This past year really has been a different way of living. I mean, Texas is it's own country. You could spend a lifetime exploring all of it's diverse regions. In both Texas and Florida, you have the opportunity to hunt for your own food, land or sea, and grill it up for your family. Texas offers beautiful skies as does Florida. People are very protective over their lands and take great pride in their environments, in both states. Because of the diversity of Texas, beaches and lakes to desserts and mountains, you find all sorts of people there, city folk, country folk, to those living off the grid. Same here in the islands. There is much in common between these two amazing places we have called home.
I never would have imagined us living on an island and being happy about it! I mean for vacations, yes. God has shown us a dream way to live. It's not that we have sharks, dolphin, manatee, turtles, barracuda, colorful fish and iguanas in our back yard. It's not that we see creation more that cement. But it's been how we lived for the past year compared to all we had previously known as normal. We have learned more than simple living in a smaller house with a community of limited choices. More than wearing less make-up and having less "things."
For the first time, we have lived a life counting down our days.
When God called us here, we knew it would be for a year. Every person told us we wouldn't be coming back but we assured them we would be. Denial? Fear? Maybe.
Because we knew we only had a year, we have lived life counting down the days verses living the "one day we hope to" or "maybe next month" mentality. This was our chance to embrace everything island living had to offer. There were only 12 months and the countdown had begun.
While we lived with intentionality in Texas, I realize now we never lived each day truly fully embracing that day or that place. It was a day in and day out, routine, familiar place we called home, where days stacked up one upon another. We certainly embraced the people (family, neighbors, friends, community), and we enjoyed Texas life but even then, compared to what we have experienced here in living fully embracing, we could have shared and embraced life more.
After a long week of work, sports, running 4 different directions with the four kids, we found ourselves in a rut, collapsing on our own couches, exhausted, with nothing left to give...and besides, surely next week, next month won't be so crazy. But inevitably it was.
Yes, we had people over, but rarely. And not because we didn't want to, but because we figured another time would be better, less crazy...and those days were few and far between! Our minds processed time with a future hope. Here, we could not process fellowship opportunities like that because we didn't have endless opportunities to share life with others. There were only 52 weekends to explore this place, these people, with our family of 6...365 days...364...363...100...99 days to experience what God had for us.
When we moved here to Florida, we really didn't have plans to make friends and dig deep roots here. We felt more on sabbatical, on mission.
We weren't coming to establish ourselves but rather to experience whatever He had for us for each day, counting down each one, knowing God had called us here to release some of the chains of life we had been bound by and to cling only to Him. He moved us out of our rut, and into refreshment, serving Him, loving Him and growing in Him in fresh new ways. We were to embrace and renew our relationship with God individually and as a family. We also knew we were to find a local church to encourage and support yet not lead within. It was counting down lifestyle.
And we have. Every day is a day submitted and surrendered to God, His plans, His desires. I can only hope and pray that I have mostly accomplished all that He has asked of me. I have had my lazy days. I have had selfish moments. I have missed the mark often. But my heart has daily longed for His.
No, I don't have a book published. No one has my photography displayed on their wall. I cannot strike a cord on the guitar. I did not lead my children through Bible studies and teach them all I know. I didn't learn to cook all the fabulous and healthy meals I wanted. I didn't loose those stubborn 30lbs. But, I did embrace intentional living and loving, exploring and embracing newness of life in Christ.
No matter where God calls us next, I pray that we will continue to live embracing life, continuously counting down the days here as we look forward to each new day we step closer to the last day before Glory where our days will never end! What joy to look back over the years and know that even though we made mistakes and missed opportunities, at least we were intentional and gave what we had to give for each day as a whole. A life lived embracing!
I hope this has made sense to you. Sometimes the things we experience deep in our hearts and the way we process things, are hard to express without sounding random or obscure. I write this (as with each blog) as a place of remembrance for me personally to a place God has met me and changed me, but also as an opportunity to encourage you. It's not a happenstance you are here.
Our lives are living testimonies to be shared. For me, this blog is just one of the ways He has given me. My life used to be so private, rooted deeply in insecurity and fear of judgement. How wonderful and freeing to live life with an Audience of One. There is way less pressure and way more pursuit!
I want to encourage you today, if you have found yourself living life in a rut, days are just days stacking up, you find yourself always wishing you could (fill in the blank) but you continually put it off, I pray you will ask God to lead you out of that rut and refresh you into His abundant living, counting down your days, instead of putting them off, until Glory.
It's doesn't mean you will be called to sell everything and move. It doesn't mean your circumstances will all of a sudden change. But it does mean your heart and mind will be renewed as you are seek to find more joy, a refreshment of soul, embracing every day's breath with the purpose God has planned for you, wholly living for Him, in Him and thru Him.
Life here is short.
You won't notice the sunsets, the miracles, the needs of others, the love, the people around you when you are in a crazy cycle, busy intersection or a rut. They will be distant glimpses of something more, something hoped for. How glorious when we "get out" and experience it first hand!!!
Today, will YOU choose to live counting down? I'd love to know about it!
For those wanting to read about the call here, you can read about it on the blog .
Ephesians 3: 14-21 (ESV) "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Here are just a few of our 365 days....
©Shell Photography
No comments:
Post a Comment