“I think this is the most important thing you need to know – the sweetness of intimacy with Abba, the God of the universe never changes.” – i’m home, blog post from 3.28.2020
these are words that i wrote right after i came home from ecuador this past march, and i still believe them to be True. this past week after my squad and i had all gone our separate ways for thanksgiving break, we got the news that due to covid we will not be returning to campus to finish out the rest of the semester together in person. as i’m sure you can understand, this was quite the upsetting news to receive. not returning to campus means that i won’t be able to say goodbye to my team and squad, i won’t be able to finish all of my team times in person, i won’t be able to have all of the one on ones i was planning on, etc.
while realizing that i won’t be able to follow through on all of the things that i thought i would be able to do has been extremely disappointing, it has also created a beautiful opportunity for me to reflect on the steadfastness that i am offered in Christ. every week throughout the last 3 months, my squad has been doing a weekly deep dive study of the book of James. James 1:2-4 says, “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. and let steadfastness have it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
something that Jesus is teaching me through this Truth is that it is only possible for me to grow in steadfastness if i am first rooted in His steadfastness. the same thing that He stirred in me in march, that the sweetness of intimacy with Him never changes, is still True and resonates deeply in my spirit today. even as seasons change and pass, expectedly and unexpectedly, i can be fully assured in His goodness, His sweetness, His consistency. when my eyes are fixed on an eternal, never- changing, and beautiful God, it is possible for my faith to be tested and for the result to be steadfastness. so even as i transition through the end of one season and into the beginning of another, my spirit is at rest in the steadfastness of knowing Abba and being loved by Him.
thank you, Jesus. what a purely beautiful gift this is- to rest in steadfastness. my spirit will continue to rest in this Truth, “the sweetness of intimacy with Abba, the God of the universe never changes.”
i love you a lot a lot and i am praying for you. thanks for reading and for allowing me to share some of what Holy Spirit has been ministering to me lately. you are so deeply loved.
-emalani <3
