Today's team journal was written by our Conference Coordinator, Melanie Newhouse.

As a little girl, I remember my mama centering the wooden holder on our table, fixing the plastic holly wreath, and securing the candles in their places.  During dinner, I watched, transfixed, when she lit the candles. The flames flickered; melting, and dribbling wax danced before my eyes.  

Advent traditions have existed for centuries as a way to prepare the believer’s heart to celebrate the coming Savior, God Incarnate.  Advent is a word, with Latin roots, meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘coming.’ However, it was translated from its Greek counterpart, parousia, which the Outline of Biblical Usage defines this way:

1. presence, 2. the coming, arrival, advent; and 2a. the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God.  

This is a season to stop and reflect upon our Holy God sending His only, perfect Son to seek and save the lost, to set captives free, and to be our righteous Redeemer.

This Greek word is seen many places in the scriptures in reference to Christ’s Second Coming (Matthew. 24:3, 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23; James 5:7; 2 Peter 3:4; 1 John 2:28).  Early believers used the four weeks before Christmas not only to celebrate Christ’s first coming to mark redemption for mankind, but His Second Coming to restore His Kingdom for eternity.  This is a season to stop and reflect upon our Holy God sending His only, perfect Son to seek and save the lost, to set captives free, and to be our righteous Redeemer. Through the years, our family has followed scripture reading plans, read devotionals and storybooks, decorated Jesse Trees, sang Christmas carols, all in efforts to focus on the reason for the season -- the coming Messiah, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.

Recently, I was reflecting on how He announced His coming.  After His glorious baptism and His testing in the wilderness, we hear about the early start of Jesus’ ministry in the synagogues.  In Luke 4, we see Jesus, coming to His hometown, using a tradition to announce His good news:

16 And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth…

With the reading of this prophecy, found now in Isaiah 61, Jesus was announcing His arrival.  Simply speaking, this word left His audience in awe. Can you imagine sitting in that synagogue, hearing the original Author proclaim the fulfillment of the scriptures -- that the One they were waiting for was standing in the flesh before them?  Imagine how your eyes would be transfixed upon Him, marveling at the grace on His lips as He spoke this word with authority and certainty. What an awe-inducing moment it would have been! Unlike the majority of us today, the first century Israelites sitting in the synagogue would have known the rest of this passage from the prophet Isaiah.  Jesus was telling them, this is indeed the year of the Lord’s favor. I have come! I have come to give you a “beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit” (Is 61:3-4).  I have come so you “may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:5). How beautiful is this announcement of His Coming!

When we study the prophets, we often not only see prophecy related to the coming Messiah who will dwell with man on Earth, but we see prophecy related to the future day of the Lord, His Second Coming when He will judge and reign over His Kingdom perfectly.  Isaiah 61 is no different. It concludes with the voice of the Messiah proclaiming: 

10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

This talk of the Bride and  Bridegroom is a beautiful metaphor, which points to His glorious Second Coming.  The apostle John, whose book of Revelation overflows with exquisite imagery, also compares Jesus to a bridegroom  and the people of God as His bride. He describes his vision of the second coming of our Savior this way:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."... 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." (Rev 21:1-4, 9)

What a glorious day this will be!  Oh, sisters, during this Advent season, let us not only celebrate that Christ came, let us wait with great eagerness for His Second Coming.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

-- Charles Wesley, 1744

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Melanie Newhouse has called Christ her Redeemer since attending summer camp when she was 17. Shortly after, she began dating the man she calls her husband and best friend. They have had the joy of raising four boys together and, as a family, moved to Ohio from their beloved Michigan six and a half years ago. One of her favorite Scriptures is Psalm 119:169-176:
“Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.”

Today I was supposed to be married. I was supposed to have a really hot husband, kids so cute you could eat them, and my mom’s cheesy potato recipe mastered.

Today I was supposed to be an award-winning novelist. I was supposed to have my signature perfected, public speaking mastered, and money issues managed.

Today I was supposed to have insecurity knocked to the curb. I was supposed to have the jealousy and fear of missing out issues handled, self-confidence accomplished, and security in who I was managed.

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I think humans have always walked through life with a mental collection of things they must accomplish in a certain amount of time. When things don't go right, we’ve looked to Someone higher and, eloquently or not, said, “But, like, are You forreal?”

You could pick any former age from 18 to 29, and if you would’ve asked me what I’d have at 30, I would’ve given the list above. Sisters, I am weeks from my thirty-first orbit around the sun, and not one of these things can be checked off.

