leg up and just enough to let them know that God cares and that there are people here that appreciate them and their prayers.

  I said all of that to say that I know God has miraculous things ahead for so many of us.  And one of my resolutions was to be more obedient to God's will.