2016 has been quite the whirlwind of a year for me! This time last year, I was in Kansas City, Missouri visiting my Williams family when Abba started speaking to me through His Word in the story of Abraham. When God promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations, it was 25 years before He fulfilled that promise by giving Abraham his son, Isaac. What patience and faith Abraham had! (Although he did make a few wrong turns... good thing he's not the one in control ;)
I turned 25 this year.
As I communed with Jesus after studying His Word that night, I felt like the Lord was telling me that this would be the year that He would fulfill some of His promises to me. I had no idea which promises they would be, (although I did have hopes), but I knew that He had spoken and I knew that I could trust Him. The journey that soon began after this sweet time with Jesus is one that I truly will never forget.
This year, God has blessed me with my dream job of being on staff at a crisis pregnancy center that enables me to actively fight for the lives of the unborn while caring for their mothers and lead women who have experienced the pain and trauma of abortion to the healing hands of Jesus.
He moved me back down to the Columbia area, which is where all of my family lives.
He reconciled, through the power of His Holy Spirit, several of my relationships with family members that I've been praying about for years. Praise Yahweh!
He lead me to Three Rivers Baptist Church, where I have already been able to grow in my love and knowledge of my precious Savior, as well as form several new friendships in the body of Christ.
He gifted me with a house to call my own, and I'm praying that He will be glorified in it!
He allowed me to be accepted at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a desire I've always had, and I will begin online courses in the spring to pursue my Masters in Theological Studies.
All of the joyous things that you just read about were coupled with some heavy heartaches along the way, but looking back I can see His hand in it all along. I found myself questioning God on several occasions because everything seemed to just be in chaos and confusion. I doubted my ability to actually hear my sweet Jesus.
I yelled, I begged, I wept.
But when I stilled myself before the Father, He assured me of His sovereignty and His grace.
He comforted, He directed, He fulfilled.
Friends, Abba gives good gifts. Even when they don't make sense or they don't seem like what you want. They're always good.
I am so thankful for a Savior who continues to pursue me, teach me, grow me, love me. All I'm praying for 2017 is that He does more of that--- and the beauty of it is that I can rest in the promise of Philippians 1:6, knowing that He has already answered my prayer!
"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus."
And you know what? I'm praying the same for you! And for those of you whom He has not begun a work in, I'm praying for this to be the year of your salvation.
2017, let's see what you've got! Whatever it is, it'll all be worked out for God's glory and my good (Rom. 8:28).
Soli Deo gloria!