I’m not married to a hot husband, I don’t mother edible children, and I still can’t make those cheesy potatoes like Momma Duff does.

I’m not an award-winning novelist, my signature still vaguely resembles fourth grade Steph’s who thought she was the next Leann Rimes, and budgeting still hurts me.

I don’t have insecurity figured out, I still struggle with jealousy, and I still want to be invited to things, even if there’s a chance my introverting will have me say no.

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A life walking alongside Jesus means a life of waiting when we’d rather not.

When we meet the prophet Habakkuk in chapter one, brother is riled up. He desires help from the Lord and he’s wondering just how long things will continue before God steps in and does His thing. I don’t think anything Habakkuk is raising up to the Lord makes him especially unique. He is a human, which by default makes him unique, but his concerns are the skeleton roots of a hundred thousand prayers. Prayers uttered across time and miles from believers to their Father. Why? When? How long? Hurry. Please?

A life walking alongside Jesus means a life of waiting when we’d rather not. It means asking questions knowing the answers may not come with urgency. And hoping blindly with the understanding that what we want and what we need often rest on opposite ends of a spectrum. I see myself in Habakkuk as he’s pleading with the Lord, and I imagine how he might’ve felt when he received the Lord’s answer.

Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
– Habakkuk 1:5

How many times have we been in Habakkuk’s very position – crying out to the Lord, and when we receive something vastly different, felt as if our mic wasn’t on?

But Jesus is at work, even when we don’t see or feel it.

When I was 27-years old, I desperately wanted love. And Jesus called me to India. I went kicking and screaming. I didn’t understand why I had to go around the world, because I was certain I wasn’t going to meet a man there. And I didn’t. But I met a boy. And he changed everything.

Can we live in wonder, waiting to be astounded?

There are only so many scenarios we can imagine, as humans. But God sees everything. And because He sees everything, His work, whether I feel it or not, is far better than any scene my narrow-mindedness can conjure. You see, I went to India, I met a boy, and my entire life flipped upside down. I learned what it meant to love someone you’d rarely see and talk to. I learned to say yes, not knowing what might come next. I learned all the things I’d hoped for weren’t bad, but they weren’t the best for me at that time.

I don’t know what you’re dreaming for or praying about, but I imagine it’s not coming as swiftly as you’d like. Can we challenge each other today, sisters? Can we live in wonder, waiting to be astounded? While I’m sure the thing you’re praying for is lovely and worth your prayers, I know Jesus has a bigger storyline, with bolder roles for you. And He’s just waiting to escort you onto the page.

We cannot imagine the joy He has for us, but He’s eager to offer it, just the same. It is His pleasure to offer us a life of wonder.

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 Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every human, whether small or regular-sized, learns to use their voice and is seen and known. When she's not traveling and story telling with Back2Back Ministries, you'll likely find her drinking excessive cups of coffee, with her nose in a book, or daydreaming about India. Her favorite scripture is Habakkuk 1:5, and she prays for a world in which Jesus is the name on every lip. Learn a little more about her love for semi-colons, what stirs her blood, and the yearnings of her heart over at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.

Last week’s reading of Scripture led us through 1 Samuel 16, where we were introduced to one of the most well-known and influential characters of the Bible: David. In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel is sent to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons as king. Of course, God chooses the son that no one would suspect of being king: the young shepherd boy, David. After such a deliberate and intentional choosing, it would be easy to assume that God is ready to put His chosen one on the throne automatically. However, a close study of Scripture tells us that the time between David’s anointing and his kingship is fifteen years! It isn’t until 2 Samuel 5 that David actually steps onto the throne and is acknowledged as the King of Judah.

Those of us who are familiar with the stories of the Bible may find it easy to merely skim over these years as just simply a few chapters in the Bible. David knew that he was going to be King. Those in his armies knew that he was going to be King. And yet...he was not king - for 15 years!

David sought to declare God’s goodness and His sovereign timing

In fact, he is very much the opposite of the king. He is a refugee fleeing for his very life from the land and the people that he was promised that he would rule over. And, in the pages of God’s Word, we find many of David’s recorded Psalms (or songs) that were written during his time of waiting to take the throne.  During his long years of waiting, David showed consistent steadfast faith in God and His ability to fulfill His promises. Through these recorded Psalms, we get to see a beautiful window into David’s heart.

