I am waiting... waiting... waiting still. I can't wait to wrap my hands and heart around this new book by Kristen Welch and even as I wait, I know... I know "Rhinestone Jesus" will spur us forward into whatever it is that is 'next' and we will once again find ourselves saying "Yes and Amen" ...saying "Yes, I will go" ...bending low and laying it all out for Him to see, to shape and mold, to mend and break all over again.
We don't like that, do we? The breaking? The mess? The less than perfect, can't catch up, not knowing chaos of feeling like He is calling us to be real... not later, but right where we are, at right this moment?
No. I can say I'm good with you seeing the real me, but if the doorbell rings too early - I panic real quick-like and try to decide what is most urgent - my house or me! I love a drop in - but call first, ya'll! (Does that even make it a drop in anymore? Probably not!) I love impromptu visits, and try to keep all my Bossy Lists of Things To Do loose enough that I can shift my day around because honestly - in all the coffee and connecting, what I love the most is when we move from small talk, and beyond the prayer request/what's going wrong mode, right in to the praise reports/look what God is doing mode!
Yeah... that one! That one is my jam! (My girlie is begging me to stop saying that... but I like to think I am cool like Jen Hatmaker, soooo....)
I know my pentecostal roots are showing here, but I love me some testimony time! We love to hear OTHER people's testimonies of how God showed up in their mess and came through and stretched them out and showed up big. We want all of that in our own lives too - but maybe without the mess, without the stretching and the desperate neediness. Yeah - we want God - but who wants to be broken and begging for mercy? We want the High... but not the Low. We want the Testimony, but not the Test.
Here is the thing that we forget in the midst of a battle:
We serve the king of Kings and lord of Lords and He is Victorious... and really, that is all we need to know!
He wins.
Hands down... in the end, He wins - and we are on His side!
One of my favorite visuals from Scripture when it comes to our King who wears the Victor's Crown is found in the Book of Isaiah...
"In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." Isaiah 6:1 NASBOh my stars - how I LOVE that verse! Isaiah LOVED his king and he was in deep mourning and despair over such a loss... and all of a sudden, he is reminded of the One True King. He has a vision and THAT King? Well, that King (Jesus) - His train FILLED the temple!
In those times, whenever an army would overtake a region (kingdom) - they would take the defeated king's robe off of him, and they would then sew it onto the hem of their victorious kings' garment. So - the longer the train, the more victorious the king.
Our God? Yeah - hands down... His train is longest... it FILLS the temple.
Every victory He paid for... every testimony you have, it is sewn on to His train... it brings Honor and Glory to His name.
So I am coming to realize that the saying is true: To have a testimony, there will first be a test.
But there is also this:
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Rev 12:11 NASBCan I encourage you today to say Yes in your Mess... to begin to testify - even before the answer has come; even if it still looks dark, like on Good Friday, when it's all black and stormy, all broken and bleeding... for we know... we know that Sunday is coming, right? He wins!
Let's pull a Mark 11 right in the middle of our messes and remind ourselves that our King? His train fills the temple!
Now... who wants to testify?
of her new book Rhinestone Jesus - Saying Yes to God when sparkly, safe faith is no longer enough.
You can preorder it now over at Amazon,
and join with us as we say #Yesinmymess
I'm also linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory
and with Holley Gerth for #CoffeeforYourHeart
(Seriously - ya'll... who has a testimony?
Big or Small...
Let's praise Him together
in the comments below!)
Oh how I praise God for the testimony He has given me! He has taught me to say yes to the mess, for it is good how He brings me to the end of myself through it! I love me some testimony time too!!! And also cannot resist the saying of 'that is my jam'! Lol ; ) Loved this post! Hugs sweet one! I appreciate you!!
ReplyDeleteSybil! Yes and Amen... the freedom in saying Yes to the Mess - in being real and knowing that we all - every. single. one. of us. - has a mess that we'd rather keep hidden - but Grace covers and draws it out so we can all let out a sigh of relief and find a sense of "You, too?"
