I find these days that the greatest peace I feel is putting words to paper.
It means all the ping-ponging of my thoughts, feelings and frustrations have a focus. I am grateful for those moments when my pen touches the page and words fly onto it.
Of course, there are days when I have nothing to write, when nothing lands on the page- my thoughts make no sense and I can’t name what I am feeling. There’s a sense of unrest- it’s unsettling and frankly I want to avoid, avoid, avoid. I might shut down and turn into myself because it’s familiar and safe- normal.
It’s here though where the growing pains of living happen. Sometimes we have to sit in them- pray through them, speak against them, yell about them, and write about them. Do whatever we need to do on our end and let the Lord fight it out for us on His. Because if there is no growth- we always stay the same. We can never experience the fullness of God if we stay where we are.
There’s the conundrum- we have to stay where we are right where we are right now physically. But then we don’t have to stay who we are.
This week- I’ve been returning to the same chapter of the Bible for several days: Ephesians 2. As I read, I can literally see the things I know to be true about God and His character. If I read closer still, I can also see the equally important things that lie just below the surface.
| He is: | He is also: |
| Love | Designer/Craftsman/ Creator/Master Planner |
| Rich in Mercy | Provident/Sovereign |
| Author (made us) | Omniscient/All-knowing |
| Gracious | Compassionate (because of his love for us) |
| Incomparable | Abundant (rich in mercy) Powerful (made us alive in Christ) Savior/Chooser |
| Kind | Royalty (seated us in the heavenly realms) Limitless |
| Generous/gift | Perfection |
I’ve written these things in different bibles, on different pieces of paper, read the footnotes for context, all because I need to know who He is. I need to remember who He is because maybe just maybe when I remember who He is- I can remember who I am.
In this, I also see that He just is… He is whoever I need him to be- in the hard moments, in the laughter, in the pain, frustration or wherever I find myself. At the end of it all- He just is and that’s more than enough to put my feet on.
I can’t force the growth, but I can trust the One who is growing me. I can show up- write it down- pray- because that is enough too. So today, I sit with you in growth- wherever He is growing and stretching you because I do know that only good can come from the One who allows it to be so.
Coffee and Crowns: A Collaborative 