First, David acknowledges his honest feelings during this time of waiting and seeking refuge - feelings of longing, fear, and a declaring of his need for God to show up (Ps 7:1-2; Ps 31:9-13; Ps 56:1-2; Ps 120). During this time, David sought to declare God’s goodness and His sovereign timing (Ps 31:19-20; Ps 54:6-7). In fact, instead of always focusing on himself and how he felt, He spent time praising God and focusing on His good attributes (Ps 34; Ps 142:5; Ps 63; Ps 124). Even after acknowledging his own feelings and circumstances (that are often less than ideal), David continues on with an attitude of thankfulness (Ps 7:17, Ps 56:3-4). And in those times of despair, David remembers to that his  refuge is ultimately found in the Lord (Ps 27, Ps 31; Ps 56:3-4; Ps 17:15). Finally, he boldly  asks the Lord for deliverance from his afflictions (Ps 35; Ps 123).

I cannot imagine what this time of waiting must have felt like for David. I am sure that there were days when it was easy for him to praise God and acknowledge His promises. However, I’m sure, there were other days that were difficult and full of affliction. Throughout all these ups and downs, we can see from his writings and the history found in Samuel, that David remained faithful to God and steadfast in his worship of Him.

While we all wait for things now, are we choosing to acknowledge our feelings, but ultimately declare God’s sovereignty over our situations?

As believers, we can relate with David’s struggle of waiting. We, like David, have been given a fulfillment and a promise. While David’s fulfillment was anointing, our fulfillment is salvation through David’s eventual heir - Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:8-9). David’s promise was eventually taking the throne, while our promise is being freed from the shackles and bonds of sin that bind us - both now and once for all when Christ returns (1 John 3:2). 

We can also relate to David on a more personal note. What are you waiting for, right now, in this life? Maybe you are longing for a husband, a baby, or a friend. Maybe you are waiting for a broken relationship to be healed, or a job to be provided. While we all wait for things now, are we choosing to acknowledge our feelings, but ultimately declare God’s sovereignty over our situations? Are you spending time continuing to praise God? Do you have an attitude of thankfulness, or are you choosing to grumble and complain? Are you taking refuge in the Lord, or in other earthly, fleeting “fulfillments” of this life? In these times of waiting, may our attitudes look more like David’s attitude, who, in his time of waiting, penned these words in Psalm 27: “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.”

Suzanne Hines wants to live in a world where sunflowers bloom in eternal summer, where her children play instead of argue and where her family has an endless budget for travel. When she's not loving her husband, training and teaching her three children, and spreading education on the foster care system, you can find her writing, reading or running outside!

Her favorite Scripture is Romans 12:12 "...be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer..." (NIV)

So Sarah laughed to herself. Whenever I read this part of Sarah and Abraham’s story, a resounding, “Girrrrrl, yes!” lets loose from somewhere deep in my belly. I think about Sarah, ninety-years old, having become accustomed to her life as a wife. I imagine after years of trying, hoping, praying... yet never knowing the feeling of growth inside her womb, Sarah had settled into her life, learning to dance with the lack of motherhood. We get used to these things, ya know? We hope. We walk through dry seasons with parched souls, and an ache that feels as if it will never leave, but we often come to a place of, ‘Okay, Lord. If not this, show me what will be.’ I imagine that’s where Sarah was. She was working on getting those cakes ready for the men who were visiting. Her brow was sweaty with the work of kneading, but she persists in the preparation. She’s doing her thing when she hears it, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
 
Can you imagine what she must have felt? Was there a tremble of butterflies in her stomach? Anger coursing through her veins? Disbelief? A flicker of faint hope? Perhaps it was a blend of all. And so, all she could do was laugh. But can you blame her? I think about what I might’ve said, or felt, or done in a moment like that – it certainly would’ve been less graceful than Sarah’s response.

‘Well, sure. Give me a baby now – as my life is winding down, when I’m too old to sit on the floor and get back up easily, when I won’t be able to chase after a toddler who just won’t sit still. After all my friends have raised their kids and are now great-grandparents, give me that go at motherhood. Awesome. Yeah. Okay.’

I want to believe, when I read through my well-worn Bible, I am better than all those who’ve come before me. I would not become bitter with mourning like Naomi. I wouldn’t question God’s presence like the Israelites. I would’ve stayed away from that tree and its forbidden fruit and, unlike Eve, I’d tell that serpent to get lost. But who exactly am I trying to convince? I think Sarah and I actually have a kindred-spirit sort of situation happening here. We both long for things not readily available to us. We both try to handle situations on our own, blindingly resolute in the belief that we know best. And then, when there’s a taste of what is to come for us, after all this time, we both get shockingly bratty and petulant in our response. I see myself in Sarah as she laughs to herself, kneading the cakes, in disbelief. I’d like to pull her close, lace my fingers with hers and whisper, “I’m with you, sister. I get it.”
 
