I would love to
by Cathy BakerI’ve attempted to sow from an empty basket for longer than I ever imagined possible. One day turned into two, and those melted into three, then four.
Maybe you can relate?
His voice slips into the background of our days. That is, until we need to hear from Him the most, and it’s then, in that quiet moment, we realize just how empty our basket really is—void of His power, strength, and wisdom.
 |
| “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.” |
Perhaps I’m not the only one in need of a fresh start when it comes to spending time with God.
If not, I invite you to join me in asking God for a teachable spirit as we spend this month immersing ourselves in learning (or re-learning?) what it means to be still and know that He is God.
Not sure about you, but I don’t want to settle for anything less than God’s best for me. Too often in 2015 I went to gather encouragement, soul-keeping rest, and love for the unlovely from my basket only to come up empty. I was spent, discouraged, and distracted.
While we can’t do anything to make God love us more (or less), we can draw near to Him through His Word, in prayer, and simply being still in recognition of who He is.
Hope you’ll join me this month as we’ll peek into the quiet times of some of my dearest and most Father-loving friends every Monday. On Wednesdays, we’ll consider additional ideas to spur on our time with the Father.
Welcome to the January series, Drawing Near to God. It is a blessing to have you here.
As I bring this month of gratitude to a close, I want to share one final act of thankfulness. It will also explain why I’ll be taking a break from blogging during the month of December.
In September, I had a CT scan. It was to be a straight-forward procedure to help the surgeon who performed my gall bladder surgery earlier this year view the scar tissue, as the site was giving me some pain.
The site turned out fine but the scan did reveal a mass, which turned out to be multiple fibroid tumors. The surgeon remarked on how, if it had not discovered, it would’ve more than likely become cancerous. While not excited about what was found, I couldn’t help but thank God all the way home, confident He orchestrated the unfolding of circumstances.
As I write this (early November) I’m scheduled for surgery on November 19th. If I’ve not replied to comments as quickly as normal, this is why. I’m recuperating on my comfy couch with my spoiled rotten pup and a hard-to-put-down book nearby, Lord willing.
Blogging in December is one of my favorite things to do. I will miss it — I will miss you — terribly. I thank God for the friendships He has allowed me to forge through this ministry, and for those He has deepened.
I pray you and your family will be richly blessed as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
I look forward to returning in January! In the meantime, feel free to stay in touch as I would love to hear from you. I especially thank you for your prayers.
I, like you, have tasted both the natural and the Spirit-led. After having tasted the latter, we can’t help but refuse to settle for anything less.
But sometimes it’s not easy telling them apart at first. This is what happened when, over the summer, I began nurturing grandiose ideas for my blog. Nothing was inherently wrong with them, but as I worked through the ideas, I felt unsettled, never at peace. Nevertheless, I pushed on for weeks, believing it was simply part of the hard work required in making things happen.
A particular writing friend of mine loved me enough to call me to task on my ambitions. Were these my ideas or God’s? As I prayed about it, God revealed in a number of creative ways that the ideas I’d been working so hard on were not part of His plan for our blog right now. When He confirmed this in my spirit, peace settled over my soul like soft snow rests on gnarly branches.
No matter how hard we work if we’re not in step with the Spirit, all is in vain.
I’m grateful that the One who indwells us is not an “It” but a “Him”. The Holy Spirit is personal and active in our lives. When in step with Him, life takes on an abundant edge that it misses otherwise.
How are you grateful for the Spirit’s work in your life today? Please share in the comment section!
by Cathy Baker
A favorite Lamentations verse lies between one that speaks of broken teeth in gravel (v. 16) and sitting alone in silence (v. 28):
It’s not too late to enter the August giveaway!
One thing I’m currently learning is _________________________________________.
 |
| Purchased at Barnes and Noble |
