You are here.
Usually these words can be found on a map directory of an airport or shopping mall. But this morning, these were the words I heard from the Lord.
A couple of blog posts ago, I wrote about finding the balance between what is here and what is to come and really struggling to find what that looked like. If you missed that blog, you can read it here.
As I was praying and asking the Lord if he had anything he wanted to say to me, I heard him say, “You are here”. Those three words brought an overwhelming amount of peace to my heart.
This past week, I moved out of my apartment last week, and with the moving out came the crashing in of reality. I moved in with some friends and am here for the next three weeks. Before I moved in, three weeks seemed like a decent amount of time. But guess what?! Week one is already over. And it was jam packed with spending time with people and working and such. And looking into next week, my week is already pretty much filled up before it even has the chance to begin. So I know next week is going to go just as quickly.
Every day, it seems like I get the question asked “Are you getting excited about your trip?” It’s the question I love to hate. Of course I’m getting excited about my trip, but can’t I be excited about today? Or Christmas even?
33 days until I’m reunited with my squadmates and teammates in Atlanta. 11 more days until my last day of work. I should be excited that those numbers are moving quickly. But instead I find myself wishing they wouldn’t go by so quickly.
Crazy, right? Never would I have imagined for the time between here and what’s ahead to slow down.
With all that though, God brought me peace this morning. I am here. I’m not in Atlanta yet. I’m not even packing my bags yet. I’m here. In Indiana. Sitting on the floor of my room. I’m here. Right where He wants me to be.
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast loves, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
Psalm 138:8
There is purpose in still being right where I am. God still wants to use me right here. Because I am here and nowhere else. In the stillness, God told me his purpose for me while I’m here.
Joy. Joy to others. It seems like over the past few weeks, my eyes have been opened to the brokenness and hurt in those around me. Even as I go to work, many customers that I encounter daily don’t seem to be in the best of moods. And I remember that this time of year is hard and difficult for many people. People are broken. And hurt people hurt people. But I can be filled with joy and offer that joy to others because of the hope I have in Christ. Someone said to me the other day that I always seem to be in a good mood and joyful. Confession: I don’t always feel this way, because I too am a broken and sinful person. But it was a good reminder that people see joy. And I want to be someone who passes on joy to others. I found a couple of verses that really encouraged me in this purpose for the next few weeks.
“For your shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall break both into singing
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12
“A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22
I am here. I am here today. And whatever lies before me in this day and each day, I am going to go forth with a joyful heart.
