Column Post by Lisa Easterling
I am simply amazed by God’s perfect timing. Have you ever had moments where you were just completely in awe of Him and His perfect plan? Moments when your spirit bubbles over with so much joy you almost can’t contain it?
It’s difficult to think about the perfection of His timing and the divinely purposed plan of His blessing when things are tough. Been there, done that, screamed and sobbed into the T-shirt. I wish I could say it’s been a long time since that happened.
Truth is, it’s a challenge to look beyond pain and problems into a future that He can see, but we can’t.
Then come those moments when things seem to be coming together in so many ways it makes your head spin, and you’re almost afraid for the axe to fall. Okay, forget afraid–you are terrified that the axe is going to come crashing down and wreck the blessing. The cloud of dread looms so heavily over your celebration that you have trouble experiencing even
momentary joy.
Why? Because that is what the world teaches us. Good times can’t last, right?
As hard as it can be to stay optimistic, I still believe blessings can last. Psalm 139 tells us that “even the darkness is light to You”. So the bottom line is that no matter what hand life deals us, in Christ we can always be assured that another round is coming. There will always be joy in the morning. He will turn our mourning into dancing. And that ultimately, the game is in the bag.
We simply must remember that good things are His heart for us. Not only should we not live waiting for the axe to fall, we should make every effort to live in a spirit of celebration, a spirit of abundance—because is that not what He wills for His children? He came that we might have life in abundance.
If we know that the Enemy of our souls is out to steal our joy, and that the Creator of the universe (and us) is out to give us a life of beauty and joy, then why do we continue to live from fear to fear?
Perhaps it’s time we took back the happiness that was knit into us by the Author of Life.
That, dear friends, is something worth celebrating.
Lisa Easterling is a lifelong resident of the Tampa Bay area alongside her husband Steve, five children, and two grandchildren. A pioneer for home education in Florida, she has served in various areas of Christian ministry for the past 32 years. Lisa is a lifelong writer, editor, and creative writing coach currently serving as Managing Editor for Write Where It Hurts. Her favorite place to write is near the ocean, and she particularly loves helping others to fall in love with words. Lisa blogs at www.lisaeasterling.com and can be reached by emailing blue@lisaeasterling.com.
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How very true…the challenge to look beyond the pain into the future He has in store, but I’m with you — let’s celebrate that He’s got this! We can fall right into Him. Great reminder, my friend.
More easily said than done, I know. But it’s the reaching, the keeping on hoping, that honors His sweet grace poured out for us. Love to you, friend.
Living in fear is a very subtle way the Enemy can get his fingers around our fruitful vines; it seems like it’s our lack of faith and our weaknesses and our fault. He can use those feelings as a cloak to his plundering advantage and keep us sickly, little plants. This is a good reminder that even when it feels like every last grape is gone, there’s still a wonderful Gardener who watches and tends, and when we choose to see these truths over the thief, little buds continue to grow. Thanks for sharing this lovely piece of fertilizer, Mama. <3
Oh, if he can only convince us that we are beyond hope, beyond repair, beyond anything good–and it’s all our own doing. He hates us, fears us, takes measures to cripple us by getting our focus off God and on ourselves and our own shortfalls. It’s when we remember it’s GOD’S glory that we are after that we remind the Enemy that it isn’t about us–or him–but about our amazing Creator. That is when we are effective in His work here in this place.