When You Can’t See The Palm Trees

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comfort, discouraged, encouragement, faith, God, insight, Inspiration, motivation, opportunities, oppotunity, peace, Purpose, transition, trust, Trust god

My husband and I recently moved from a city we loved to pursue new opportunities.  We left beloved friends, a great church, and a wonderful suburb with the best neighbors one could imagine.  Though it was a hard decision to make, we truly felt that God was leading us to another state.

Once we arrived, I experienced extreme feelings of loss.  Though I was surrounded by warm weather, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful palm trees, I just couldn’t get past feeling a deep regret.  I tried to meet new people through group functions.  I attended conferences and networking events.  My husband and I visited several churches.  Yet, even with all of these activities, I still felt empty and sad.  I tried to hide it, but I missed the life I left behind.

I prayed to God daily and asked him “God, why am I here?”  The quiet voice I heard said “there are greater things in store for you, but you must trust me”.  Well, even though I heard that voice, I still had a hard time with the transition.  And I thought, “how am I going to encourage and motivate others when I’m feeling so discouraged?”

It’s in times like these that you need loving phone calls from good friends and family members, inspiration from God’s words, and motivational insight from a respected Christian Leader.  As I was watching Joel Osteen one morning, he said that sometimes God takes us through a season of being alone.  This is time we can draw closer to God, time we would normally give to another person or activity.  God wants us to embrace our season of isolation.  During these moments, we experience a pruning process so that we can bear much fruit.

Hearing Joel recite God’s word was life-changing.  I had a new perspective on things.  Even though I felt sad and I missed my old life, I had confidence knowing these feelings were temporary and God was doing a new work in me.

Focusing on people and things we lost can make us lose sight of the beautiful palm trees in front of us.  Center your thoughts around the benefits of your new situation.  It may feel uncomfortable for a while, but trust God to bring insight, peace and comfort right where you are.

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Do You Trust God’s Plan for Your Life?

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despair, faith, God, God's plan, hardships, hopelessness, intimate relationship, peach, provision, Purpose, sadness, trials, trust

You will face many trial and hardships.  It’s just the natural cycle of life.  In those difficult times, you have a choice to put your total trust in God or to continually question his will.  What will you decide?

It was only a few days ago that I carried the joy of the world inside.  In a split second, my joy turned to sadness.  My sadness turned to despair.  My despair turned to hopelessness.  Tears became the hourglass of my day and I found myself asking “God, why?  Why did this happen?”

There was no reasonable explanation.  There was no one to blame.  There was only the still, quiet voice of God whispering, “Will You Trust Me?”  At first, I kept questioning God as to why this happened.  Then a calm came over me.  Though I didn’t understand why such a sorrowful event had taken place, I knew that God was faithful.  I knew that God was loving.  I knew that that even though this event was very painful, it was a part of God’s unique plan for my life.

I trust God’s plan for my life, though I may not always understand.  My trust comes in knowing that God can see my beginning and my end.  My faith stems from God’s unconditional love and constant provision for my life.  My acceptance flows from an intimate relationship with God.

Dedicated to “Jordan Avery Reid”

Trust & Obey

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obedience, obey, sacrifice, trust

Sometimes the greatest barrier to achieving our goals is failure to trust and obey God. This seems like a simple task, but it can be difficult to let go of our own wills and thought processes to become totally reliant on God’s direction, insight and provision. Obeying can be even harder because it often involves sacrificing time, resources or people to align to God’s plan for our lives.

Are you willing to turn everything over to God? Are you willing to operate in total obedience? The choice is yours. The outcome is Gods.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) – 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.