31 Days of Now Archives • Melissa P. Sharpe https://melissapsharpe.com/category/31-days-of-now/ Speaker / Writer / Podcaster Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:56:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 31 Days of Now – Day 31 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-31/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-31/#respond Sat, 31 Oct 2015 10:00:08 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5431 With Boldness We Go As I put one foot before the other, I thought how random my wandering. I circled from one end of the massive store to the other end still unable to locate what I was seeking. Eventually I'd had enough of the random side-stepping and fixed myself to leave empty handed. When

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]]> With Boldness We Go

As I put one foot before the other, I thought how random my wandering. I circled from one end of the massive store to the other end still unable to locate what I was seeking. Eventually I’d had enough of the random side-stepping and fixed myself to leave empty handed.

When I turned the corner not far from the doorway, I came face to face with an old acquaintance and began the typical catch-up conversation. After a good amount of time had passed I realized that perhaps my steps weren’t so random after all. This person with whom I was engaged in conversation kept dropping bits of truth in my ears. Bits of truth The Lord knew I needed to hear for there was a message that ministered to my spirit within the words.

My hands may have left empty, but my heart was saturated with the fullness of His presence.

And now, more than ever, is our time to keep our eyes open to see and our ears open to hear God moving. He is waiting most patiently for us to cease our random side-stepping and put one foot in front of the other with great purpose. Though we may not fully know where we’re walking, we know that The Lord is directing our steps.

Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

God is seeking those who will boldly go into the world and share His message by being the hands and feet of Jesus. When the Israelites were sunken so deep into sin and wickedness, God called upon a man named Isaiah to be His prophet and messenger to His beloved people. And when Isaiah was called, he did not hesitate for he greatly desired to be the one used by God. Isaiah had witnessed the incredible splendour, power, and holiness of God at work when He had wiped out his sin and made him pure. And now, with a cleansed soul and prepared spirit, Isaiah stepped up and stepped out to go anywhere God would call him.

And we know that it will not be easy. Certainly Isaiah was eager to share God’s redemptive message, but it would be a very difficult task to endure. God even warned Isaiah that almost no one would listen to him, but that would not stop Isaiah from speaking boldly for the kingdom.

And although we too will have difficult tasks to endure, situations and circumstances that will threaten to break us, and the sinking feeling that no one is listening, we must know that our actions in doing what is pure and good and just will speak louder than our words ever will.

Our attitude at the call will determine our altitude in fulfilling the calling. We must never give life’s difficulties the power to stop us from dropping to our knees in eager anticipation of meeting with His presence, boldly asking Him to use us.

Father, send me. I praise your name and offer my gratitude for a cleansed soul and prepared spirit. Father, I ask again for this moment is my now. Send me. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-31/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 30 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-30/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-30/#respond Fri, 30 Oct 2015 10:00:46 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5430 Growing is never easy. Often, when we are lost in the moments of life, we don't see the growth that is taking place within our mind, emotions, and spirit.

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]]> Stretch Marks

Growing is never easy. Often, when we are lost in the moments of life, we don’t see the growth that is taking place within our mind, emotions, and spirit. But rest assured that when the Holy Spirit is moving, we are growing. It is the type of growth where God is stretching us so far He causes ring impressions to be left upon our soul, and these spiritual stretch marks of ours are akin to the growth rings hidden deep within the trunk of tree.

The identification process for determining the age and condition of a tree is called Dendrochronology. The word Dendron meaning tree limb, the word Chronos meaning time. It is the growing conditions of a trees life that determine the thickness of the rings found within its centre. The more difficult the winter- greater the cold that surrounds it, greater the ice layered upon it- the more distinctly dark the tree rings will grow.

How very much like our own soul do the trees grow. The greater the stretch marks within the tree, the greater the tree has lived and survived. The greater the stretch marks within our soul and spirit, the greater we have lived… and survived.

And it is when we decide to step into our now do the marks begin to make their full circle within us.

Perhaps this is why Jesus spoke such deep truth when He said:

John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

When we allow Jesus to grow within us, taking up residence in our soul, He becomes our centre. The stretch marks are the evidence of our faith for God is the author and finisher of that faith. He began the good work in us, and He will finish it.

If Jesus becomes our centre, then we become His branches. Our dreams, visions, and grand plans are truly an extension of Him working in us in order to leave a mark on this world.

