3x’s A CHARM

‘THIRD TIME’S A CHARM’

Reflections of successes and failures set a mood for prayer and thankfulness after a weird day of succumbing to the wrong emotion. Glimpses of creative leaps and entrepreneurial trial and error flashed within a few minutes. Memories of ‘winging it’ bore appreciation for the grace and covering of God who keeps us whether right or strong and wrong. ‘All things work together for good’ ¹.  The Holy Spirit led me to fast and spend time alone. The next morning light came on. 

 Stumbling is a common experience on the human journey. Consecration began a bit janky as hours of peace were interrupted by anxiety, old memories, regrets, fears and depression attempting to emotionally pigeon hold me to particular seasons.   Echoes of naysayers and seeds of thoughtless words warred with the Light within. Despondency and faith continued to battle but the presence of God abided. God strengthened and delivered me from the thoughts and feelings attempting to loop and bind my time, attention and movement in the present. For many of us, conquering inner battles in faith are a work in progress. ‘With God all things are possible’ ².

Human evolution is an ever-turning wheel as we strive to wholeness and peace in our souls and daily lives. At every life stage, God reveals us to ourselves in relationship with him. In love, we are granted awareness of our human capacity, gifts and flaws. Simultaneously, we become enlightened by God’s truth, sovereignty, protection and companionship through each phase of our growth. With intimacy, we learn the magnitude of God’s love and become appreciative of his grace and path to our soul’s revival.

In connection with God, we humbly come to understand the value of the covering of Jesus Christ; without whom our souls have no life, conscious access or awareness of the pure and living miracle of God’s abiding presence with and in us. Simply receiving this sole grace saves us from eternal separation from God and steers us to the best possible experience through all we face. Life happens to us all. With God we learn who we truly are and discover our one-on-one journey becomes beautiful, shared encounters in divine timing.

FORBEARANCE’S FRUIT

Love reveals that the true gifts in life are things that money can’t buy, and ‘status’ can’t replace. God is a faithful provider of everything we need mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically and financially as he sees fit. God can choose to bless us through others or reveal visions to sustenance in any capacity. As he opens our eyes, we see the fulfilment of our needs in our journeys, whether small or great. As we receive in love and offer gratitude, we expand.

Grace teaches us through our choices, attention and intention. The fruit of our living experiences indicate whether our choices derived from alignment with God or disconnection from him in our own ideas or understanding. We are empowered to choose as we measure our actions and thoughts by God’s word. We can choose to proceed in the direction of his promises or move towards our own conclusions.

MIRRORS

God is good. The soul of every human being is made in reverent equality by the original Creator of all people, places and things. The immaterial and most valuable portion of us has no social class of distinction. What we acquire physically while alive are pleasant bonuses with healthy eyes and sober mind. These things never qualify, quantify, justify or substitute who we are.

In our mirrors we observe our truths with our naked eyes. In our reflections we uncover the validity of our claims, words and harvest. When we look in the mirror, with no additions and left solely to glare; subtracting accomplishments, relationships, physical additions, possessions or gains, what do we truly see and believe? Without those things, who do we see, know and accept ourselves to be?

When we close our eyes at night and by the will of God rise again, the state of our inner being validates our true and living reality. Whether rich or poor, the fruit of our internal lives reveal where we are flourishing in abundance or spoiled in perceptions. Within ourselves, we see if we have agreed with the truth of God’s love or lies of our soul’s enemy by the words we speak and believe about ourselves and others.

SLOW, STEADY & ‘SUDDENLY’ ³

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^{“If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again, you can dust it off and try again”-Aaliyah}

Time with God’s word anchored my soul through doubts and heaviness. After failure, natural responses vary from person to person. Formerly, running shoes and hiding places were go-to knee-jerk reactions. The battle was on and popping just before the song ‘Try Again’ came to my spirit with enough word and beat to dance off ‘analysis paralyses’. Words on Tik Tok scrolls prophetically resounded ‘Come out of hiding ‘as one voice. The Holy Spirit confirmed this particular word was a personal instruction.

Temptations rose as circumstances squeezed attempting to lure my attention from God. Intentional worship kept my mind as the sure promises of God kept my heart from falling into hopelessness. As we experience uncomfortable feelings that accompany disappointment and uncertainty, it is easy to give up. With God we recover mentally, spiritually and emotionally as love guides us to ways of escape. Life begins inside. With God we are empowered to believe, to see and to be restored.

