Fully Anticipating It to Happen: FAITH

Clay & I are 5,290 miles away from each other right now. But lemme tell you how much I still rely on him long distance, & have faith in him to fix any problem that I cannot with my own intellect (lol, I own the fact that I know I am not self-sufficient in certain areas of general life). Long story short, actually...it's rather a short story - I flew off my bike. End not-going-into-details story. After seeing blood on multiple parts of my body, arm & leg skin gone, a broken looking finger (it's not), & a numb elbow, I also realized my bike wouldn't hardly pedal. So I walked my angry self & non-functioning bike to the nearest tree, locked the bike up, & took myself to walk it all off. I was trying to choke back my irate tears, because thinking about fixing my bike on my own had me annoyed. I do not like trying to decipher what is wrong with something. Clay on the other hand, a genius soul. So I sent him a picture of my bike & said, "I don't really know what to even look for." His response was precisely what fixed it. From 5,290 miles away, he can still problem solve from a text message picture for his distraught wife. Not that I was surprised, because of the confidence I generally have in him. My faith in a human being is evident here; just as I have faith in Clay to see me through circumstances that I cannot emotionally/physically deal with properly (& that someone else may easily be able to), my faith in God for my life should be just as evident, & more. Think about it: Clay wasn't physically with me & he "came" to my rescue. We often wonder how God can comfort & assist us when He isn't physically with us. Oh, but there's a word for that. Faith.

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If you have been around a baby when they are teething, you'll know they are a slobber fest of fussiness. Teething clearly hurts, as the tooth is literally piercing through their little gum. But, teething is a sign of human development & growth, as that baby cannot stay 5 months forever. At 6 months (average), they are naturally about to experience involuntary discomfort in their mouths for (probably) the first time. Ah, but little do they know, it's not in vein. Their life is about to get a whole lot more shades of vibrant, as they discover with their new teeth, they can eat solid foods, which gives their taste buds a hefty array of scrumptious beginnings.

Fast forward to a (approximately) 15 month old. Up next in their growth & development department: walking. They've mastered crawling, but now observe they can stand on their own & notice their two little chubby stumps below their belly button actually have purpose. It's comical to watch a baby actively thinking about if they should let go of the side couch & come to your open arms or not, because they are most likely pondering, "well I already know I can get there by crawling, so why bother with this new discovery? It will probably hurt again like when I popped in all my teeth. Oh, but then again, solid food is yummy..." You know how their contemplation eventually concludes. Two words: baby gates.

So just as that 15 month old is now not the same as they were when they were 6 months, I should not be the same me as I was even one year ago, if I am growing in Christ. Even when it hurts some days & feels like our gums are being metaphorically pierced all over again, or even when it's scary to take a first step, not knowing how it'll feel if/when we fall or run into a stumbling block. Proverbs 18:10 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it & are safe. Exodus 33:14 tells me that God's presence will go with me, & He will surely give me the strength to withstand it all, whatever that "all" is.

My constant prayer in faith has been asking God to deliver His promises to me in the right seasons of life, when He says I am ready for them. With that, I have been purposefully praying and petitioning for a specific consuming desire of mine to be fulfilled, but as I am seeking in faith from Him for this, it's a hard prayer. Difficult in the sense that I do not know when He will deem it "my season," but relieving in the logic that I won't ever have to wonder if I am doing it out of season, as only He can open the doors. When God switches one's longing to do His work to an actual "burning desire," oh ya know it's comin' in hot. Support is essential in a healthy marriage, of course. Although my gifts may not be & absolutely do not have to be the same as Clay's & vice versa, we still are each other's number one encouragement source. God's plan for our marriage is interwoven, while still being individualistic. So in this meantime while I fully anticipate it to happen, (that "it" will be shared when God officially opens the door) not only do I have to continue praying, actively prepare, & trust, but so does Clay. Because marriage. I am ready for whenever He says GO. Like I wrote on my college graduation cap: "Isaiah 6:8: Here I am, send me."

Anyone who has contemplated whether God will come to your rescue while in a foreign situation, I encourage you to activate your faith that can truly be as small as a mustard seed. Even when it hurts. Even when it's down right annoying. Anticipate it. Expect it. & do not be surprised when you are able to relish in the beauty of God's right hand work.