In honor of it being October 1st and almost 2 months since I moved back to Athens, I thought I’d do a little reflection for this blog. I went on a walk with my friend Sarah last week (If you’re in Athens, hit up the Firefly Trail!) and we just chatted about what God has been doing in our lives. It was a gift to slow down and consider God’s works and I just wanted to do that on here :)
Those of you who know me well know that I am very type A. I am structured, routine, and ordered. So, the chaos of college can be hard for me sometimes. I tend to hold tightly to my schedule and get frustrated when things don’t go according to plan. Little things like coming home to dirty dishes (that would only take 2 minutes to do) can get under my skin more than it should. I had never thought of how this affected my walk with the Lord until I was reading the gospels and saw how often Jesus embraced interruptions.
If you study Jesus' life, something you’ll notice is how much he welcomed interruptions. He stopped for beggars, tax collectors, and children, and every stop was motivated by love. He never made people feel like an inconvenience but used every interaction as an opportunity for ministry.
After seeing how Jesus handled this, I realized I had some work to do. The grip I had on my schedule was so tight that it began to affect my attitude, communication, and relationships. So, I started praying. I prayed that God would help me let go of my schedule, surrendering it to him daily. I prayed that he would help me view interruptions as he did and that his love would be the motivation for it all.
Guys, God is so good. He has done so much work in my heart over these past couple of months. I have started to see interruptions as God-appointed and not inconvenient. I have seen them as opportunities for ministry that I had missed before. Whether it’s sitting with someone for longer than the allotted time on my Google Calendar, or stopping to wash the dishes when I get home from class, the things that used to bring frustration, now bring delight. God has pierced my heart with a desire to show his love by stopping for and serving others, just as he does.
Of course, I still get frustrated sometimes when things don’t go as I had planned, but I am slowly seeing my tendencies change to be those of surrender. And when I surrender, God is always sufficient. Each day, he gives me enough time for school, relationships, work, AND interruptions. God made time, so I can trust him to manage mine.
So, that’s what God has been doing in my heart for the past 2 months :) He is so faithful to move in our lives when we invite him in.
I wanted to write out some of the things I did when I felt convicted in hopes that they will be helpful for you when you feel God tugging on your heart.
1. STUDY the Word.
2 Timothy 3:26-17 says God's Word is what equips us for every good work. It is what teaches, corrects, and encourages us, so start there.
2. RELY on God for help.
You cannot change your heart, only God can, so pray for his strength and peace to fill you daily.
3. INVITE people in.
Surrender is hard to do in isolation. Tell your friends what God is doing in your life so you can be held accountable and encouraged.
It’s also so much more fun to celebrate God's works with friends :)
4. REFLECT on God’s work.
Remember what he’s done, how far he’s brought you, and PRAISE!!
I'm praying y'all have the best start to your October! I pray that God will call you to surrender more and more of your heart to him so you can experience the fullness of joy that comes from it. See you next week <3<3<3