season

Ever felt blind-sighted by yourself? Like "Wow....You should have known better!?!" This just happened to me.

To say to myself "Be watchful for the schemes of the enemy" is like, DUH! Preaching to the choir of I Know This. And yet.... here I am having just had the moment of preaching to the choir and I was like, OH!

The faith walk is sometimes so hard to discern but if we take the time to reply get honest and quiet, we can find our positioning and purpose with peace.

I have been in a hunker down season. A little more withdrawn. A little more quiet. I little more guarded. I have been in these seasons before and I don't hate them, at all, in fact, I enjoy them. Over the many long walks with God, I know sometimes we walk amongst the crowds, other times it's reclining at the table with a small group and sometimes, He is reaches me up in the tree or walking in the dirt approaching His burning bush! He's always near.

We don't stay "hidden." He always calls us out and I have felt that. But it has been a slow walking out. I should have recognized it. Sluggish doesn't;t come from God. Lack of motivation, making excuses, don't come from God. I felt the calling out to move more and I didn't feel the energy to and I now recognize exactly where those thoughts were coming from...the one who preferred I stay quiet and hidden, withdrawn and introverted. 

We should be seeking Him first but He is so sweet when we don't, to send others in to our day to get our attention. This is why our circle matters! Sometimes it's a song, sermon, reel or text from a friend, sometimes it's through a social media post. This happened to me today. 

A friend of mine shared a shout out yesterday to follow someone and I felt the nudge to go check out her profile. WOW did God have a message there, big time! She had just done a Live the hour before and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Answers to questions only God heard me asking these past few weeks, in my quiet. She confirmed and affirmed what I needed.

So how do you discern whether you are supposed to stay where you are or it's time to move?!? You seek Him first! That's what I haven't been doing. I was comfortable and on auto-pilot doing the things I know to be doing. I'm working, writing and tasking care of my home. But I also know He has been saying go deeper, faster, and bring the glory in! But the whispers of "later" made sense and felt good.

Thing is we are not guaranteed "later." I have been reminded of this over and over in my own life experiences and through relationship with others. Our time is not in our hands. Our mission work is not later. Our pace is not ours. We reveal His glory as we go, even in the waiting, we are actively serving and moving, yes, but He will also show up and say "Let's Go, Follow Me." I wonder how many times we take that moment for granted that we can d that later, when we feel ready or able...instead of stepping into the dirt and discover the manna, casting the net to the other side after a long weary day/season, to step into the ocean and see the water part, to walk up the mountain and hear the ram. 

Good thing Noah was not a later kind of guy! Moses tried, but God stood firm and sent Him Aaron. Even Paul waited in the cells praising God....then God rattled the earth and set the captives free. So many times we are in placed in the basket and sent down river or tossed into a fiery furnace only for God to then show up and say Let's Go! 

Ask, Seek, Find! Pray for the next steps every single day and do not become complacent. He always comes after His sheep so don't think He is gonna let you just mosey on by in the back of the pasture! He won't, He can't. In the flock, under His watchful eye is where He keeps us to guard us.

So if you have felt the nudge, tug, prompt, pull, feeling....whatever it feels like to move, pray and ask Him! Still not sure? Ask for God to bring you the "others" to show you and keep your eyes and heart open. Don't stay in the place you are meant to move on from. God is near and is with you in the waiting but also in the wanting! 

Thankful today for others.