March 31, 2017

Define... a Five Minute Friday post.

You know the drill... 

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: DEFINE


{GO}

I {heart} Words.  
 I love them. 

And I use a lot of them, whether it be in person over coffee, in prayer -just Him and me (although I'm learning to speak less and listen more!), or in writing... I tend to have a lot of words at the ready.

I love to pray into a Word --a single word or phrase, that God may desire to use to speak to me through over the coarse of a year.  I also love it when I come across a word that I think I know -or one that is brand new to me, and God prompts me to look it up.

Because, here's the thing: Sometimes we can think we know a thing... but we must dig deeper, look further, wait longer, for the full(er) definition of the word to unfold.



Sometimes we see something, or hear something, or feel something... and we jump to conclusions without taking a breath and waiting for the Lord to define it.


Can I tell you something? 

When I wait and ask Him to define it... to expand and to explore... when I am willing to ask Him for His perspective instead of simply settling for my own, I always see clearer... understand more... and I'm always so glad that I asked because His ways and His thoughts are higher... better... they are so much more full of grace and love than my own!



It doesn't matter if it is a word for myself, or a word for someone else... His thoughts toward us are dripping with mercy and His heart beats for us in ways we cannot fathom.  As I have said earlier, He just keeps whispering to me, "I'm better than you think!"

And He is...

Listen... One day I will tell you why this is ministering to me so much right now.  One day I will share how this can feel anything but true if I would give in to the pull to not take Him at His word.

But His Word is true... He is Truth.  And honestly, no matter what you are facing... He can be trusted, and I fully, whole-heartedly believe that He is working things out for your good and He really IS better than we think --even when we think we think He is pretty good!



He's better, still.

And it is His joy to prove it... to chase after us and to pour out blessings and favor... to lavish us in His Love... to work in ways we can SEE and in ways we can't know (yet)... if it's not worked out for your good, let me assure you --it's not done yet!

{STOP} 

I know, I know... some times are tough... some seasons are long and hard... some situations and circumstances steal our breath away and try to rob us of our peace.  The enemy is crafty --but he is not creative! He tends to come at us in the same way, over and over and over again...

But God!

God has been showing me consistently that every single circumstance that comes for us is chock full of Opportunity!  He is looking for ways to show up and to show off and oh my goodness how He so often does this THROUGH US, y'all! 

We have to be willing... to take a risk... to pray and share what He has shown us... to cross the chicken line or bridge the gap.  

I know I am out of time, but I wanted to share one quick, super recent, example of asking Him to define something that I thought I knew.

Yesterday, at a prayer meeting, I asked Him what we should pray for and immediately I felt impressed that we were to pray for Unity.  This sounds good, yes? Like --this is His heart and we are called to pray for unity but before I could open my mouth and lead in prayer, He defined what HE meant by that.  He whispered, "Pray for Unity --but not how you think! Pray for Unity WITHIN yourselves... Unity inside, --body, mind, spirit, and soul.  When you walk in unity inside, you inspire Unity on the outside, too!"

That shifted how we prayed just enough to bring some breakthrough and to give us insight in what is really needed.  So often, we don't pay attention to the unity within us or the lack thereof, right? But when we are in unity within us, Unity outside of us... beyond us... well, it's so much more possible!

What has He been speaking to your heart that He may want to give you a deeper, fuller understanding of? Ask Him to define it... and then watch and see. He loves to give understanding.

While His thoughts and His ways ARE higher than ours... we have been given the mind of Christ. We have access to the fullness of God and wisdom and truth abide within us... 

He takes no pleasure in seeing us grope about in the dark.  
He is the Light and His Light shines in us and through us... and He is better (and brighter!) than we think!







Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  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: "DEFINE"
The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:










Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp


LORI SCHUMAKER FOR #MOMENTSOFHOPE













Barbie Swihart for #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
















Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory













Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

What about you? What is God giving you more definition about in this season?

22 comments :

  1. Karrilee, Thank you for the reminder that God can define much better then we can. I've been working with our youth on defining words inside the Bible to help us understand what God is saying. The thing is, we can't depend on our own understanding. Praise God that his Holy Spirit gives us what we need when we need it.

