“The person
who expects nothing will never be disappointed.” (Alexander Pope)
This new
journey of faith walking feels more like a narrow winding up and down, black
diamond hike than a meandering smooth easy path. One day I’m ecstatic over the answers to prayer
I’m witnessing and the next I’m in the depths of despair, disappointed and
discouraged. It’s why I resonated so
deeply with this quote when I saw it.
I’m expecting God to move in big and small ways to make this ministry
happen. But “His ways are not my ways
and His thoughts are not my thoughts,” (Isaiah 55.8) and I might add, His
timing is not my timing. I expect great
things from God and He doesn’t let me down, He just doesn’t do things in the
way I think He should or in the time I think they should be done!
The other
day I wrote in my journal, “I feel discouragement knocking at my door. BUT I refuse to open it! I REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED. I REFUSE TO BACK DOWN. I REFUSE TO QUIT.”
Jesus said
in Matthew 7:13, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow
gate. The highway to hell is broad, and
its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway
to life is very narrow and the road
is difficult and only a few ever find it.”
As I tread
this difficult road I feel it making me stronger. Deepening my faith. Teaching me dependence. Stripping away the peripheral. Narrowing my focus. Grounding me in truth. Forging a stalwart heart.
So today,
once again, I choose the difficult road.
I choose to follow His way. I
choose to put my hand in the Hand of the one who laid down His life for
me. I choose to follow wherever this
difficult road takes me.
I know I’m
not the only one choosing the difficult road.
My road may look different from yours but our roads are difficult just
the same. Hang in there. Never give up and don’t back down. Refuse to open the door to
discouragement. Turn to your Savior, He gave His life so you might have LIFE, true and abundant life!
Remember, if
you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.
You won’t struggle with disappointment but you won’t accomplish anything
of value either.
Spilling His Grace,
Kristi