Let us remember that apart from Him we simply can’t fulfill all that He has for us. The potential of our influence will all but disappear from this world. It is the growing conditions of the Holy Spirit in our life that determines the thickness of Jesus’ mark within us. And these stretch marks of ours take time to develop so they may be seen by the naked eye. The more difficult a situation or circumstance of life, the deeper and darker they become.

Father, as I am stretching, growing, please mark me deeply from the inside out. Though the stretching may be sometimes painful, be the centre of my life and remain in me so that I may accomplish much for your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-30/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 29 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-29/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-29/#respond Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:00:56 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5429 Have you ever had the thought that certain skills may be needed for you to step into your purpose, but you know that no where within you do those skills yet exist? Perhaps now is our time to begin learning something new that will help in the unfolding of our dreams and grand plans.

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]]> Get Out of the Boat

Have you ever had the thought that certain skills may be needed for you to step into your purpose, but you know that no where within you do those skills yet exist? Perhaps now is our time to begin learning something new that will help in the unfolding of our dreams and grand plans.

Nurturing our spirit gives us wisdom; educating our mind gives us knowledge. In order for us to achieve our ultimate potential, the two must work together to guide us in making choices and decisions that will alter our life’s path.

And these are the very thoughts of which I struggled when I hung up the phone after a meeting. I was challenged to wade into unchartered rocky waters when I’ve only just learned how to put my life jacket on. When we come across these critical markers that dot the water on our journey, we need to petition heavens throne room asking if we keep diving, will we sink or swim.

In the book of Matthew, we encounter the miracle of Jesus walking on water. It was after He had fed the large gathering of five thousand with the miracle of the loaves of bread and fish that He sent the disciples out onto the water in one boat while He went up the mountainside to pray. It was evening by the time Jesus came down from the mountain so boat had sailed out a lengthy distance in the water. Jesus needed to catch up with His disciples so He walked… right over the water. When the disciples saw Jesus’ figure moving in the early morning mist, they thought He was a ghost floating across the cool still water.

But Jesus was quick to correct their confusion. In reply Peter challenged Jesus to call him out of the boat. So Jesus called Him forward and Peter most certainly walked upon the water himself but quickly fell into disbelief that he could master such a skill and began to sink.

Matthew 14:31, Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

If Jesus has called us out of the boat, accepting our challenge and fulfilling our desire to step into our now, why do we doubt that we have the ability within us to learn and master needed skills and abilities?

God greatly desires for us to achieve success in all we do for His kingdom, but first we must acknowledge the truth that He is already standing on the water with hands stretched out towards us, and we must lean upon the wisdom that if we really want to test the waters, we must first get out of the boat.

Father, help me to let go of the doubt that grips me threatening to sink me into the water. I know that all I need has been gifted by the power of the Holy Spirit for it is in my weakness that your power is made perfect. In Jesus name, amen.

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-29/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 28 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-28/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-28/#respond Wed, 28 Oct 2015 10:00:15 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5428 The traffic was thick causing the air to be heavy-laden with billows of exhaust. The four lane road had been condensed to one pitiful artery as construction crews were tearing up the pavement,

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]]> No Shortcuts

The traffic was thick causing the air to be heavy-laden with billows of exhaust. The four lane road had been condensed to one pitiful artery as construction crews were tearing up the pavement, and I sat amongst the crowd idling in attempt to make my way to a meeting. I knew there existed another route that would take me in a different direction and lead me up the back roadway to my destination. I became contented with my new plan and slightly smug that I had the brilliance to remember this alternate road.

And apparently a whole host of other people felt the same smugness for I was the second last in a lengthy line to make the turn at the intersection. The light continued to cycle from green to red over and over again. I continued to wait four long cycle changes at that intersection before I was able to squeak my way through the light.

Romans 8:24, We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have.

When the whispers of God’s breath can be heard across your heart, one cannot help but be drawn to the vibration of His movement. And when God moves, our greatest desire is not to be left behind, but move with Him. Our hearts cry is to see the Holy Spirit at work within us so that the plan for our life may unfold before our very eyes.

But attempting to take shortcuts and weave our way around the path just isn’t a part of the plan. It only leads us to more waiting and sometimes missing our God-given opportunities all together. Our time of waiting is of upmost importance for it can birth within us a most solid seed of hope. It is the delicious anticipation of what is yet to come that often fuels us to keep going.

