Firstly, I think that we often forget how well God knows us. The Bible says He knows us better than we know ourselves. Matthew 6:8 says our Father knows exactly what we need even before we ask Him. It’s true. He knows us: our personality, the way we think, and what we need from Him. Of course He does, He’s our dad, our creator, and our provider.
Recently, I have discovered that I am an Enneagram Type 7. (If you are not familiar with the enneagram, it is a personality test that defines every individual as 1 of 9 types.) The type 7 is “the enthusiast” or an extroverted optimist with the basic fear of pain and the basic desire of constant satisfaction. Basically, we get distracted or bored easily. God knows this about me. He has taught me so many things in such a short amount of time to keep me fascinated, to save me from my own restlessness, and cause me to fall in love with my savior over and over again. It is not that God is my entertainer and has to keep things interesting so I won’t get bored of Him, more that He wants me to keep the habit of unceasing pursuit and just being in awe of His refreshing, restoring presence. This is sort of my reasoning behind not blogging as much as I should because I can hardly keep up with all the realizations Christ is showing me. So this is an overview of the lessons I have concluded.
Over the course of the race, I have become a Student of Christ and the Word. If you know me at all you know how much I hate to read or study, BUT GOD has completely transformed those disagreeable notions into fascinating passions. This may not be a big deal to anyone whatsoever, but I am going from not reading any, aside from school, to being on my tenth book on my race. Not only me but it’s sparked up something in my dad, he hasn’t finished a book in thirty years but since I left for the race he has read four books with my recommendation. He is the busiest man I know and he just keeps asking if i have any more he can read. Small miracles but substantial differences are happening in the Lovell family. All glory to Jesus, who is my ultimate teacher, graciously bringing me up to understand the Word, and patiently waiting for my spiritual lightbulb to come on.
Finding and Experiencing solitude with Him is where everything can be found. He wants to get alone with you, not for you to vent all your problems, but for you to just sit with your Savior and get filled up with His Spirit! This is where peace is found, this is when He speaks, and this is how intimacy is found. In silence there is beauty; in stillness there is rest.
I thank God for the anxiety statistics of my generation not applying to me whatsoever, before and after I met Jesus. He has placed a lasting joy and passion for life and freedom intertwined in my soul. Not for my acclaim but to praise my heavenly Father for embedding this inside of me! I have noticed some new things about my finding Jesus testimony that I did not know before the race…. Before I personally met Jesus, I was not lost because I was searching for my identity or self worth and honestly I’ve never really struggled with any of that, by the grace of God. I had loving family and friends, a bright future ahead of me, and plenty of surface level happiness and peace without Jesus. The reality that change was that I finally realized purpose and meaning. Growing up in church, I always had Christ as on option, but I didn’t want it nor did I need it since I had everything I wanted without Him. BUT GOD knew I found value in the reality of the purpose of humanity: Jesus is the point, He is the meaning and basis of life, serving Christ is the supreme purpose!
—- so yeah that’s just 3/12 lessons the Lord has been teaching me. more to come! lol sorry i’m bad at blogging consistently.
