Renewing the Vision

September was a mundane kind of month. We were busy with work, house renovations, and meal prep. I felt like I got up, did my devotions, got ready for the day, went to work, came home, ate and went to bed. It was a revolving door of busyness. Because of that, it was hard to stay passionately focused on the blog. I didn’t have the time or energy I wanted to put into it. My product development fell to the wayside as well. I was in maintenance mode.

But such is life. “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) There have been and will be moments where you’re called to do the simple day in day out tasks. Then there are others when you can dream, plan, and work towards new things. God knows what we need when we need it. 

I am a forward thinker. I live five years or more down the road from now. I always have been like that. So, living in the routine of today can get wearisome for me if I don’t feel like I’m striving towards a goal. 

As frustrating as it was last month, I am also grateful upon reflection. I needed that “paused” time to get used to the new routine of the new job. My body needed to calibrate. It could only handle so much. That time wasn’t wasted though. I loved writing the blog posts that month. I was also greatly encouraged by all of your comments and messages as well. You’re all a great blessing to me. 

I also took the time to do some meal prepping so that Michael and I didn’t spend the rest of our energy every night trying to keep up with dinners. Or slacking and eating poorly. 

I enjoy my new job. It feels good to be able to contribute to our family again and to have more to pay down on our mortgage. The Lord has provided and I am honestly grateful. But I was struggling in how to keep up. I knew the Lord wanted me to take this job. I also knew He wanted me to continue to serve you all through this blog. How could I do both? 

“I sought the Lord and He answered me…” (Psalm 34:4). I needed His passion to renew my spirit and His healing to have enough brain power to write. 

When we ask, God answers. Michael took me somewhere last Monday night. I didn’t really feel up to it, but felt I should go. As we stood in the place, I was filled with tears of awe. The Lord opened my spiritual eyes to see where He was taking me with Hope Through Hard Times. He gave me a glimpse of what He had been foundationally building in me throughout my life. Then, where He wants to take this ministry. It was a beautiful, breathtaking moment. I was so encouraged. 

Then I got home and had a call from my Mom. There’s something Michael and I have been working on that I’ll be revealing to you all in November. My Mom had given it to someone else as a little test project. She explained that it was a great success. God filled up my cup. I rejoiced and felt refueled to keep going and pursuing it. 

Then I sat down to spend time with Jesus on Tuesday morning. I was so excited Monday night that I didn’t really sleep much. So, I came to Him Tuesday morning asking for help for the day. I didn’t have anything physically to offer, especially work wise, and needed Him to be my strength and energy. He showed me something that lit my heart on fire … for the rest of the week. 

I was reading in 2 Corinthians. Paul was teaching the Corinthian church that suffering and comfort go hand-in-hand (as I shared in last week’s post, Yes and Amen). In Chapter 4, he explains it a little further:

“We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you … Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory” (2 Corinthians 4:8-12, 15)

Our testimony of Jesus’ work in our lives through times of suffering gives life and encouragement to others. It inspires and produces hope. 

I had highlighted that section and written a note on the bottom of the page in my Bible on March 28, 2016. It said, “Our suffering and hardships are a megaphone of what is really going on in our hearts. If we are looking to the cross through our suffering, people looking at us will see God being glorified.” I think I got this from a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio. It had a dash with his name next to this quote and underneath his name I had written, “talk on hope through the hard times”.

I looked up the sermon I had gotten that from. It was actually titled Hope When Life Hurts Most. God had written that note on my heart pre-concussion, pre-infertility confirmation, and pre-inception of Hope Through Hard Times. He had given me that name before I had even known about it! He had prepared me to understand my suffering before the suffering occurred. Then, when I was struggling to keep up with this ministry, He gave me a glimpse of the prophetic word He had written on my heart years before this would all come to be. 

So, I press on with hope, encouragement, and the foundation that this is the calling He has brought me to, along with the beautiful image He gave me on Monday of what is to come. 

It is an honour to serve you all and grow in Christ together. Yours and my suffering is never in vain. Our “mundane” moments are not without purpose and order. God is forming in each one of us a deeper love and understanding of His character, purposes, and plans. May you all see the Lord working in your story today and in this week ahead. Blessings to you all.