As you read this, I am completely humbled by the goodness, grace and mercy that is God. Almost one year to the date since God made something clear to me, I am today taking a completely unexpected first step. Last April, while working through Jonah by Priscilla Shirer, these words jumped off the page at me:
Sometimes your greatest message is the mess of your life.
In the days, weeks and months that followed, I knew the message, and thought I had an idea of what the delivery would look like. I started working in that direction. But over the past two weeks, God has totally intervened in my plans and is taking me in a direction more unique than I could’ve imagined. The details are still unclear, but in the big picture, I have to agree with something Shirer said in her study:
God has plans that include generations…stuff going on that we can’t wrap our minds around.
Yes…generations…breaking cycles and patterns…beginnings of changed lives. All because God uses messes to make masterpieces. He redeems the wasted parts of our pasts, and writes a story only He can author.
At this point, the end result is still a vague blur to me, but a friend spoke wise words to me: Sometimes the journey is just as important as the end result. I can believe that for no other reason than the crazy, miraculous, unexpected circumstances, which cannot be categorized as coincidences, that have been my past two weeks. Events have transpired that have required every emotion and response I have in my being. And God has been faithful to give me perfect peace in each situation.
So today as I embark upon a most unexpected journey, I am reminded that His thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways (Is. 55:8). His are indeed better!
Isn't it amazing how He can direct our steps in ways we'd never think of? I'm excited to hear more about where He is leading!