Wow, I have been back in the hot and humid South Eastern United States for a little over 7months. This so far has been the fastest year of my life and one of the hardest. Rejoice!!
I have been living in a small town that I never wanted to live in again, and the lifestyle I am currently living is opposite to anything I would choose for myself. But in the cliche Christian way, I am Blessed!!! I have so much to be grateful for.
So for the first time, I can relate with the working middle class. I am away from home 50-60hours a week. I understand why many people dont want to do anything after work, I more so understand emotinally where my dad was at. Giving so much to someone else just to have a little slice of something on the weekend to try to pour into your own creativity, responsibilitys and or others. And time flies by so so fast, and then you are 50or 60 years old. (Thank you God that, that is Not going to be me, and I am going to take time to cherish each opportunity and moment with You.) Rejoice!!
I am grateful to actually experience and have an understanding of this first hand. I actually really enjoy the work at my job; its enthralling.
THE URBAN ELECTRIC (click here for cool videos and an Idea of the place I work)
In short its a luxury light fixture company of apx 250 employees and it is constantly expanding. I work in the craft area, where I solder brass and copper fixtures togerther while going off of blueprints. I have my own tool box and torch! It’s a dirty, fun, and challenging job with more perks than anywhere I have ever worked.
Like this stint of life I am in, my job requires a lot of patience. A lot of things happen daily, when building lights, that make me feel aggravated, having to troubleshoot and take things apart and bend them after you take so long with a piece.
So that is great, thank you Jesus!!! And thank you that my main employer is always going to be my King. Rejoice!!
So in order to get to work from my town, I leave my house at 5:30am and make a roughly 40min commute by car, yikes and yuk!!! And if y’all knew me, I would never want to do anyting daily that I could not bike, walk, roallerblade, or longboard too. It’s not “my lifestyle”. However, I have an opportunity to spend a chunk of time listening to Gods word, singing, praising, and talking to Him without distraction. And, my gracious step mom has let me drive my departed fathers, more fuel efficient SUV instead of my beloved van.
I live in a place among more stuff than I ever imagined I would. This year I have been motivated to get rid of extra stuff in my life. More than ever I want to truly be minimalist. And I think I am slowly getting organized and pressing toward that. And there is a reason for it.
Since being here, I admit, I have been in mental cycles of just wanting to leave and go back to Buffalo, or anywhere else that is easy and have my own life back. But what would I learn from that? It’s the easy way out, and I still have a lot of work that has to be done. Choosing contentment in Christ alone & Joy in the midst of it all is part of that much needed work to be done, if not the main point of why I am here.
Be Joyful Always, pray without stopping, in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1Thes. 5:16-18
A few things I believe God has highlighted to me about this time are:
Its a season for Patience, Stillness, Contentment in Him alone, Discipline, and breaking off deeper roots of Identity that are not in Him.
^^^So writing all that out sounds so Christian Cliche to me….. But its true. And…. I dont feel like I have really learned my full lesson yet.
But it’s always a season for WORSHIP and THANKSGIVING.
I mean that is what my prayer should be, not “God, get me out of this, so I can move on to my own thing”, but “God, I am glad I have you by my side here and forever, and I want Your love, which is patience, to do its full work in me, then I can come out wanting nothing.”
See, I thought I could be content and overjoyed in any situation, because I was living in 3rd world countries out of a backpack for part of the year. For the most part, I loved the race. But I am also a person who loves roughing it, so it was natural for me to enjoy the physically challenging, or the “challenging” that most people find challenging.
Even Though so much of me wants to be in control again, to choose the life that I believe makes the most sense, I cant go back to making that my identity.
I spent a good 10 years in Charleston and Buffalo, cultivating Nora based on my desires (which excluded the One I need more than anything now).
In reflection of this past year (or 7months), I’ve seen so much of the deeper roots of those identities fall off.
Because I have been here, in this podunk town, I have had a lot more quiet time.
This sounds dramatic, but I feel like everything I have known and enjoyed from before has been stripped away, which has created a somewhat open slate for discovery and expansion.
Afew things that look different in my life since being back from oversas:
God put it on my heart after my dad died to stop drinking. Hebrews 12:1-2 moved my heart toward that decision. “Lay aside every weight”. I dont think having alcoholic drink is sin at all, it’s just not for me right now. And I am a peculiar person, part of a peculiar people, might as well live up to that, especially in places where EVERYTHING has to do with drinking, and essentially self-centered feeling. (Titus 2:14)
Since I don’t go out to parties, art galleries, events, music, etc all the time (weekly like I used to) I don’t have a place in my life for all my extravagant outfits, so that has helped me to minimize, like I really have been desiring to do.
I have only ridden a bike 3x since I have been back. I want to get back into it, but now is not the time. The last time I rode I got into a bad wreck that tore up my face, I pretty much kissed the pavement. I was wearing a helmet, and the whole situation was my negligence (my front wheel poped off) and could have been avoided. I didnt brake anything but I couldn’t eat well or talk for almost 2 weeks. It put a literal dent in my vanity. But I am grateful because on week 2 I got to rest and dig into Gods word/worship more. Its been 6 weeks since my faceplant and God is healing me rapidly! Rejoice!!
I am also very grateful for the righteous Church family I get to be a part of while being back in the South.
I revisited the church I attended from age 8 to 14, and most everyone is still there!! And they have a huge heart/hand in missions!!! To check out the free spirited worship or preaching they have a livestream via facebook that reaches people across many nations. Crossoverfullgospel.
One of the many “cool” things God showed me through others prophetic words and dreams was a confirmation that I am to go back out to do missions.
At church one sunday, to my surprise, the pastor called me to the front to have people pray for me. While he was praying he said that God was not finished with me in the field of mission work (this was a confirmation in my spirit as I already knew this). He said God was saying that I don’t need to worry about money (Immediately truth came to mind: Matthew 6:25, Philippians 4:6 ). And that when I “went out” again, I would have a greater anointing than the first time!!! Thank you Lord. I really needed that word.
What followed this was 2 prophetic visions that came later. One was from a woman I grew up with who said when she laid her hand on me she saw God pouring oil in my stomach and then He laid out the Nations before me.
I asked God what the oil was about….
When I was driving to work, the next week at 5am I heard a radio preacher talk in depth about how the oil is referred to the holy spirit and anointing.
And as a reminder, a month ago, God gave me a dream in the morning (which I cant ever recall having a dream from God) where a light was going inside of my stomach and in my mind I knew that I was prepared to do something hard. I woke up feeling super elated about whatever purpose is in store!!! Rejoice!!!
I am not sure who is reading this, maybe its all sounding so spiritually “woo-woo” and wacky for you. But I just wanted to share a bit about my experiences.
I have real experiences with God everyday, with Him showing me something that speaks to me in a special way through His word, the mouth of someone else, music/lyrics, images. When I take time to REMEMBER, REFLECT and be THANKFUL, I see and hear God more.
