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OVERWHELMED by God

It has been a long time since I just sat and lingered in the presence of my Jesus. It feels like life has been so busy, and my Jesus time has been so rushed in the mornings.

But not today. Today, I set aside sacred time to just sit and be with my Savior. And oh boy, was it what my soul needed. 

As I sat on my floor with my palms open to the sky, a familiar song began to ring through our TV.

“Recibe toda la gloria, recibe toda la honra, precioso hijo de Dios.” Creo en Ti Jesús by Grupo de Alabanza

As soon as I heard the lyrics, I felt tears well up in my eyes. I heard this song for the first time in 2017 when I was on my internship here in the Dominican Republic. I felt the power behind the lyrics, but at the time, I didn’t fully understand the words as I was just learning Spanish. 

My transition back to the states after my internship was not easy by any means. In fact, I was struggling so much that my parents considered putting me in counseling. It was as if I were in my home country but homesick for the Dominican. I couldn’t have even put into words why. It was a God thing. He was doing something in my heart that was bigger than me.

One of the things that got me through this hard adjustment was looking through my pictures and videos of my time here and listening to all the worship songs we sang at the local church we attended during the summer. 

Creo en Ti Jesús just happened to be the song I would listen to on repeat. I remember so vividly how I would turn the song on, sit on the hardwood floor of my room, and I would just cry. I would ask the Lord to make a mighty way and allow me to be a part of His work here in the Dominican. I would close my eyes and pretend to be back in that little church where I heard everyone praising Jesus in the beautiful language I wanted so badly to understand, and where I felt the hot sun peaking through the windows. Oh how my heart longed to be here, and I would pray that God would fulfill this desire that He had placed inside of me.

While these lyrics sounded through my home here in the Dominican this morning, this memory felt so fresh to me. I could picture a 21 year old me planted on my bedroom floor, sitting with my legs crossed and my hands wide open to Jesus as I sang the lyrics to this song and prayed a bold prayer. As the image flashed in my mind, I began to feel overwhelmed by God.

He did it. He brought me here. 

Sometimes I get caught up in what is going on right now. The long list of all the things that  seem to be going wrong. I tend to see one thing after another stack up on each other until I feel completely overwhelmed. 

But when I sit and reflect on what God has already done, my current worldly problems tend to seem less overwhelming. Sitting in His presence, being reminded of the way that He has moved time and time again on my behalf, and now on the behalf of my Alan and I… He is so faithful. 

I have these random “awe” moments where I am going about my day and then it hits me, whoa, is this really my life? I like to call them awe moments because they are moments that refocus my attention on WHY I moved here and WHO brought me here.

It is all for Jesus and because of Jesus. 

I have had many more moments of crying out to Jesus here on my floor here in the Dominican. God has answered one of my boldest prayers, and yet my years here have been some of the hardest. Thankfully, I know how to walk through these hard seasons by clinging to Jesus and His faithfulness.  I can look back and see the way God has carried me through it all. I am where I am because of Jesus. 

And again, I am overwhelmed by Him. And just like the lyrics to Creo En Ti Jesús, my prayer is that through my life and journey–the good and the bad–that HE, the precious Son of God, may receive all the glory and all the honor.

WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS (GOD’S WORD)

Okay, let’s be real together here. How many times have you read your Bible just to cross it off your list? Have there been days where you feel like your Jesus time has become more like a daily chore rather than a deep desire to grow and be with Him? Yes? Well, friend, me too.

I have plenty of days where I want to read my Bible, but I have 1,001 other things going on as well. I open my Bible, I read a chapter, and boom check mark. Stick my Bible back on the shelf and call it good for the day. Yet, sometimes I forget what I just read the instant I close the cover. Can you relate?

One piece of Scripture that has been stuck in my mind lately is Deuteronomy 11:18. 

Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. (CSB) 

We are to have God’s words written on our hearts. Yes, there will be seasons where we may feel dull and read the Word to cross it off our list of things to do. But the key is not just reading Scripture but rather meditating on it, letting it sit and simmer in our minds and hearts in a way that transforms us and the way we live out our lives.

There are plenty of verses that share this same idea of writing God’s commands on our hearts. 

Psalm 40:8 and 119:11

Proverbs 7:3

Colossians 3:16

Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16

Here is the key that I am learning…we can read the Bible and call it a day, but what will we benefit from this? God’s Word is alive and active (just as Hebrews 4:12 describes it). It has the power to transform our hearts and minds as we soak up the words that we read. 