When we are tempted to take a shortcut, let us remember that Moses waited forty long years in hopes of setting foot into the promised land. Unfortunately Moses was never able to see the hope that was hidden within His heart unfold in his lifetime because he attempted to take a shortcut that cost him far too much.

God had commanded Moses and his brother Aaron to gather together the Israelites and lead them to a rock in order to provide His people with much needed water. Moses was to speak to the rock and God would provide the miracle of water pouring forth out of the stone itself before their very eyes.

So Moses and Aaron did just this… but they didn’t. Yes, they gathered God’s people and led them to the rock, but Moses took a shortcut weaving his way around God’s direct command. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses shouted, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” and impatiently struck it not once but twice, releasing the water. And his outburst seemed like a slightly smug proclamation that he performed the miracle, not God.

The bottom line is we simply can’t look for shortcuts when it comes to the commands God gives us in our journey. We mustn’t compromise our hope. We need to do hard things in order to give God the ability to perform miracles in our lives. And we need to give God the glory when the miracle happens. Our smugness will only lead us down the path to sorrow, living with the aftermath that our disobedience cost us far too much.

Father, though the shortcuts are tempting, help me to stay on the path that is lit by your Holy Spirit. May the commands of your voice be heard in my heart so I can hold on to the hope that is unseen. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-28/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 27 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-27/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-27/#respond Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:00:07 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5426 While wasting a few precious moments of time on a well known social media site, I came across a heart-wrenching post from a person who was apparently having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad kind of day.

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]]> Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

While wasting a few precious moments of time on a well known social media site, I came across a heart-wrenching post from a person who was apparently having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad kind of day. From the pit of their bared soul they shared, “Worst parts about being human: Disappointment. Unrealistic expectations. Other humans who let you down. Dreams out of reach. Fighting hard for nothing. Feeling disappointed.”

Apparently the emotion of disappointment had taken a stealthy swing at their soul and its effects were far-reaching for it knocked even their dreams out of the range of plausible. I do not know this person intimately, but I do know this is an individual desperately attempting to take down the walls of their Jericho and claim their now.

Romans 5:5, And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

When we step up, sometimes we trip. When we step out, sometimes we fall. But tripping and falling are all part and parcel in this journey called life. The scriptures are stuffed full of people who experienced great disappointment in both people and circumstances: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth. Job, Joseph, Elijah, and Moses just to name a few.

Each of their life stories are rich and layered, and when we study them we can see how God certainly weaved all things together for His glory and their purpose. And to think that not one of them knew that their story and legacy would survive thousands of years beyond the grave to shape the lives of millions upon millions of souls. Each of their tales are indeed epic teaching us the foundations of our faith, but perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can learn from their legacies is that our emotions do not define us. Our emotions are there to guide us.

If given the chance, God can use our letdowns to show us a picture bigger than ourselves because disappointments bring us great wisdom. We seem to internalize our disappointments- whether in others, ourselves, or a situation- as setbacks. Perhaps if we choose to view our disappointments as stepping stones in our journey, the Holy Spirit could give us greater clarity and wisdom by shedding a little more light unto our path.

Father, you know that being human isn’t easy. Help me to remember that my emotions do not define me, expectations can always be negotiated, and I must accept human frailty. My dreams are never out of reach for you hid them deep within me. And if I’m fighting the good fight, it’s never for nothing. It’s for your glory. In Jesus name, amen.

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-27/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 26 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-26/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-26/#respond Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:00:30 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5425 As my car rolled up to an intersection I noticed a man standing against the light pole with his tell-tale cardboard sign. The neatly penned words requested spare change followed with a sentiment of God's blessing.

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]]> In All That We Do

As I stood behind the stone counter waiting to be served, my eyes roamed the glass wall that contained various overpriced sweet goods. The hum of coffee house conversation echoed off the walls. Small groupings of people had gathered in laughter, others sat alone with small buds tucked into their ears in attempt to keep out the noise.

Behind the counter were four young baristas all busy with fumbling hands. As one employee was finishing with another customer, she turned her attention to another task. I continued to stand and wait with eyes still roaming. Behind me at a table was a gathering of four more coffee house employees engaged in discussion. I continued to wait. Eight employees. One customer with a deep seeded need for a strong coffee waiting to be acknowledged. It was several long moments before I had said strong coffee in hand, and it did not taste as delicious as I had hoped.

