Open Your Hands

"LORD, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of Your deeds, O LORD.

Renew them in our day."

Habakkuk 3:2

Sometimes, I am so anxious for God to renew His deeds in my day and for the promise of accomplished goals, I forget to enjoy and be blessed by the renewING He is doing. I want His works to be, well...done. We live in a society where everything is fast. I am in no way bashing technology, I love it!! I am so grateful for the advances we've made. These are tools to bless God with because He has blessed us with the gift of technology. But sometimes, I take for granted the precious gift of time. Sometimes time passes slowly. Ok, sometimes it ALWAYS passes slowly, haha!! But this morning, I am grateful for time. After a year and a half of doing the 9 week "Believing God" Bible Study from Beth Moore- yes, you read right: a year and a half- I am glad that I'm not the same person who started it in the late Spring of 2009. I am so glad it is January 2011. It took that long for God to accomplish the work in me of believing Him. And I'm not done. I'm just finally done with the study!! Life will be the test as I live and breathe what I learned.

I believe God more, so I'm anxious for His work in my life. I want to see it and I want to touch it so badly; I know THAT He's working but sometimes I miss out on the joys of HOW He's working. My uncle told me last summer when I was struggling, "Fast forward to joy." I fast forward alright: straight to losing my joy because I miss being with Jesus and walking with Him. I miss the daily changes because I want the full makeover NOW. I love the look of fresh manicures; I actually kinda hate getting them. They're boring and the stuff the ladies have on TV is garbage. Ugh!! I spend a lot of time texting my mom while I'm getting manicures. I know someday my poor phone will pay the ultimate price for that, but it's better than falling asleep. That's kind of how I think I view my walk with God. I want the glory and the fulfilled promises NOW.

"Therefore, I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her...."

Hosea 2:14

The desert, in the Bible, is the place God courts His Bride. Where, despite all the struggles and human tantrums we throw, we learn to love God and depend on Him for everything. This society doesn't give much opportunity for the "desert experience", but I believe that whether you experience "The Desert" physically or not, you can experience it while you feel the fullest in your world. My life can be so full and my heart can be so empty and I miss my God. The desert becomes my heart and mind as He leads me to a place where I become whole again and then I'm ready to face the world.

I read this yesterday as I picked up my devotional. "If you want to stay close to Me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward MOMENT BY MOMENT. Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace. Slow down, and enjoy the journey in My Presence." - "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" by Sarah Young.

Yeah, that's me to a T. And it's also the solution to finding joy. Enjoy the moments while I anticipate the fulfillment of dreams. Enjoy TODAY even if I don't feel like I'm working toward my goals: Author, Photographer, Believer/Follower of God.....and believe that it's ok to rest because "He who watches over (me) will not slumber" Psalm 121:3. He doesn't sleep, He's never resting. He wants me to.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

"Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His Holy Dwelling." Zechariah 2:13

Here's a side note to me: I did an all day photoshoot on Saturday; and I am writing right now. And I believe God more today than I did a year and a half ago. I think the joy gets stolen when I think about my dreams instead of focusing on that I AM DOING MY DREAMS!!!! Thank God I didn't have this mindset as a baby learning how to walk!!!

I am done having my joy stolen. I'm looking around and realizing I'm taking baby steps. Every day I get stronger, every photoshoot makes me a photographer, every word I type makes me an author and every day I say, "I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE YOU, JESUS!!" makes me a woman who truly believes God.

So, I don't know what your dreams are. But if you're like me and you're having a hard time accepting that what you're doing is one step toward fulfilling your dreams, let me just say this to you and to me: Be happy about what God is accomplishing in you!! He is proud of you and even if it's a baby step, it's a STEP!!!! Accept His blessings, ALL of them, and if you're afraid to accept that what He's doing might be big, remember:

"GOD DID NOT GIVE (YOU) A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT A SPIRIT OF POWER, OF LOVE AND A SOUND MIND!!!!" 2 Timothy 1:7

Will you join me? Let's do ourselves a favor and hold our hands out to God and this time, not flinch when He fills them. He has done mighty things and He wants to do more. It can't be that much of a blessing for God, if when He hands out blessings, we flinch or even drop our hands out of fear.

"Let us live up to what we have already attained." Philippians 3:16

"We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10: 39

I hope you listen to this song and that you are blessed as you realize the joy does lie in the journey, you just have to trust God for the outcome. He is to be trusted. He can be. And He loves you.