Reflections on New Beginnings

I’m sitting outside on the veranda. It’s gently raining, calming the dust and wind of earlier, soothing the heat. The sound and smell of falling rain reminds me of new beginnings. It’s kind of late to be talking about new beginnings – ‘most everyone wrote those posts a month or two ago. But this passing storm reminds me that there’s no wrong time to start over, begin afresh, experience new inspiration. 

We’ve had a lot of summer storms the past couple of weeks. I’m not a fan of storms, generally speaking, but the rain, the change in temperature, the freshness it brings to the earth – there’s nothing more refreshing after a morning of dusty wind and humidity as the storm brewed. Maybe that’s how it goes with life as well. There are parts of change, of new beginnings, I dislike. It can be uncertain, uncomfortable. If I could see a clear transition from ‘this’ to ‘that’ with both clearly defined, and the exact steps to move forward, I might let go. But what happens when you feel like it’s a fresh start, but you can’t quite see where you’re going, what it’s the beginning of?

That’s how I’m feeling right now. I’m learning more of what God has for me, but there’s still so much in the haze. I can see a couple of steps forward, but I have no idea about the rest of it, or what the destination even is. For so long this is what has kept me from beginning; I wanted the whole picture so I could plan and organize – and procrastinate and freak out. I am a pro at finding excuses and believing them until I can see no way forward. But that’s all they are: excuses. 

Imagine if the storm around me operated that way. I don’t feel like raining today – who knows if it will even reach the ground! Maybe nobody will notice it. All my effort will be wasted! Or I might have to go through a wall of dust! That’s so hard and gross! It’s ludicrous to think about. God doesn’t make excuses – He says, He does. Nature carries His word through, even though it’s been thousands of years since He spoke it into action. 

We were made to operate the same way, and deep inside we know that. We feel disappointed when we don’t carry through with the dreams and visions God has given us. This only leaves one option: excuses are from the enemy. He sees the powerful difference for good we have if we follow through, so he tries to stop us. Therefore, if we are facing a barrage of excuses, we can be sure God is up to something good in us. They’re actual proof that something profitable lies on the other side. 

That’s the new beginning I can feel in my bones – a time to not let excuses win. To be like the rain, falling as God wills, come clouds, dust, evaporation. Because with Him, nothing is a failure, nothing returns without accomplishing what He has intended for it. May the same be said of me.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth no thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to th eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11

The rain has come down heavy now, the mist blowing in on my face. It’s cool. It’s refreshing. It whispers the hope of new beginnings. 

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It's been awhile again, lovely people - how are you going? What have you been learning recently? How do you feel about the new year?

He is the Answer

Kata Tjuta & King's Canyon, NT, Australia

Sometimes there aren’t answers. Call it maturity, maybe, I’ve been realizing there aren’t answers to every question. There are grey areas of faith that have to be wrestled out personally, between us and God. Sometimes there isn’t a ‘thou shalt’ or ‘thou shalt not.’

One of the biggest things about growing up is coming to your own beliefs and understanding. We’ve all been brought up to see the world, God, what we should and shouldn’t do, a certain way. And even if these things are great and true, they are meaningless unless we claim them for our own. Now is the time we take things on, alter some to fit our experience, and leave some behind. 

It’s healthy; it’s a necessary part of growing up and becoming our own people. But it’s also hard. I look at my friends, and we’re all going through the same thing. We’re changing. Some I now have less in common with, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s sad to lose that. Some I have more in common with and it’s a blessing to connect more deeply with them. 

I’ve been wrestling with questions too. I see the choices others make, I observe the world around, and I notice I’m changing too. I’m an independent thinker, which I’m grateful for, but it leads me to want to know everything. I want the answers to the dilemmas I have, I want solutions to everyone’s problems, and I want to understand why people do what they do. Maybe then, I’ll be able to form conclusions. 

The verse in Matthew which says ‘seek and ye shall find’ came to mind when I was thinking about this. Didn’t Jesus promise answers? There are answers I’ve been looking for years, and I can’t find them. So, I opened my concordance to ‘seek,’ looking for a verse I thought I knew. But look what I found instead:

But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deut 4:29

And thou, Solomon my son, know the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee… 1 Chron 28:9

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer 29:13

The Bible is talking about something much deeper. God doesn’t always give us all answers and knowledge. Interestingly, that’s what Satan promised in the very first temptation. He zoned in on our idea that to know everything would be like being God. But God is far more than knowledge and information, a big Father Google. He is love, He is peace, He is joy – and ultimately, isn’t that what we’re looking for? I don’t want the answers to my questions as much as I want peace from restlessness. Knowing without rest would only prompt another question. But knowing Jesus hits the root. Yes, I may not know what I think I need to, but I can have rest and contentment anyway. I might not understand why, but I can have peace and even joy. I may not have endless information, but I can have Jesus. That’s the promise. Seek and you will find God. Not necessarily explanations or logic, but God. It looks like I’ve been searching for the wrong thing.

