The family I live with has the most beautiful home.
Sometimes I still can't believe they let me live with them because (as my
parents can attest) I'm super messy and leave dishes all over the place and
come home at odd hours. But the Evans are gracious in all ways and I will
forever be grateful for them.
My favorite part of their house is the back porch.
Sometimes I sit out there for hours and just look at the beauty the Lord has
created. There's a tiny forest just a few feet from the fence that I've
ventured in to a few times, and a small lake that has the most still water
I've ever seen. (Although there are supposedly snakes so I won't be exploring
that anytime soon.)
This semester has been a rollercoaster and it's not slowing
down anytime soon. My last year at SFA has brought up new emotions that I don't
want to deal with yet but life around me doesn't quite understand that.
Yet, I have never experienced as much rest as I do right
now in this season of life. I'm sitting on the back porch as I write this,
looking at steady trees and calm waters, and all I can think about is Jesus. He
is constant and steady and true and omnipresent and so much more.
What makes my rest even more difficult to fathom, is that
I no longer know what I'm going to do with my life. For three years, I thought
I was going to go into the foreign mission field after college. And I still
pray for that opportunity someday, but the Lord has shown me in numerous ways
lately that He has something else, something better prepared for me.
I have no clue what that plan is, though. I don't know if
I'll stay in Nacogdoches or move out of the country. I don't know if I'll work
for a church or work in an office. I simply just don't know anything about my
future.
And that excites me.
The past few weeks I've learned what it really means to
trust in the Father more than I ever have in my life. I walk around moment by
moment with my arms stretched open and I know the Lord is going to fill my
hands with something—and it will be beautiful. God absolutely has a plan for my
life. I know that with certainty. I know that God will use me in whatever way
He wants me to.
True rest means that we cast ALL our burdens on Jesus. The
burden of my future, my finances, my life is not mine to carry. If I tried to
carry it all, I would crumble. But praise be to God that He sent His
all-powerful, all-loving Son to walk through this crazy life with me.
I would like to clarify that I have had a few moments of
panic in these past few weeks. There have definitely been times when I've
become overwhelmed with everything. But quickly I am reminded of God and
everything He's done for me.
The Son became a human, lived life among broken people,
died on the cross and rose again so I may be free form this world. All the
fears, anxieties, pressures, and temptations about this world no longer have
control over me. I can walk confidently into an unknown future because I know
God is with me through it all.
Find your happy spot to rest in. It may be the well-loved
couch in a coffee shop, the middle of woods, your bedroom, or the backyard of a
home full of loving-kindness. Rest is so powerful. It can affect our day-to-day
lives, and we don't even realize it. If you've been feeling distraught or
stressed lately, take time to rest. Rest in the Father and His will for us. Rest in the love of Jesus. Rest in the power of the Spirit. Rest in the living
word of God.
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and portion forever." - Psalm 73:26