I read about Sarah laughing to myself and I nod in knowing where she is. But what I love, even more than how much I see myself in Sarah’s response, is how God’s response to her has no lingering reflection of selfish, human flesh.The Lord hears Sarah laugh and mutter under her breath. And let’s be real -  He’s the King, so He was well within His right to say, “Nah, girl. I take it back. If you’re gonna act like a child, I won’t be giving you a child.” Instead, like every wise adult I’ve ever known, He poses a question. He poses a question to which each of us already knows the answer.

“’Is anything too hard for the Lord?’” How often do we each need to ask ourselves this question in the midst of trial? In seasons of wanting, what sorrows might we save ourselves from by reminding our hearts Whom it is we call Father? Do we ever come across scenarios in which the Lord says, “Actually, ya know, I’m not sure that’s within my job description, so I’m gonna pass?”. We don’t.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? 

Again and again, we read experiences and narratives in which the Lord shows up and breathes life into the breathlessness by saying, “I will . . .”

“I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations . . .” (Genesis 17:7)

“I will bless her . . .” (Genesis 17:16)

“I will not leave you . . .” (Genesis 28:15)

“I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:4)

“I will set my eyes on them for good . . . I will build them up . . . I will plant them . . . I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord . . .” (Jeremiah 24:6-7)

“I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13)

I can’t find blame for Sarah – her story of waiting and questioning rings similar to my own. She is a woman longing for more. She momentarily loses sight of her Father’s magnificence and capability. But thankfully for girls like us, humans like you, me, and Sarah - we are not known and seen by a King who reacts, decides, and gives like we do. Instead our good Father goes before every last moment of doubt or embittered laughter we have to offer, and He swiftly comes with a word of promise. And praise Him - He is behind every gift we will never deserve, but still receive.

So while Sarah, in her tent kitchen, kneaded dough for cakes and laughed in mocking for what was before her I also imagine the laughter ringing after she gave birth to her boy, and I have to believe it was laced with the peace that comes with knowing God will come through. He will. And He still does.

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Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every human, whether small or regular-sized, learns to use their voice and is seen and known. When she's not traveling and story telling with Back2Back Ministries, you'll likely find her drinking excessive cups of coffee, with her nose in a book, or daydreaming about India. Her favorite scripture is Habakkuk 1:5, and she prays for a world in which Jesus is the name on every lip. Learn a little more about her love for semi-colons, what stirs her blood, and the yearnings of her heart over at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.

This week's team journal is written by our Team Lead, Natalie Herr.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

— Isaiah 30:21

The Lord has been teaching me much lately about discernment and about listening; about carrying heavy things and about what walking with Him really looks like. I haven't been in a traditional season of waiting; in fact, I've been the one that people are waiting on. The decisions have been spiritual and theological, involving many people with many convictions. And if I'm honest, the responsibility has often felt too heavy, too weighty.

But as we've walked together, me and the Lord, I have come to understand why He puts that heaviness on me. He wants me to remember that I can't carry all of these heavy things alone. I really can't carry anything on my own. I need help; help from Him and help from my sisters in Christ who are called to bear the heaviness with me (Eph. 4:2). Not only that, but I can't know which road to walk down if I am preoccupied by the heaviness of my pack. He wants me to feel its weight, allow it to remind me that I'm not enough and that I don't have to be, and then continue the practice of giving Him the pack, because it's light and easy to Him (Matt. 11:30).

So this time, I gave him the pack, and he gave me a gift in return. That gift was Isaiah 30:18-22:

"Therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, 'Be gone!'" (emphasis mine)

This is my God, my teacher. He is waiting with me, blessing me in my waiting and waiting himself to show me grace and mercy. He is close enough to me that he hears my cry and answers immediately; and I am close enough to him that he can whisper in my ear. He is behind me, faithful to lead me in the right way. And what happens when I hear his voice? I'm compelled to throw out all the idolatrous junk in my pack and leave it on the side of the road. I get to walk together with my God, weightless and free.

