Reason #618
What a weekend! This has been the most refreshing and encouraging weekend that I have had in a long time, spiritually speaking. A weekend where I desired to be filled and got exactly that. A weekend where the Lord overwhelmed with His love and truth. I was reminded of His goodness over and over and over again, and I only wish the weekend could last a few days longer.
I told you we went on a retreat with our bible study group this weekend, and it was amazing! I'll save the details for tomorrow because I want to tell you about tonight. I want to reminisce just a bit tonight. After all, you know that's one of my favorite things to do. And there's nothing more exciting, confirming, and incredible than seeing how God has carried you and done some pretty amazing things you would have never expected.
My mom and I went to see Stephen Curtis Chapman, Laura Story, and Jason Gray in concert tonight. You better believe it was incredible. I've been a SCC fan since I was a little girl. I remember jamming out to his cassette tape. Anyway, I love concerts. I love getting to spend time worshiping the Lord with other believers. I love getting to hear other peoples' stories and getting to see how God has used them and changed their lives. And so tonight I got to re-live a little bit of my story.
I told you about how my mom and I went to a ton of concerts in 2012. I swear we went to one a month. And although that's unusual to have that many Christian concerts to go to, the Lord knew I needed each one. In April of last year, I told you about hearing Jason Gray for the first time. I shared his song, "Nothing is Wasted" with you, and I told you about how desperately my heart needed to hear those words. Because a particular event had occurred that left me feeling so crushed. And as I listened to him sing about the fact that no tear goes unnoticed by God and that nothing is wasted when we lay our lives in God's hands, I cried my eyes out. I came home and I listened to that song over and over and over again, praying that my life wasn't going to be wasted either, although that's all it seemed to be at the time.
Tonight, Jason Gray stood up and sang, "Nothing is Wasted," and I cried my eyes out. Because the first time I cried tears of sorrow while listening. Tears that were filled with worry and fear and desperate hope that God was going to heal my broken heart. Tears of frustration and disappointment because it seemed like my life was completely wasted. Tears of humiliation and tears of sadness because I just couldn't see how it was ever going to get better. Yet I had remembered reading that those who sow with tears reap with joy, and I trusted that just like the song said, this time in my life wasn't going to be wasted. There was a reason for it, I just wasn't sure what it was.
Tonight I cried tears of gratitude that nothing is wasted. That the tears I cried two years ago were not wasted. That the time is spent on my knees in desperation and confusion were not wasted. That giving up my hopes and dreams and trusting God to do something with my broken life was not wasted. I cried tears of joy because I so clearly remembered how low I felt the night I first heard that song, and it paled in comparison to the joy, satisfaction, and completeness I felt when I heard it tonight. I cried tears of thanksgiving because of what God has done in my life since then. For how He has healed my heart. How He has changed my life. How He took a terrified girl and used her in ways she never imagined. For the things He taught me along thee way. Because He did, in fact, carry me through that valley. And for how He restored my life and met my heart's desires even though I wasn't really sure that possibility would ever exist.
Tonight, Jason Gray said, "God doesn't use you in spite of your circumstances, He uses you because of them." And so I dare you to let Him. I dare you to go before Lord and to give Him your brokenness and ask Him to heal and restore you. I dare you to hand over your worries to Him, the very things that you're afraid to give up because you want them so bad and aren't really sure you'll ever get them, and allow Him to meet your deepest needs. I dare you to give Him your burdens and not only let Him carry them for you, but carry you, too. I dare you trust God. To trust that He has a perfect plan for your life, even if you can't see it. That He really is going to work everything out for the good if you'll just give Him time to do so. I dare you to give up whatever it is you are holding on to, whatever it is that is holding on to you, and ask God to do something even better with your life than you could imagine on your own. Try it and just see what He does. Because I know that if you will trust God with these things, with your worries, anxieties, doubts, fears, humiliations, and everything in between, you'll be amazed at how He uses you. You'll be amazed by what He does with your life because of what's going on in your life. How your biggest test turns into the most powerful testimony. Go ahead and try it. He won't let you down.
