I missed y'all last night over on Twitter! We had our first official Board Meeting last night, which gloriously included dinner al fresca at our favorite Greek Restaurant, getting caught in a literal Flash Flood Warning rain storm (featuring serious Thunder and Lightning!), and a great time of worship... because, you guys, we are the boss of us (--only not really! Really, HE is the boss of us... but still - we run these meetings however we want to!) Still - I missed the #fmfparty!
{I can't say it enough, really - I love my tribe! The Gathering that happens on Twitter on Thursday nights and then we write out our hearts and hits publish all over the interwebs on Thursday and Friday (and sometimes on Tuesdays!) We encourage and uplift... where we share prayer requests and praise reports... where we talk food and friends and we find support and kindred hearts and we are reminded that life is good and God is good and we are not alone... and then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts and our fingers do the talking tapping and we hit publish before we can second guess... we just let Him flow!}
* - This indicates my Five Minute Mark... but I had to finish my thought! ALSO - please know that I am NOT talking about actual physical healing, as much as I am talking about how we get stuck with ideas or issues or excuses that hold us back emotionally or spiritually when we have been given the tools from God and from others and now it is simply up to us! #GiveMeGrace
This is Five Minute Friday and our Word Prompt for the day is: RISE
{GO}
It's not a surprise that with all the thinking about and talking of and living out Identity lately, that God has also been speaking about how to best Love and Speak Life into those around us. As we are building a foundation in this new Thing that we are doing - our desire is to, for real, Speak Life, Be Love, and Shine On.
I read a great post earlier this week by Donald Miller and it made me really stop to ponder how many of us are stuck, wanting someone else to fix us, to come and do the hard work of raising us up, when really - what we need most, is a little tough love, and a reminder to just get up and walk?
What we need is to silence the enabler (within us and all around us) and simply do whatever it was that He last told us to do. So often, we have the tools and the maturity to walk healed and set free, but we get in a rutt of needing others to come to our rescue. So often we fill our hearts and minds with excuses and victim-mentalities, when who we really are... who we are ALREADY - is a walker! We can walk... we just forget... or never really grasped the truth or fullness of our heaing.
We forget that He gave us the Holy Spirit (who reveals all things) and has gifted us and created us to be who we are and to do good works that He prepared ahead of time... He is our healer, our defender, our creator, and the lover of our soul.
He is the One who made us and calls us and leads us (if we'll let Him) to the paths that He has planned for us. So often, we think we are waiting on Him... and all the while, He's already done what needs to be done, and He is waiting on us.
Rather than an enabler,
He is the One who makes us able!
In Him we will find comfort and grace, but not excuses to not do or to not try or to not follow through.
In Him we will find purpose, but not always a mapped out plan with clear instructions and a hand to lead us every step of the way.
In Him we will find healing, but we are the ones who have to rise up and walk it out... to let it go and move on... to forgive and mature and grow into one who walks in freedom. He will not make us walk, but He sure does invite us and He provides the place and time and healing that is necessary... He offers us His bruised and bloodied shoulder, but His hope is that we will learn to walk beside Him on our own.
In Him, we will find partnership and a patient Savior, but we are the ones who put action to the call - who put tools to use, who put feet to our giftings, who step out of the boat, who rise up and walk into who He made us to be! Sometimes this takes time... and the healing is a process. yes --but for the love, He always sees the end and He knows that you can walk way before you believe it!
When He looks at us, He looks at us through Jesus... *through the One who is able, who lives in us... He equips us and frees us - and in that equipping and in that freedom, there is responsibility on our part to rise up, to carry our mat (our testimony of how we used to be) and our cross (how He redeemed us and set us free!) and follow Him - living a life of victory so that all can see the work He has done!
We need each other... we are called to be one Body and to love one another... We are not in this alone, but part of loving one another sometimes takes a bit of tough love and straight talk.
Let us know the difference between being an enabler and making one able!
We bring Glory to God when we walk in who He made us to be... when we move from believing the lies that we can't... and trust Him at His Word when He says that Yes, we can!
{STOP}
Yes, we can! As I was writing this, I was thinking back to all the times when I thought I couldn't (fill in the blank!) - I was stuck and unwilling to move, thinking I was unable... but God! But God... He walks with us and by us and extends His hand and heart towards us and while He COULD lift us up - so often, He simply calls us to Rise Up and Walk!
That is where Faith and Courage meet, and we stop believing all of the "I can't"s... and risk and hope and lean in and stand up tall - slowly, with shaky and unsteady legs at first... but then we find strength, and we walk! Oh how we walk...
I read a great post earlier this week by Donald Miller and it made me really stop to ponder how many of us are stuck, wanting someone else to fix us, to come and do the hard work of raising us up, when really - what we need most, is a little tough love, and a reminder to just get up and walk?
What we need is to silence the enabler (within us and all around us) and simply do whatever it was that He last told us to do. So often, we have the tools and the maturity to walk healed and set free, but we get in a rutt of needing others to come to our rescue. So often we fill our hearts and minds with excuses and victim-mentalities, when who we really are... who we are ALREADY - is a walker! We can walk... we just forget... or never really grasped the truth or fullness of our heaing.
We forget that He gave us the Holy Spirit (who reveals all things) and has gifted us and created us to be who we are and to do good works that He prepared ahead of time... He is our healer, our defender, our creator, and the lover of our soul.
He is the One who made us and calls us and leads us (if we'll let Him) to the paths that He has planned for us. So often, we think we are waiting on Him... and all the while, He's already done what needs to be done, and He is waiting on us.
Rather than an enabler,
He is the One who makes us able!
In Him we will find comfort and grace, but not excuses to not do or to not try or to not follow through.