In times where we feel like we don't know the way, we must remember that God has already shown it to us. Just a few chapters later in Isaiah, we get a description and a promise:

"And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness, the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray." (Isaiah 35:8, emphasis mine)

Ya'll. Did you catch that? The Highway of Holiness belongs to those who walk on The Way. The Way is a person: Jesus Christ (John 14:6). And so those who walk on the way are the ones who walk with Jesus (Acts 9:2). And EVEN IF WE ARE FOOLS, my friends, WE WILL NOT GO ASTRAY. There is no way for us to miss the "right" way when we are walking with God! What-in-the-actual-world?! That is a mind-blowing, life-changing, worldview-shifting truth for all of us Jesus-loving fools. 

Thank you for taking my pack, Lord. And thank you for the gift of your Word. In giving it to me, you kept another promise in Proverbs 16:20: 

"Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

Blessed indeed, Lord. Blessed indeed. Help us trust you more.

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Natalie Herr is the founder and team leader of Dayton Women in the Word. She is a servant of God, a wife, and a mom of four. She loves teaching and equipping women with God's Word. 

“There is a season ( a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven”

— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (AMP)

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As the years pass and the seasons come and go, there might be a tendency to overlook them and go on about our lives. A deeper look shows us that our lives mirror that same pattern; they also ebb and flow in seasons. For the believer, the Holy Spirit walks with us in and out of those seasons. I don't know what it is about fall that sets my heart ablaze with thoughts and longings for more of what the Lord has for me. Have you ever felt this way? 

Sharing in this time of my life what the Holy Spirit is stirring and moving in me feels very different than anything I have ever shared. I get hung up on the scripture that says, "do not grow weary of doing good..." and "run so that you may obtain the prize." The Holy Spirit's still small voice, though, whispers, "be still." 

Don't get me wrong: I am not just sitting around waiting for a sign. "To surrender," "to let go" and "to become weak" are all action phrases. What? I know, I wanted to panic at this moment too, but alas: I want more of Him. So, just like John said, "He must become greater, I must become less."

There have been three ways in which I have experienced Him drawing me and holding my heart close as I obey. Hear my heart as I share these: your walk with the Lord will be unique and beautiful and I am still a work in progress. These are treasures I am pondering in my heart until the day I see the end result of his refinement in me.

Letting go sometimes means letting go of good things. I want to always hold what He gives me with open hands. This year, in BSF, we are studying the book of John. Already, in the first few chapters, the Lord is gently guiding and setting my heart on course. I quoted from the 3rd chapter earlier and in verse 27 where John says, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven." Wow, I want this confidence. I don't want to do all-the-things for fear of being left out. I want to do only what the Holy Spirit has given me to do. I want Him more than I want to be and do all the things, He is the true gift from God.  All I Want, a song by Red Rocks Worship, has become the sound track of my letting go; bringing truth and hope to a season that sometimes excites but sometimes is downright painful.

Be still does not mean your life stands still. I have experienced His sweet peace in a more pronounced way in the middle of a busy season. As I began to set things down, to surrender to Him, and listen to his still small voice, I imagined my life would stand still and then I would know the next step. I couldn't have been more wrong. In the middle of the busy, He quieted my soul. It was a gift that overwhelmed my heart was leading me to trust Him for my peace and not my circumstances. The beautiful way He has done this leaves me speechless. I have seen some of His most beautiful work in other women's lives as I have faithfully completed the work He has given me to do. I work in His rest; not from my own strength.

He is at work in the waiting. I wait in the Lord; although, not always patiently. Even still, He shows me kindness and cares for my soul. I believe one of His greatest works in the waiting is the caring of our soul. We see the waiting sometimes as a "dry season" that seems to drag on forever, but the desert has a way of revealing our sin and our true need for our Savior. As He invites me to be still, I realize He is doing a deeper work. It is not that I have faltered, or that I am being benched, it is that He is longing to reshape me and bring me back to life. His love for me is so extravagant that He does not leave me where I am, but instead, invites me into His rest to transform me. He sets me free to be the woman He created me to be. 

I invite you today take time to reflect on your life. A heart check is so appropriate in this season; I call it "The Great Letting Go." Fall gives way to the stillness and darkness of winter, but in that waiting, He works. And soon, growth pushes through and life begins anew.

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“ Thou has made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.”

— Augustine

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Daisy Dronen leads IF:Dayton and is a member of the leadership team for Dayton Women In the Word. Gathering women around her table to seek God and creating real community makes her heart beat wildly, because she believes that we know Jesus more intimately when we know each other well.

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