Freedom.
Freedom is one of my most cherished core values. I never completely understood why it was so important to me until I set foot in Thailand. I was able to witness how God uses me if I chose to use my freedom for Him. Day one, I was given a blank canvas. A canvas to make what I wanted out of month 9.
Shepherding.
Shepherding is the paint brush The Lord handed me. I never understood what it looked like to shepherd well, until my Heavenly Father guided my every stroke.
Flourish.
The blank canvas began to take beautiful form, as The Lord guided my brush. This once blank space, was now flourishing. It was a blooming rose.
Conquer.
The Lord slowly took His hand off of mine. It was an uncomfortable feeling. I did not know how to paint without His hand guiding my every stroke, but I still had His voice. Mistakes were made, but His voice allowed me to conquer, and adjust, to small mistakes. My mistakes planted weeds around this blooming rose. His voice kept the rose blooming, conquering the weeds around it.
A work of art.
My blank canvas was now, a beautiful work of art. A rose in a field of weeds. The rose, was painted by my Father guiding my every stroke. The weeds, were my attempt to hear His voice, my attempts to make something beautiful without Him. In the end, the weeds just made the rose appear that much more beautiful.
This month I was given complete freedom to make ministry out of life. I felt The Lord calling me to shepherd my squad of 24 people. I began every day with self-care. I would pray, run, and do a bible study.
After my morning routine I’d spend intentional time; praying for people, encouraging them, supporting them in their visions for the month, and having great conversation.
I’d spend a lot of the day filling myself up spiritually. This allowed me to pour out more in the evenings, when everyone was around.
It’s amazing how simply being available, and on fire for Jesus, can be an incredible ministry. I learned that having a positive, Christ-like, attitude can be extremely contagious.
It’s not easy giving hours and hours, of your day to Jesus, but the more you give to Jesus, the more fruit your days will have. Some days were harder than others, but God taught me how to conquer and flourish.
I value freedom because it allows me to run with Jesus. It allows me to accept all that He has for me, without being trapped inside someone else’s perspective. It allows me to fully be who I am in Jesus, without being distracted by what others want me to be.
Freedom without Jesus, only plants weeds around a flourishing rose. That’s where grace comes in. Grace is, the rose looking even more beautiful because of the weeds around it.
The weeds are the lies and excuses. We believe lies and create excuses that keep us from being who God created us to be. They keep us from feeling alive.
I need The Fathers hand guiding my every stroke in this life. There will be times that I mess up. Times when His hand is not on mine. His voice is still there, whether I listen or not. In the end, the rose will conquer. In the end the weeds die, and the rose flourishes.
Do you feel like you are flourishing?
Do you feel fully alive?
Do you feel like you are living the life God created you to live?
If not, kill the weeds. Shut down the lies and excuses that are keeping you from flourishing. Ask God who He wants you to be, then go out and be that! The world needs you to be fully alive.
Go conquer, and flourish.
