Receive

Every birthday I’m reminded of the many ways I am innumerably blessed. This year, I decided to focus my energy around my birthday to trying new experiences I’ve been keeping in a bucket list on my phone. Yesterday, I visited a Monastery for the first time. It was fascinating to observe the Monks in prayer and their steadfast devotion to their calling was thick in the air.

I sat up in the balcony pew for a good view of the Midday Prayer service. Because it was new for me, I tried to take it all in while actively looking and listening for their next movement.

Not feeling quite settled, I felt God whispering to my heart: Receive. After this, a sense of calm rushed over me and my only response was to get on my knees and pray.

Since then, I’ve been thinking of ways I need to be better at receiving instead of feeling the need to brush off a compliment, help, counsel, or add to what God is doing already. I hope these reminders spur you on to also take a look around and receive where He has you right here, right now.

Receive: How He Created You

“ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

You have probably read this passage of scripture multiple times but will you read it again just one more time?

How intricate are we?! Our bodies, our personalities, our quirks, and distinct interests that set us apart from each other are fascinating. Even if you have a lot in common with another person, there is no one exactly like you with your fingerprints, your history, and your future.

I am reminded now to receive and embrace the ways He created me. I see the hobbies that light a fire in me and how they were there from the start.

For example, my Mom was the wee worship choir director at our church when I was 2 years old. To join the choir you had to be 3, but if potty trained, you could join early. You better bet little Mandy was the happiest and newest 2 year old choir member you’d ever seen (also props to my Mom cause that was a really smart way to get your third child out of diapers!) If you don’t know, I am currently in the choir at my church and have been in worship teams, choirs, and choruses all of my life! Some things don’t change, right?

What makes you joyful? Do you think it’s too kiddish for you? I still like to color, paint, crochet, play outside, and dance. All things that we loved as children are still important to our satisfaction as adults but our adulthood meter may try to talk us out of it. Don’t listen. I encourage you to find the child in you and remember what made you light up with joy…and go do that now!

Receive: His Perfect Timing

“I know the tension of the now; I don’t always understand; I don’t always get to see; Everything; When I’m holding up my hands; When I’m counting every breath; Lord, all I need to know is; You choose me; You choose me”

“Praise Before My Breakthrough” by Bryan & Katie Torwalt

This one is hard. We all have dreams in our life. Some are things we can work towards and others can only come about from God’s divine intervention. Many dreams of mine have come true. I am grateful for them, have celebrated their fruition, and have made sure not to take them for granted. But if I’m honest, there are still big dreams I hold close to my heart that have not come to life yet.

The past year has been one of the hardest and yet most fulfilling years for me spiritually. I have had numerous God-winks where God has spoken to me at just the right time. Some of these include a word from a friend, a note from a stranger, a very spot on subject line in an email, and a divine devotional echo from my heart, to my fingers, and then to the page of an already published work (believe me, it was a goosebumps moment). If you’d like to listen to more of these God-winks I encourage you to click HERE afterwards and be amazed.

There are many more sweet moments I have experienced with my God and Savior this year but I like to keep some tucked in close between me and Him.

To encourage you to just wait on His timing can be very cliché. It’s not helpful to be told to just smoothly cover over the gaps we feel from the expected to the actual. I can’t promise that all of your wishes will come true. We know we can blow out enough candles to light a football field but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen.

We can; however, live our lives in such abandon to Him that no matter what happens in our lives, in our bodies, or in our relationships, He is there. We can TRUST Him to give us what He sees fit for us at the right time, at the right place, and with the right people.

If I had to choose to have what I desire right now or to wait and see what He deems best for me in His way, well, I choose Him.

I will keep choosing Him in the uncertainty and in the passing years. It won’t be easy, I might sweat blood, but if the struggle was fit for my Savior, it’s fit for me.

Receive: His Love for You

“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.”

It’s the song we learn as children. It’s the anthem we cling to in the aches, the celebrations, and the stillness of the night. His love for us is not contingent. It’s free. All we have to do is believe Him and give our lives to Him.

It’s not a fuzzy feeling kind of love. No butterflies or blushing here. But it’s the most real  and true love we could ever experience or want.

If I could wish anything for my birthday, it’s that you will feel His love today and every day. That you will accept His mercy and forgiveness.

If you’ve questioned Him or stepped away thinking you can do this thing of life without Him, He still loves you.

He is waiting for you to come back and I pray you do. Yes, you.

I pray you’ll say hey to Him if it’s been a while.

That you’ll love yourself and go do something that brings out the child in you.

That you’ll trust Him even when it hurts and keep moving forward one day at a time.

Most of all, I hope you will receive Him just as you are and just as He is.

And that’s enough.