Over the weekend, Hannah and I went to the track, she rode her bike while I ran and walked. As I watched her ahead of me, I often found myself thinking, “I have to keep running so I can keep an eye on her, I can’t let her get too far out of my sight.” Like a thunderbolt, I realized this was a reflection of my hope for our future.
Oh, how I long for the days when my children’s walk with God surpasses that of my own. But even when it does, I want to keep running until I run straight into Heaven. As long as I walk the earth, I want to be moving forward in my life with Him. For many years, I have been hotly pursuing Him. I’ve always allowed my children to watch and learn and grow with me, but just recently their pursuit of Him has begun to develop into their own. It’s becoming more to them than just something mama does, it’s become part of their DNA. It’s also becoming a choice that they make, not just something I lead them to do.
There is no greater joy in this life. All of this encourages me to keep up the pace.
As I mature, I find myself running after God even more. I see everything in life through partnership with His eyes. When things happen or inconvenience comes, like today…our heat stopped working…I have a choice. I can partner with fear, or I can lean in and trust. When it first happened and I had to call a repairman, I went off alone and said, “God, I need You. We don’t have finances to cover a big repair right now. And we are wanting to sell this house within the year and need to do many other costly repairs. It feels like a resistance toward us, and our desire to move forward.” Then I grew silent and shut my eyes. He spoke, “Trust Me.” Like a white dove those two words flew down and landed on my shoulder. As I sit in my bedroom, wearing a coat and waiting for the repairman to come, I keep saying, “I trust You.”
It’s always going to be a choice.
Keeping pace with the Holy Spirit is always going to be a choice. Leaning in and expecting good news, is a choice. Letting go of the whirlwind of thought and choosing to ask for blessing, is a choice.
I choose to keep up the pace today.
One thing I am confident of…I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:11-14
If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and soul, then He will send the rains in their proper seasons- the early and late rains- so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat. Deuteronomy 11:13-15
365 Days in the Presence 