Isn’t it precious to think about? God could give answers – He does give much wisdom and knowledge. He could satisfy our theoretical wonderings and leave it there, but no, He gives Himself. He sees us seeking, searching, wondering, questioning, and he comes to us Himself. 

Here’s the challenge for me, and maybe for you too. If, after all my searching, I find God, will that be enough? Will I allow His presence and majesty to swallow the questions? Will I let His rest calm the striving and desperation to know?

Some things haven’t changed since the Garden of Eden. I still want to know good and evil, but God still wants to share His heart with us in the cool of the evening too. I’m learning that is enough. Next time I get discouraged after praying for answers, and all I feel is the whisper of His voice telling me to draw closer, I want to see it for what it is: an invitation for communion with the Master Creator and Lord of all, who is Himself the answer. As C. S. Lewis said: 

I know no, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?

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Have you struggled with unanswerable questions? What do you think their purpose is? How have you found this growing-up stage of life? I pray we can all receive our questions and doubts as an invitation to come and know God more deeply. xx 

P.s I listened to this song again today, and I thought the second verse was especially relevant. Love is the answer.

How is Your Soul?

How is your soul?

I asked myself this question one night through week, and the answer surprised me. Neglected. I hadn’t been giving it much thought. Friends asked how I was going, and I replied with ‘I’m well, thanks!’ Physically, I’m feeling fine – a little more exercise and sleep would improve things, but I’m well. Life has been good, I’ve been busy seeing people and doing housework and scheming plans for the future (and planning surprises for my sister’s birthday because she’s awesome). But the question of my soul came as a surprise. I realized it was a little bit forgotten, lost in the hum of life. And I hadn’t noticed enough to miss that deeper experience.

I sense I ought to define what I mean by soul. But I don’t have a clear answer. I’m talking about deeper satisfaction; the things that make your heart feel full. It might be moments shared with friends, a long journaling session, music that touches somewhere deep, watching the waves at the beach. It’s observing the sunrise or sunset, absorbing the beauty of nature. It’s aha moments where the Bible comes alive, it’s conversations with God. I guess what I’m talking about is communion with God, however, wherever, you feel Him closest. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life gets busier. I can’t think of anyone, including older retired people, who have told me they’re getting less busy, less committed, less hurried. So while I dream of sometime in the future where life slows down and I have opportunity to really live in the quiet spaces where God is closer, for most of us that isn’t going to be reality. We can’t wait until some elusive future date to finally have time for God, to finally devote attention to filling our souls. We’ve got to find a way to do it in the busyness, throughout the hectic seasons, right there in the middle of the madness. 

We don’t know how long we have to live. We don’t know what the future holds. We can’t guarantee that a more convenient season will come for us. We can’t just keep putting God off. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says now is the best time, now is the day of salvation. Now is all we have. 

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is a hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkenss, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:11-12

Friends, we were made for more than an existence, a mad scramble through life, always searching never finding, always empty never filled. We were made to thrive. It’s not going to just happen, but we absolutely can choose to walk in the fullness of life God has prepared for us. Jesus says in John 10:10 He came so we could have life, and life more abundantly. 

It hits me hard too. I don’t want to admit I glorify busyness to excuse myself from taking time for God. I wish I didn’t have to confess that good and meaningful pursuits have become idols in my life because they’ve taken from quiet moments I need to spend with Him. I’d rather not say my soul’s been a little forgotten amid the excitement of life. But that’s the truth.

I want to close with a challenge. It’s the beginning of a new week, and it’s the beginning of a new month. We can start again. This busy time of year is actually a reason to consciously carve out space for our souls. So, I want to encourage you to pause right here, think about the things that refresh your soul, and choose a couple to implement this week. Information and head knowledge is great, but it’s useless if we don’t put implement it. I’ve made a little journaling worksheet you can download for free, to help put it into action and consciously make a change. And I will be doing it too, absolutely.

Although we have a responsibility to steward our time well, I’m not trying to shame you into something or add more pressure to your life. This weighs on me because I know each of us was made to thrive and we can’t afford to wait. A better time will never come, and for each moment we intentionally make time for our souls, God will repay us with peace and blessings that outweigh any sacrifice. Let’s get back to the beauty that makes life worth living, the quiet places where His still small voice can be heard, the refreshment our souls need.

What about you? How’s your soul been recently? How do you combat the busyness of life? Will you be joining the challenge to create soul space this week? And please do let me know if you use the worksheet and what you think of it. Keep striving to stay close to Him, friends! You are so loved. xx