#618 - Because He won't let us down.
"I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people." - Psalm 52:9
I told you we went on a retreat with our bible study group this weekend, and it was amazing! I'll save the details for tomorrow because I want to tell you about tonight. I want to reminisce just a bit tonight. After all, you know that's one of my favorite things to do. And there's nothing more exciting, confirming, and incredible than seeing how God has carried you and done some pretty amazing things you would have never expected.
My mom and I went to see Stephen Curtis Chapman, Laura Story, and Jason Gray in concert tonight. You better believe it was incredible. I've been a SCC fan since I was a little girl. I remember jamming out to his cassette tape. Anyway, I love concerts. I love getting to spend time worshiping the Lord with other believers. I love getting to hear other peoples' stories and getting to see how God has used them and changed their lives. And so tonight I got to re-live a little bit of my story.
I told you about how my mom and I went to a ton of concerts in 2012. I swear we went to one a month. And although that's unusual to have that many Christian concerts to go to, the Lord knew I needed each one. In April of last year, I told you about hearing Jason Gray for the first time. I shared his song, "Nothing is Wasted" with you, and I told you about how desperately my heart needed to hear those words. Because a particular event had occurred that left me feeling so crushed. And as I listened to him sing about the fact that no tear goes unnoticed by God and that nothing is wasted when we lay our lives in God's hands, I cried my eyes out. I came home and I listened to that song over and over and over again, praying that my life wasn't going to be wasted either, although that's all it seemed to be at the time.
Tonight, Jason Gray stood up and sang, "Nothing is Wasted," and I cried my eyes out. Because the first time I cried tears of sorrow while listening. Tears that were filled with worry and fear and desperate hope that God was going to heal my broken heart. Tears of frustration and disappointment because it seemed like my life was completely wasted. Tears of humiliation and tears of sadness because I just couldn't see how it was ever going to get better. Yet I had remembered reading that those who sow with tears reap with joy, and I trusted that just like the song said, this time in my life wasn't going to be wasted. There was a reason for it, I just wasn't sure what it was.
Tonight I cried tears of gratitude that nothing is wasted. That the tears I cried two years ago were not wasted. That the time is spent on my knees in desperation and confusion were not wasted. That giving up my hopes and dreams and trusting God to do something with my broken life was not wasted. I cried tears of joy because I so clearly remembered how low I felt the night I first heard that song, and it paled in comparison to the joy, satisfaction, and completeness I felt when I heard it tonight. I cried tears of thanksgiving because of what God has done in my life since then. For how He has healed my heart. How He has changed my life. How He took a terrified girl and used her in ways she never imagined. For the things He taught me along thee way. Because He did, in fact, carry me through that valley. And for how He restored my life and met my heart's desires even though I wasn't really sure that possibility would ever exist.
Tonight, Jason Gray said, "God doesn't use you in spite of your circumstances, He uses you because of them." And so I dare you to let Him. I dare you to go before Lord and to give Him your brokenness and ask Him to heal and restore you. I dare you to hand over your worries to Him, the very things that you're afraid to give up because you want them so bad and aren't really sure you'll ever get them, and allow Him to meet your deepest needs. I dare you to give Him your burdens and not only let Him carry them for you, but carry you, too. I dare you trust God. To trust that He has a perfect plan for your life, even if you can't see it. That He really is going to work everything out for the good if you'll just give Him time to do so. I dare you to give up whatever it is you are holding on to, whatever it is that is holding on to you, and ask God to do something even better with your life than you could imagine on your own. Try it and just see what He does. Because I know that if you will trust God with these things, with your worries, anxieties, doubts, fears, humiliations, and everything in between, you'll be amazed at how He uses you. You'll be amazed by what He does with your life because of what's going on in your life. How your biggest test turns into the most powerful testimony. Go ahead and try it. He won't let you down.
#618 - Because He won't let us down.
"I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people." - Psalm 52:9
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