ALPHA AND OMEGA

Remembering who God is keeps us from vain haste. With God, resistance to instant gratification becomes easier with time. As we experience the seemingly ‘longer-term’ sufferings attached to impatience, disobedience, avoidance and circumstantial perceptions, we are more inclined to wait on God the second, third, fourth or fifty-fifth time around. There is no condemnation ⁴ . Patience is a key to peace in the unknown ⁵. Many times, what appears as long routes in our minds is a shorter and graced route with divine benefits we could not achieve on our own.

We learn from observing our own lives that temporary ‘fixes’ are unable to fill voids, solve deeper issues or relieve weariness we may subconsciously carry. Naturally, the pride of human nature surrenders after complete and utter exhaustion and frustration. This doesn’t have to be the case. We have the choice to seek God and patiently wait for clear revelation and instruction in all things. We also have the option to go in ‘a way that ‘seems right’⁶ only to discover essential missing elements resulting in damage or disruption to our faith, peace, mind, body or soul.

COMFORTER’S COUNSEL

In Christ our souls live. As we daily receive his covering and gift, we are perfected, shaped and aligned with the good reserved for us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, teacher and guide that intervenes with God’s word, continually reminding us of God’s intention and grace to live in the blessing of abiding ⁷ in him. We can choose life in what we can and cannot control by learning what God said about it. ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ ⁸ As we surrender to God, dismissing our own ways, expectations, thoughts or ideas of ‘perfection’, we find rest.

The Bible says, ‘a just man falls seven times’ and gets up again ⁹. Sometimes we are tempted to lay in defeat as personal memories, or our environments reminds us of our faults. If we give in to imaginations or former experiences that fed or preyed on our insecurities, we risk blindness to present divine opportunity, perspective and provisions on the right path for us. In disappointment, we can be seduced into forfeiting blessings and lessons. While we breathe and turn again to God, our first love, there is redemption.

RISE UP

When we assess our own seasons of fruitfulness or the lack thereof in any endeavor, the question to ask ourselves is, did we abide in the vine or detach? Did we miss a step or two? Mistakes are ok. Sometimes, lessons are expensive. The good news is our Heavenly Father patiently waits for us and generously restores us with new beginnings as we return to him. ¹⁰

Our strongest human examples demonstrate that it’s less about how or why we fall, but that we learn, grow and rise to who we were created to be. Our mistakes are covered by the grace of God with confession and forgiveness in prayer. With humanity, there will always be a ‘motes and beams’ situation. ¹¹ Our duty is to rise again in faith with him ¹². Challenges do arise. It gets hard sometimes. By grace we escape internal pressures and become empowered to brave the wilderness to promise.

As we offer our concerns, tears and questions to Higher strength, we are heard and answered.¹³ As we release offense, anger, needs, loss and resentment inside, we make room for God to fill and reframe our lives with the fruit of his spirit. ¹⁴

BE ENCOURAGED

Step by step, little by little or suddenly, God can restore every ‘dry bone’ as we follow his instructions by faith.¹⁵  I encourage anyone reading this post to seek God and believe God enough to try again. God is no respecter of persons. ¹⁶ The same God that healed and restored other human beings can do the same for you.

May we see through God’s eyes as we surrender to him. May God’s strength be made perfect in our weaknesses ¹⁷ as his love leads us to victory. May our personal relationships with God align us in love wherever we are. May we be empowered by God’s spirit to follow him and to flourish as we try again. May God’s grace, peace, light and blessing be upon us and in us in, now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

LESSONS ON THE GLOW UP

1. Don’t give up! Your purpose can only be fulfilled by you. This life experience can only be lived by you. Why not live your best life with God?
2. Anything outside of God’s love and the fruit of his spirit ‘ain’t for us’. God is the only judge and God is love.
3. David beat Goliath by the spirit of God with an object others walked over. ¹⁸ Don’t underestimate what you have. A common thing, surrendered to God can do the uncommon and miraculous. Believe God and you will soar to greatness.
4. ‘Despise not small beginnings’. ¹⁹
5. Though some aspects of personal evolution are not fun, experience is our greatest teacher. ‘A hard head makes a soft behind’ . If we are observant, we can learn through the lessons of others.
6. Believe in the dreams God gifts to our souls. We with God, can accurately apply all we’ve learned and draw closer to fulfilling them all.
7. Our motivations and intentions must align with God in love in mind, body and soul. Our obedience determines how far we go.
8. In all things, God’s way leads to Life. Choose life.

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