on its way

A few weeks ago, I saw Hillsong United in concert. Hearing songs from those who wrote them that I listen to and being surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people who are hungry for God is a beautiful thing. About halfway through the concert, the youth pastor for Hillsong Church came out and spoke (I'll admit I absolutely love their accent). He talked about the fact that he and his wife have a new baby at home. He said that they have decided to feed her "the old fashioned way," as he put it, leaving him completely incapable of feeding her. One day the baby was fussy and hungry, the youth pastor only able to offer what comfort he could while his wife was on her way home. He said he was holding his daughter close, rocking back and forth, trying to keep her pacifier in place - everything humanly possible to console her but it still wasn't enough. Though he couldn't give her what she needed, help was on its way. He said the same is true with us. God is holding us, comforting us as only He can, promising our answer is on its way. We're 'fussy' for whatever reason, all of us needing something different from God. "I love you. Hold on. Just a little bit longer," God says, rocking us back and forth. I like that idea. God knows what we need before we even ask which means we can be assured we'll have the answer at the right time.

rain

This morning started out sunny and warm but a few hours later, dark clouds loomed overhead. Sitting at my desk at work, I made the choice to leave my umbrella in the car though I knew a downpour was on its way. Leaving work, I savored the feel of rain on my skin, finding a little bit of freedom in not using an umbrella. In keeping with the theme of my last post, sometimes we need to 'leave the umbrella in the car' and just enjoy the simple things.

merry-go-round

I went to Nashville with some friends last weekend to see Hillsong United in concert (another blog post entirely). Before the concert we had some down time so we went to the mall and squeezed in some shopping. As soon as we walked into the mall, we were greeted by a merry-go-round. The other girls decided we should ride it - so we each purchased a ticket and waited in line. We opted to ride the spinning teacup so the three of us climbed in and for the next few minutes went round and round, laughing as we turned the wheel faster and faster.

Though such an act may seem childish and inappropriate for two teenagers and a twenty-something to engage in, to me it was a moment of throwing caution to the wind and having a little fun. I think sometimes we need to break tradition and remember the fun we had when little by swinging or riding on a merry-go-round. Life goes by so fast - sometimes we need to seek out the joy found in the simple things.

dead end

Have you ever thought God was leading you in one direction only to hit a dead end and then scratch your head and wonder "Now what?" This wall, appearing seemingly out of no where, threatens to upset our carefully constructed plans since we didn't allow for a plan B. As we survey our surroundings, we notice a partially hidden but well-paved second trail, stemming from the one we're on. Because we were so focused on staying on THIS path, we failed to take notice of anything else - even if it was in right in front of us. Uncovering the second path, we begin walking on it, unsure of where it will take us but excited at no longer being at a standstill.

It's not until we've walked a little ways that we see this alternate trail brings us back on the first path but we detoured the dead end. By being willing to abandon our plans momentarily, we find out that we're back where we need to be but needed to go a different way - if just for a season.