DeleteAnd I love that you join me in all the things that are 'my jam'! LOL! (Yeah... because we're cool like that!) Thanks for being bold and starting off our Testimony time here this morning!
I'm one of those people who want the 'testimony without the test'--but, I don't get what I want, and that's probably a good thing....because, you know, what I'm the messiest, God DOES step in and actually work through me (and that's the way it's supposed to be, even if we'd like to think we do things on our own). The book looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteOh Anita - I think we ALL want the testimony without the test! And boy have you had to walk through some... but He shines through you and reaches others because of the testimony that you carry!
DeleteI really enjoyed this post. I wish I could be the wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, that he called me to be. I know that He is refining me and that I am a work in progress, but I struggle to find peace in the process. Thank you for the encouragement and the testimony time!
ReplyDeleteJo - declaring and praying with you that you will be the wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend that He has called and equipped you to be!!! Praying that His Peace will flow over and in and through you in a tangible way... may you testify of His Peace poured out! Love you, new friend!
DeleteLove the reminder that He wins!! I adore testimonies and so appreciate those that link up with me on Tuesday! Because I don't know how we can grasp just what God has done for us and not tell others.
ReplyDeleteYes Holly - I adore testimonies as well... they just build our faith so much!!! So thankful when you stop by here, my friend!
DeleteWhat a wonderful post! Who knew that about the ancient kings and their robes? (Obviously you did! *wink) My testimony is filled with so many tests (big ones like surviving abuse and cancer and littler ones like raising four spirited - okay, strong-willed - daughters and mourning lost friendships) that it could take days to proclaim His faithfulness point-by-point. So I just work to remember all He's brought me through, all He's done for me, and all He's asked in return. Humbling and amazing - all of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your words today.
Laura - I know, right? I love it... I remember that Ah Ha moment when I learned that and then understood a bit more about what Isaiah was seeing... the One True King - who has more Victories than his beloved Uzziah or any other... it put things in perspective and restored hope all at the same time and don't we all just need that every once in awhile!
DeleteYou my friend are funny and sweet. You made me smile tonight... >>"that is my jam" I say that A LOT! haha. This is my second time here, but I enjoy reading your words and getting to know you. Thanks for your encouraging words and keep shining for Jesus!! That book looks interesting. Thanks for sharing with us. Have a blessed night.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Rebecca
Rebecca - Clearly, you are cool like me! ;) So happy to have you here... I look forward to getting to know you! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI love the imagery of His robe filling the temple and even more...the reason why. Jam on for Jesus Karrilee!
ReplyDeleteLisha, I know, right? Don't you just love that image... of every victory being sewn right on to His robe? #Swoon The other day, I prayed that He would show me which pieces were mine... what a visual reminder of how He has brought me through to Victory, time and time again! Love you, girlie! We'll Jam on for Jesus together!
DeleteKarrillee, this is right where I am at right now, and your words here really encouraged my weary spirit. Thanks so much xoxo
ReplyDeleteLyli, thanks so much for stopping by! I am praying for your weary spirit... refreshing, clarity in His plans, peace in the mysteries, and that the testimony in this season will rise up. Praying He will remind you of the victories He has already brought you through - both big and small. He's got you in the palm of His hand. Praying you find rest and in Him, restoration. Blessings, friend!
DeleteKarrilee-Your post fired this girl preacher up! Thanks for encouraging in Jesus name! I didn't know the part about how the victorious kings sewed the defeating kings robe to his train. I love this! God has brought me out of a season of depression, and he has taught me so much about himself, my own insecurities, and really how to trust Him more! Even on the hard days I didn't shrink back, I still wrote and I still exposed Satan's tactics. I drove my stake in the ground and made the decision that I was going to learn how to ABIDE in Christ, and overcome, and it's been one of the messiest and most beautiful times of my life.
ReplyDeleteJacqui - Don't you just love that visual of the Kings Robe? Thanks so much for stopping by - and for TESTIFYING!!! Praise God! It is WORK to enter into His Rest - but it is always, always worth it! Here's to Messy Beautiful living... giving our all to Him, for Him! Thanks for being a Messy Beautiful Warrior with me!
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