Embracing Your Place

If you know me, and if you scroll down the page, then you know that I am the world's worst at the whole blogging thing. It's not that I lack things to write about, or even the time to sit down and type out a post. It's just that I lack the discipline to do it. As much as I'd like to blog, I can never seem to make it a little higher up on my priority list. That being said, there is something I just needed to type out and share, even if no one reads it. It's more for me, anyway.

As a few of my friends know, I'm fairly certain my pastor back home listens to Elevation's podcasts. It is not uncommon for me to rehear a past Elevation message at New Horizon Church when I go home. They're always fantastic messages, and I think I usually get to rehear the message because God REALLY wants me to get the point. Recently, this was made very clear to me that that was the case.

On my way home for Christmas break (12-18) I listened to the Get Back series by Elevation from January 2011. Specifically, I listened to the sermon Christine Caine did entitled Embrace Your Place (http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/getback/part2). It was a great sermon, and I really enjoyed it as I drove down the mountain. The last Sunday I was home for break, Jan 15, Pastor Dave gave a sermon that hit all the points that week one and two of Get Back did. Then, to top it off, when I got back to Elevation Boone that night, I got to watch the original Christine Caine message again.

When I realized that was the message we'd be watching, I knew that God was really really trying to get a point across to me. All three of the sermons were about embracing your place in God's plan and where He has you know. They talked about how being obedient to His plan and doing as He says sets you up to be ready for the next step. Christine was in her place for seven years, doing her job as the Lord lead her until she became an "overnight" speaking success. As she says "it was a very long night."While listening to the sermons and trying to figure out why God kept sending them my way, all I could ask God was "Aren't I in place? I'm serving as the VIP coordinator and Elevation Boone. I'm working the job You lead me to. I'm attending the school You placed me in. I feel like I'm doing what You want me to do, and I don't feel like I'm doing something You DON'T want me to do. What are You saying to me?"

It wasn't until 3 1/2 weeks later that I finally realized what god was trying to tell me. And it was a big "DUH" moment. And one of those moments that makes you feel a little guilty. As my eGroup can attest, I fully believe that as a woman, it is your duty to do the job that the Lord has set before you and He will bring your husband to you when you both are ready. Not everyone agrees with me or thinks this is right, but in the Bible, God always brings the husband when the woman is doing her job. Rachel is out tending her father's sheep when Jacob finds her. Ruth is gleaning in the fields when Boaz notices her. Rebecca is at the well fetching water when Isaac's father's servant finds her. I'm probably forgetting a few, but I feel my point is made.

I have advised many of my single friends that they just need to be patient, and embrace where they are in life and focus on what God would have them do now. I've told them that being single is a great time to do wonderful things for God and in your life. You have only God to answer to and nothing to stop you from dropping everything and following Him. And that we need to live in the present moment, and not give our hearts an thoughts away to possible but improbable futures and daydreams. And I've told myself these same things. But a few weeks ago, I realized what God was saying to me, and I realized what it meant.

Despite knowing that God would bring my husband and I together at the proper time as we follow His will, I still chose to be discontent with my singleness. I was constantly praying for God to send me a man and wasting time dreaming of what could be. Even though I was IN my place, I wasn't EMBRACING my place. I wasn't living out and internalizing my beliefs that I needed to focus on what God would have me do here and now, and not what could be happening in my life if I had a boyfriend/husband. It was great to finally realize just what God was trying to get through to me, despite the fact that I felt a little guilty for my disobedience and not realized sooner. But now, I am fully embracing my place, which is getting better and better by the moment :)