Life just isn't what it seems...

Sometimes life just isn't what it seems.  Sometimes we are so focused on front of us, it blinds us to what is really in front of us.  All we see is the situation at hand not the unfolding.  We see a building but what really is there is the Fathers voice.  We see the opportunity to make more money to accomplish our dreams but what really is there is the Father showing His provision.  Sometimes life just isn't what it seems.

This journey on earth is the process of Him revealing is glory through us.

If we let Him...

Taking a step back can do your soul some good.  You get to see the Father in it all.  At times, you get to see where you made the mistake.  You get to see where the Father was trying to speak to you but you did not trust yourself enough to know if it was the Father or His opposer.  So often we would love to see things they way we want to so that everything we want to happen, will happen...

But that is not what the Father wants.  He wants us to co-labor with Him.   Co-dream, co-live, co-love.  I am truly learning what the meaning of, "What the Lord opens, no man can shut."  Or more-so,   what man opens, God can shut.  What I open that is not for me,  He will shut.  And that is only because He loves me and wants only the best.

I am learning that I need to take the time to just sit before Him and listen.  Do not speak, do not try and figure things out, just listen.  This is not an option.  I need, we need to learn how to sit before our Father and just listen.  He is the Creator and Author of all things and can make happen what we cannot.  He cares about our heart and dreams.  

The absolute craziest thing to me is that He know me better than I know myself.  He remembers my dreams and purest, unclouded intentions when I have completely forgotten.  He knows what I am thinking before the thought even occurs.  He knows my dreams before my heart comes alive by them.  What is even more crazy is that He PUTS THEM INTO MOTION!!  He sets into motion the things my heart desires before I even know of the desire.

He know me better than I know myself.

Sometimes life just isn't what is seems.

He always makes it better.

An Army of Three

I see a wall.  A wall circled around a city with no hope.  I gaze from my watch tower wondering how the people of this city do not see their ability break down this boundary that holds back the wonder that lives outside of it.

I see a family with love inside theirs hearts that long to love the people in front of them, but the people that catch their gaze have hearts of stone stronger than the wall.  This family, they do everything that an army of three can possibly do.  Where is hope?  Where is faith?

They look above them and see my watch tower and I raise my flag that is filled with Glory from above the clouded grey skies.  Hope.  Faith.

They recognize that their battle is not against the stone hearts of the people but against the wall that cut off the wonders and mysteries of Glory.  The wall that created this atmosphere of depression and despair.  The fight they had in them was being used to chisel away the stone when the stone was made from the wall.  They recognized that if you chisel too close to the heart, the heart could be pierced and there would be a whole new battle against bitterness.

I see this strong army of three coming against the wall.  They stand next to it and it is like James and the giant beanstalk except they knew firsthand to go after the roots.  They let out a battle cry and begin breaking down this wall from its foundation.  The people of the town see this and are in awe that someone would go to battle for them.  That a family of three would go out of their way to fight for them.

A sound like the heavens crashing down resounds through the town + beyond its borders.  The people of the town are hit with reality of what has happened.  Heaven has indeed come crashing down.  But not how they thought it would with wrath and vengeance.  It is crashing down with Love + mysteries of wonders;  with healing and captivation.  All of Heaven has come and has captivated the townspeople with Love.

Coffee & Other People

It is a chilly spring morning & I am walking the sidewalks through town on my way to work.  I am waving at my customers from the coffee shop that pass by me.  It is crazy how I associate people with their ritual caffeine fix.  I can remember that after a few weeks of working there, I became guilty of knowing their order & not their names.  I never knew I could store so much information into my brain.  I guess when your 22 your brain is still sharp enough to remember those details. But what really fascinates me is that with particular customers I can remember their birthday,  where they work, what they love to do, & whats going on in their life.  I tend to think that sometimes it is not my gift of remembering the details but because I truly love all of my customers.  Even the complicated orders, like a double shot of espresso, half of a Splenda, & a tiny bit of water.  Mike is his name & even though he has a complicated order I have come to find out that he is a great & faithful friend.

I have found that people love being in relationship with people who genuinely care.  I have a customer who does not even seem like a customer anymore.  He seems more like another grandpa to me.  He even says ‘I love you’ when he hangs up from calling in his medium coffee with 3 creams & a little bit of ice to pick up at the drive thru.

You see, loving who is in front of you is so important.  I desire & dream of owning a coffee shop one day not because I absolutely love coffee (which I do), but because I am so in love with people.  I love knowing them.  I love knowing that George served our country in the Vietnam war & loves his grandkids Nicholas (Nicky) & Sophia (Sophie) with all that is within him.  All this was is learned over his cup of coffee, half caff/half decaf, Splenda, & one creamer.  Sometimes a pump of french vanilla if he is feeling a bit fancy.  

I seek after & pursue after my customers hearts over their daily caffeine fix because I desire relationship with people.  They are my community.  I do not want to even call them my ‘ministry’ because they are my friends.  

I pray that the church would begin understand what true relationship & community is.  Most often times people come to the coffee shop because they love the relationship that has been built with us baristas.  They absolutely love the coffee, but it is something they can make at home as well.  They chose to come to the coffee shop for a cup of coffee because they love the relationship that takes place.  That should be what the church is like.  We worship Jesus at home, but we choose to come to the church as well because we love the relationship that takes place.  We give each other Jesus.

The coffee shop is my church.  And although some of them may not know Jesus like I do, they will.  They will know Jesus because a small, blonde hair, blue eyed girl took the time to make relationship with them & took the time to love them well.  That is what the Father does & I do nothing that I do not see my Father doing first.