    Ps. I love your quote about unity. "But when we are in unity within us, Unity outside of us... beyond us... well, it's so much more possible!" So much truth right here as well.

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    1. Thanks so much, Ona! Yes... He is just always, always, always smarter than us! ;) Praying for your youth to lean in and ask... and to hear Him define things that open up their heart and their understanding! xoxo

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  2. karrilee, this is great. I love the idea of waiting for God to define something.

    I've been doing this of late, without realizing it. When most of the things that used to define me fell away, I had a feeling of stillness, of waiting...and I was shown where my new place is.

    Nothing I'd have anticipated, nothing I would have chosen while still in the full flower of health, but still...it's the RIGHT thing, to try to show that even when pain and humiliation tear at you, life is still worth living.

    #1 at FMF this week.

    https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/03/your-dying-spouse-291-peter-pan-will.html

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    1. I can't tell you how many kinds of Happy this makes me, Andrew! Life IS still worth living... but I know how much it has cost you --how much it is costing you still-- to say that and mean it! Praying for you, friend... may He continue to define you and expand on where your new place is in Him!

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  3. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. Yes! Oh and words as our love language...for you and me both sister! God's Word is indeed true! I can't help but turn to John 1:1. I'm thankful for the ways God shows us how to pray and what to pray for. I'm in the 55 spot this week.

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  4. This goes straight to my heart: "And it is His joy to prove it... to chase after us." What beautiful encouragement you give us! There's so much peace, too, in what you tell us about unity within spilling out! Shalom, Karrilee
    ~ Maryleigh

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    1. I truly believe He takes great pleasure in confirming His Word to us and showering us with His great love! Thanks so much for stopping by, Maryleigh! Shalom!

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  5. I love your encouragement to ask Him to define it deeper. I'm going to start asking Him this!
    Beautiful post Karrilee!
    #MomentsofHope

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    1. Julie - I can't tell you how many kinds of happy this makes me! I hope you do... I hope you really do ask Him to define things deeper because, oh my goodness, how He loves to do just that! And I can tell you firsthand, it can take your breath away and restore your Wonder! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  6. LOVE THIS! 'he is crafty, but he's not creative.' When I look at nature (including humans ;) ), I can see how incredibly creative God is--and if he has the sense of humor to create a peanut bug that has part of its stomach in its head...well, I know God will come up with creative solutions for any problems I may feel like I have!

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    1. LOL! Right? Our God is so creative... and oh my how there is a difference between that, and craftiness of the enemy!

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  7. A couple pf things struck me in this post. First, God will have the last word and He is the best at clarifying when we don't understand. Second, if it's not worked for your good then it's not done yet. Amen. That spoke to me today. Thank you sweet friend!

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    1. Amen! I'm so glad! Thanks so much for stopping by! (Loved your post today!)

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  8. This is my experience that God will show us the way. Including but, not limited to, defining. He understands things in such a greater way than I ever could with only my human experience. I always tell him, "You know what's best for me.":)
    Sherry

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  9. So many good thoughts here!
    Yes, He's always better than we think, because our minds are too finite to be able to fathom how AWESOME He is!
    "His thoughts toward us are dripping with mercy." Yes! And I'm so glad!
    "it is His joy to prove it... to chase after us and to pour out blessings and favor... to lavish us in His Love..." For so many years as a Christian I did not understand this; but what an awesome truth it is!!

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    1. Yes and Amen! It IS an awesome truth... His goodness is overwhelming, and we only fathom such a teeny tiny bit of it! Thanks so much for stopping by, Ruth!

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  10. Karrilee, This is my second reminder today that sometimes our struggles must be ones we lean into in order to discover what God has in it for us to learn or glean from. I spend so much time trying to conquer them - solve them. Although there is merit in solving the problems I can, it is important to not lose sight of what God may want me to discover in the dark.

    Thanks, friend! I'm always encouraged in my time here! And thank you for always joining me to share hope at #MomentsofHope!

    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

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    1. Aw -- I love it when He gives us confirmation like that! Praying for you to lean in, my friend, and to learn whatever He has for you in it --as you go THROUGH to the other (victorious!) side! xoxo

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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