Another season is coming to a close.
The leaves are greening up, filling
tree branches with the evidence of life.
The sun remains … Deep into the watches
of the night it makes its presence known.
The air is humid and sweet. All of creation
breathes a sigh of relief that the cold has
taken a much needed vacation from these parts.
Sleeves are cast aside and pants are stored
away. The sound of the air conditioner drones
through the night, … halting and starting in order
to maintain a temperature condusive to rest.
The comforter for the bed is now neatly folded
in the closet. Soft, cotten sheets are more than
sufficient. I bury my head in them and drink deeply
of the scent of floral fabric softener.
My own being comes to life as the Lord reminds me
of his faithfulness to green the leaves of my heart, mind,
and flesh. Summer is here. All that stands between me
and that time of restoration are a few tests. Tests that
I will not fail. I am confident of that. I am not working
to please men, but to please the Father and Jesus Christ
whom He sent. The Spirit within me rises up to any
occasion, and even when my flesh refuses to cooperate,
there is grace. If only I believed these things more often.
My goal for this week?
Trust. Surrender. Continue to die so He may live.
A new season is here. A season has passed away.
“See, the former things have taken place and
new things I declare.”
Isaiah 42:9a
Whatever the future holds, I’d better cling tight to the
only one who offers life- and life to the full.
The end is in sight…
not the ultimate end, however…
For that day I will never cease to yearn,
but for now… it is better for me to be
here.
For reasons I cannot provide.
The Lord demands a dwelling place.
He demands this dwelling place- my body.
I am not my own.
I am His… forever.
» Published by Lindsay on May 3rd, 2008
I haven’t talked much about my involvement with the cross
country team this spring, and this is because I have been
on a break from running for the past 10 weeks.
It was a difficult decision to make, but the Lord has really
used this time to repair my identity and to teach me
how to completely rely upon Him.
I’m convinced that
all human beings are brought into the world with a longing-
an empty place in their hearts that can only be satisfactorly
filled with the Spirit of the Living God. The human race is
plagued by addictions and dependencies because we are made
to be consummed by something and to be
dependent upon someone. For me, I struggled
with exercise addiction for a good year or so. Running became
something that I depended upon. My physical fitness became
my god. I look at myself after ten weeks of no physical activity
and I’m so glad I allowed the Lord to lead me down this path.
I’m more at rest than I’ve ever been. So many control issues in
my life now lay at the feet of Jesus. When my mind is off of the
physical race (for perfection, glory, honor, esteem, success), I can
pour my attention into the spiritual race that I long to run. I long
to be in step with the Spirit of God. I long to allow Him to live
His life through me… not vise versa (for wouldn’t this be an attempt
to use the Lord?)
Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I’ll never run again.
In fact, I hope to begin very soon, because I want to run cross
country in the fall. I pray the Lord will allow me to, because
I miss the smell of the trails, the feeling of sweat pouring down
my face, the wild flowers and the wide open sky, the sound of
my own breathing against the subtle crunching of the grass and the
song of a bird in the tree above my head… I miss being at the
very end of myself (physically) and being able to sustain that. I miss
the soreness that a hard work-out brings. All good gifts come from
the Father. Running is a gift, but I will not pursue a gift above the Gift-Giver.
The Lord is my sustainer. He alone I will run after for all of my days,
for when my mortal flesh goes into the earth, I will be raised again
in glory on the day of Christ Jesus with a brand new body-… I will
be clothed in white and will fall at His feet and worship Him…
forever.
» Published by Lindsay on April 28th, 2008
Wow. These last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind!
There have been days of uninterupted happiness and days of
uninterupted sorrow. I can say that even the joy of my heart
began to fade on some of those darker days. Because joy only
comes from the Holy Spirit (true joy that is!), I am looking back
and noticing that it was on these days that I was releasing my
grip on the Lord. I was turning from the hope of glory with Him-
and looking around at all of the tasks, problems, and sin of this
world. I was turning my gaze from His. I took my eyes off of
the only one who sustains me. I despaired that even God was not
enough for me. Like Peter, when he stepped out of the boat to
walk on the water- I began to sink as soon as I failed to lock my
eyes with Jesus. It’s a beautiful thing, my brothers and sisters,
that Jesus doesn’t let us drown. I know He held me in these times
and once again established my feet upon ground that is not solid from
our perspective, but is an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed!
God gets glory when we walk where we could not go on our own strength!
His grace is more than sufficient for me. Never has this been proven more
true to my heart. His Spirit must take full control, lest we are consumed by
the darkness of this world.
I was reading a journal entry from the Spring semester of my Freshman year (last year)
and this is what it said. I am continually surprised at the ways the Lord reveals Himself to me…even through my own words (obviously under His inspiration and based on His Word).
“Do not wander from the Spirit of the Lord.
Do not seek anything above Him.
He is the One for whom all things were created
and by whom all things were created. In Him all
things hold together. If you are not remaining in
Him, you will not hold together.
You will fall apart at the seams.
Your relationships will fall apart.
Your very being will start to die.
You will die a slow and painful death.”
3-27-07
Yeah. A warning to myself. A warning to you.
Don’t try to walk through this world alone.
In the Lord is found light and life and salvation.
If He is your stronghold, you will not be moved.
Apart from Him we have no good thing.
And with Him… all things are good. (for those who love Him… who are called according to His purpose)…
Praise Him! Hallelujah!
» Published by Lindsay on April 24th, 2008
It is such a blessing to be in a place where there are so manypeople wholeheartedly seeking the Lord. He is moving in suchpowerful ways in the lives of people all over this campus.This has been a special week for me, too.Last night was the last service in what has been called “The Pursuit”.This is the student-led revival that has been going on all week long.The question posed in chapel on Monday morning is a question weall need to grapple with. “What are you pursuing?” Forcollege students this can be an especially haunting issue to trulydeal with the Lord on. We are poised at the fork of a thousand roads.Are the women on campus pursuing marriage,the possibility of a family, careers, intelligence, beauty, power, attention,clothing, etc.? Are the men on our campus pursuing influential positions ofleadership, money, careers, respect, women, expensive technology, cars, athletic prowess, etc.?Have many of us lost sight of what really matters?I suppose the next question that was posed is far more important to truly understandbefore we can answer the first.”Who is pursuing you?”The God of the universe. The One who formed you in yourmother’s womb. The One who knows you completely.The One who saw your need for a Savior before the Creation of theworld, and sent Jesus to re-establish intimacy with you.The One and Only God.He is pursuing us. He desires us and wants to be close to us.It is our sin that separates us from Him, and Jesus’blood took care of that!For me, this week has been a week of refining. The Lord has been showing me theareas of my life where my heart is divided. My whole heart must be His. He desiresme. I am His bride. He longs to purify me so that we may be as close as possiblebefore I see Him face to face. He has shown me how lethal my pride is. He haspulled the rug from beneath my feet on the things I used to be able to depend on.Last night, during our last revival service, I could,- for what seemed to be the first time- reallyfeel Christ living and moving inside of me. I know He has been there before now. In my headI understood it, and He promised it so long ago… but, in my heart it finally struck me that theSpirit who led Jesus throughout His ministry, all the way to the Cross, was inside of me. This same Spiritraised Christ from the dead!”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and youwill be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of theearth.” Acts 1:8Yeah… I know He’s in me.God’s power and life are inside of me. He longs to fill each of us with His fullness.You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the body of Christ.Who are you pursuing? I know He who is pursuing you. Do you?My prayer is that you do…. intimately and completely.Seek first the Kingdom…
» Published by Lindsay on March 6th, 2008