In Him we will find purpose, but not always a mapped out plan with clear instructions and a hand to lead us every step of the way.
In Him we will find healing, but we are the ones who have to rise up and walk it out... to let it go and move on... to forgive and mature and grow into one who walks in freedom. He will not make us walk, but He sure does invite us and He provides the place and time and healing that is necessary... He offers us His bruised and bloodied shoulder, but His hope is that we will learn to walk beside Him on our own.
In Him, we will find partnership and a patient Savior, but we are the ones who put action to the call - who put tools to use, who put feet to our giftings, who step out of the boat, who rise up and walk into who He made us to be! Sometimes this takes time... and the healing is a process. yes --but for the love, He always sees the end and He knows that you can walk way before you believe it!
When He looks at us, He looks at us through Jesus... *through the One who is able, who lives in us... He equips us and frees us - and in that equipping and in that freedom, there is responsibility on our part to rise up, to carry our mat (our testimony of how we used to be) and our cross (how He redeemed us and set us free!) and follow Him - living a life of victory so that all can see the work He has done!
We need each other... we are called to be one Body and to love one another... We are not in this alone, but part of loving one another sometimes takes a bit of tough love and straight talk.
Let us know the difference between being an enabler and making one able!
We bring Glory to God when we walk in who He made us to be... when we move from believing the lies that we can't... and trust Him at His Word when He says that Yes, we can!
{STOP}
Yes, we can! As I was writing this, I was thinking back to all the times when I thought I couldn't (fill in the blank!) - I was stuck and unwilling to move, thinking I was unable... but God! But God... He walks with us and by us and extends His hand and heart towards us and while He COULD lift us up - so often, He simply calls us to Rise Up and Walk!
That is where Faith and Courage meet, and we stop believing all of the "I can't"s... and risk and hope and lean in and stand up tall - slowly, with shaky and unsteady legs at first... but then we find strength, and we walk! Oh how we walk...
Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "RISE"
Oh ...the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is! Five Minute Fridays have been hosted by Lisa Jo Baker. Now we gather over at Kate Motaung's. FMF is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE! The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Kate posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.) I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!
Oh friend!! Yes!! "So often we fill our hearts and minds with excuses and victim-mentalities, when who we really are... who we are ALREADY - is a walker! We can walk... we just forget... or never really grasped the truth or fullness of our healing." God does indeed make us able but you're so right sometimes we forget how to walk or how to get out of the boat. Together we can help each other pick up our mats and walk. God is indeed so very good! And so much THIS: "We need each other... we are called to be one Body and to love one another... We are not in this alone, but part of loving one another sometimes takes a bit of tough love and straight talk."
ReplyDeleteYou know how sometimes you hit publish with all kinds of doubt and shaky hands? Yes. That. I so hope that this is not harsh sounding, or judgy... I am a lover of Grace and believe in it whole heartedly! I just think that often we break God's heart with our impatience with Him to hurry up and send help - when He already sent Help long ago! ;) So thankful that you get me!
DeleteI tried to comment here already but I'm not sure if it worked so sorry if you get 2 comments from me. I'm visiting from Five Minute Friday (no 82) and I love your post. I think you're right- sometimes we can sit around waiting for others to help us or asking God to help us when actually he has already given us all we need and we just need to get up and get on with it and take hold of what he has already done for us.
ReplyDeleteCarly - ugh with my continuing blogger comment problems! Thank you SO MUCH for pressing through and trying again! So thankful that, as a new reader, you heard my heart! Have a blessed weekend!
DeleteSo often, we think we are waiting on Him... and all the while, He's already done what needs to be done, and He is waiting on us. FOR ME? This was the key statement! Yes!
ReplyDeleteAmen! (And Oh My, right?) ;) Yes - I myself have MANY A TIMES been known to be found tapping my foot impatiently saying, Come ON Lord... while He, in all His Grace, lovingly looked at me and said, No, baby - YOU come on!
DeleteI love you so! You know how you start and you think it's gonna be one thing, and then it is something else entirely? Yeah. That. I felt the need to go back and 'edit' by adding the disclaimor at the top because as I reread it, I could see how it could come across as talking about physical things and of course - that is not the case! I think we just so often have all the answers and all the tools and all the support that we need and yet we get so used to waiting, that we can't believe He would have the gall to tell us to Rise Up and Walk, ya know? And yet... some times He does just that! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI love how you say we must rise up in order to walk...to mature. This is so true. How many conversations I've had of those who accept Him yet never draw close. Never rise up to grab hold of the true definition of His abundant love and grace. Yes! Love your words, my friend. It really sparked a bit of a guilt trip in me that's been lurking over the last few months. Time to turn that over to Him.
ReplyDeleteSee? This is why I almost didn't hit publish... because I am so not wanting to spark guilt trips or shame or have anyone ever feel a lack of grace here... however, I know that this is often true of myself and I can't be the only one, right? I know I need the reminder that -sure, others can offer help and encouragement, prayer and tips - but at some point, I am the one who has to put action to my faith and rise up and walk!
DeleteI understand this all too well. I think sometimes I get all comfy cozy in my rut and well, forget to live. Oh how I miss the #FMF twitter party. I just am so tired and I wouldn't be able to keep up. So many kindred hearts there. Love you friend. Thank you for stopping by my space.
ReplyDeleteI love you so, Barbie! I just read your post this morning for the Morning Brew and that painting and what the Lord said to you through it... SO much LOVE! Tip with #fmfparty... the prompt is given a bit earlier now and if you use Tweetchat or Twubs, it is much easier to keep up, but really - just jump in wherever! We'd love to have you stop by! xoxo
Delete