He Will Do It Again

As I’m writing this blog post I’m sitting outside on the back porch. The weather is so perfect, the wind is blowing, and I can’t help but feel a sense of peace just taking it all in. We are in the last quarter of the year and what a year it has been. On a personal front I’m praying some very specific prayers and I’m at a crossroads in life that I’ve been at many times.

Let me explain….

A couple of years ago I found myself living in Virginia (working in D.C.). It was my first time living outside of my hometown Houston. I was excited but I was also nervous because I was living away from my parents for the first time, which was a big deal for me. To make a long story short, the excitement wore off pretty fast. I was working in a pretty toxic and uncomfortable environment. I can remember experiencing my very first panic attack ever in life sitting at work one day. I felt stuck in more ways than one and my faith was tested like never before. For a time I was mad at God for opening that door and it caused me to even stop praying. I was that mad.

Looking back I’m not sure God even gave me permission to take that job in the first place but what I can tell you is that when it was all said and done, God showed up for me in such a big way. I eventually made it back to Texas and how it happened was nothing short of God working behind the scenes. Some people say that opportunities fall in their laps, but I’d argue that nothing in this life happens by accident.

That year and a half living in Virginia taught me that God’s timing is perfect. It taught me that in the waiting is when we learn to truly trust God and without those seasons of uncertainty our faith would never grow. Those lessons are carrying me through the season I’m in right now. Somedays are harder than others but I’m reminded that God has a plan. Again, if we knew His plans we wouldn’t learn to trust in HIm. If we knew exactly when that shift was going to happen, we wouldn’t pray (like we should). If we knew the exact date and time our prayers were going to be answered, we would never cry out to Him.

As I pray for a career change and ask God to give me the creative courage to do things I’ve never done before, I think about my time living away. I think about how I felt so discouraged and overcome with worry. I also think about the reassurance that experience gave me that while it may feel like nothing is happening, God is always working.

I wish I could tell you that I never have moments of feeling anxious about the future. I wish I could tell you that I don’t have days when I’m not desperate for God to do something now and not later. I do but if this year hasn’t taught me anything, it has reinforced my belief that God is still God no matter what things look like. So, I try my hardest to live by faith and not by my feelings daily. Sometimes I talk to God like He’s sitting right next to me. I tell Him exactly what’s on my heart and I thank Him for what’s to come.

I’m not sure what God is up to right now but I have to believe that He’s up to something not just for me but for you as well. I don’t know what you desire for your life right now or what you’ve been praying for but I’m just here to remind you to keep praying. This year has stretched us in so many ways and while it’s been hard for us, God’s strength and power has never changed.

Keep praying.

Keep believing.

Be led by faith and not feelings.

Seek Him daily.

Remember, if He did it before, He will do it again.

K R Y S T L E