Now you may be wondering, hmm what exactly does it mean to write the Word of God on my heart? 

I like to think about it as living God’s Word out through our daily actions. We can live out Scripture in the way that we interact and love others, the way that we address difficult situations with grace and truth, in the way that we serve and work not for recognition but rather unto God’s name, and there are many other examples. 

Here is the really cool thing…as we are digging into the Bible and have a desire to grow, the Holy Spirit will remind us of different passages throughout our day to day tasks. I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to let my frustration or stress get the best of me, and then the Spirit nudges me to bite my tongue or cast my cares to Jesus through a passage I had just recently read. Maybe you have had similar situations where you are in a tough place and want to respond in a certain way, but then feel the Holy Spirit convict you by placing a verse on your heart. 

This is what writing the Word of God on our hearts looks like. Not just reading the Bible then boom, shut the book and place it back on its spot on the coffee table next to you. But allow the Words to brew in your mind, be imprinted on your heart, and transform your everyday life. 

Will you let the power of God’s Word be written on your heart and transform your way of living? 

Hey Sister, It’s Okay If You Don’t Have It All Together | Proverbs 31 Woman

How many times have you felt overwhelmed by all that you juggle? Trying to maintain the home, be present with your husband or maybe children, working, spending time with Jesus, and everything in between…it is so much to balance. 

Oftentimes when I find myself falling into a rut or a place of feeling overwhelmed, I look to the Word of God for wisdom. Proverbs 31 outlines a perfect woman/wife. 

more precious than jewels (v 10)

husband’s heart trusts in her (v 11)

honors her husband and builds him up (v 12)

hard worker (v 13-14, 16)

provides for family day and night (v 15)

prepares food and stores things so her family has no lack (v 16, 21)

she is strong (v 17)

good money manager (v 18)

generous and tender and toward poor (v 20)

husband is respected (v 23)

she is clothed in courage and gritty and dignity-she’s walked through hard and is ready for what lies (ahead. She knows how to fight her battles with the sword of the Spirit and worship) (v 25)

she is wise and speaks truth in love (v 26)

her children see that she is rooted and a strong woman of God (v 28)

her husband adores her and elevates her above other women (v 28)

she knows her true beauty lies within her heart and she radiates because she spends time with the Lord (v 30) 

she will see the fruit of her hands (v 31)

This passage is one that people point to when speaking about a godly woman. She is a woman of valor who works hard, prepares for the future, is honored by her husband, and so on. This is the woman that many of us aim to be like, right? 

But let’s be honest, sometimes we can feel intimidated by this, right? Proverbs 31 outlines what a perfect woman or wife looks like. But how in the world are we supposed to be all these things to everyone and still stay sane?

I know I sometimes feel overwhelmed by this. I work, clean, buy the food, cook the food, try to be a good friend, an encouraging wife, and good leader at church, even fur momma, and many other things. I sometimes feel stretched thin although I want to do and be all these things. I see the Proverbs 31 woman and say, “well shoot, I should be working harder on that too.” 

But I am learning this… it is okay if we are not all things for all people. Sister, it is okay if you don’t have it all together at all times. 

One thing that my mom reminded me of is that we do not have to obtain all these qualities of a Biblical woman  in a day, a month, or even a year. There is a season for everything. 

We will have seasons to plan and prepare for the future. 

Seasons of hardship that make us persevering, courageous women.

Times of plenty, and times of lack.

Days of hard work and/or cleaning and also days of rest.

Moments where we feel so connected with our husbands, and also moments where life is so busy and we are fighting to have that intimate time to connect with one another.

The Proverbs 31 woman is a great example for us to follow. But we must release ourselves from the pressure of accomplishing all she accomplished in a certain amount of time. 

Ladies, we do not have to strive to be all these things all at the same time. It is about a lifetime of faithfulness and practicing different disciplines. 

Doesn’t it feel good to know that we are released from the pressure of doing or being the perfect woman? We just need to be faithful in whatever season we are in. 

So, sister, it’s okay if you feel that you don’t have it all together and aren’t everything for everyone. Being a Proverbs 31 woman is about faithfulness and seasons. You can free yourself from unneeded pressure and just pursue what God has put in front of you for this stage of life. And know, that is enough.