Colossians 3: 23-24, In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord Christ.

So easily our attention can waver when the tasks to be completed are seemingly never-ending. And then the distractions often cause us to forget what task we were trying to accomplish in the first place. There exists some individuals who are expert plate spinners able to tackle many tasks at once. They thrive on the challenge and perform well in the chaos. And then there are those of us that have too many broken plates as evidence that plate spinning is not our forte. The challenge is suffocating, the chaos soul crushing.

If now is our time to step up and step out, then perhaps now is a most important time to fully understand what our capabilities and limitations are so that we may work to the best of our God-given abilities. Paying attention to our surroundings in all that we do is crucial in helping to equip and prepare us to handle greater responsibility.

It is our integrity in our efforts that will determine our success in the aftermath.

Acknowledging how we spin the many plates that are our dreams and responsibilities is an important step in understanding whether we are people who will thrive or survive in the chaos of life. Let us remember that in all we do- and dream to do– we must do it with the greatest of efforts unto The Lord who desires to have us live this life abundantly.

Father, help me to work diligently unto your kingdom and not for my own personal gain. As I step out to fulfill the desires of my heart, may I always remember that those desires were placed there by your hand. In all that I do may I do it for you. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-26/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 25 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-25/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-25/#respond Sun, 25 Oct 2015 10:00:34 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5423 As my car rolled up to an intersection I noticed a man standing against the light pole with his tell-tale cardboard sign. The neatly penned words requested spare change followed with a sentiment of God's blessing.

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]]> Our Place In This World

As my car rolled up to an intersection I noticed a man standing against the light pole with his tell-tale cardboard sign. The neatly penned words requested spare change followed with a sentiment of God’s blessing. I took what little that I had and stuck my fingers outside of the car window to hand it to this stranger with a sign.

As our hands touched I could feel the rough hard callouses on the pads of his well worn fingers. He took my change with a nod and a smile sharing the words, “God bless you.”

And I wanted to share back with him that God has indeed blessed me. And it wasn’t with a few spare coins in the bottom of my wallet for sometimes those coins are nonexistent.

Ephesians 1:3, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

In the clutches of this world, we are often defined by how far we have climbed the proverbial mountain of success. But in truth, that mountain, which seems so appealing, is a long hard climb and only God can live on the mountain top. We could never survive for we would suffocate ourselves by the very pressure of the air. The measuring stick with which we use to compare? Well, it is worn and faded. Mine is even splintered and cracked. But what a blessing it is indeed that these are not the tools heaven uses to determine my worthiness and success in the kingdom.

In Christ’s eyes, our definition of success isn’t what we have achieved, but how we’ve handled failure. Our definition of success isn’t what has been given to us, but what has been given through us. And our definition of success isn’t the content of our resume, but the content of our character.

When we step out and recognize that our time to move forward and fulfill our purpose is now, it is natural in our human frailty to expect success- even at our first attempt. But this just isn’t so. It takes time, a whole lot of patience, and a mindset of sheer determination to keep pushing forward no matter the obstacle the world will put in our way.

It is by these submissions of our character- submitting to God’s timetable and not our own, the testing of our patience, and relying of Christ’s strength to keep pushing forward- that we are able to experience God’s blessing upon our lives.

And the greatest of blessings is our ability to stand before His presence, take His power with us, and fight the good fight to find our place in this world.

Father, thank you for every blessing you have lavishly poured unto my life. And thank you that for every failure I have endured, you have counted them as successes in your eyes. In Jesus name, amen.
 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-25/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 24 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-24/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-24/#respond Sat, 24 Oct 2015 10:00:42 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5422 Oh, our bones feel weary. The days have begun to take their toll. Too much of our attention has been stolen and perhaps we're feeling a wee bit lost unsure where our now even began. And sometimes our weariness can cause us to experience an unyoked spirit.

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]]> A Burden Never Meant To Bear

Oh, our bones feel weary. The days have begun to take their toll. Too much of our attention has been stolen and perhaps we’re feeling a wee bit lost unsure where our now even began. And sometimes our weariness can cause us to experience an unyoked spirit.

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

An unyoked spirit will always lead us to an overrun soul.

To be yoked to The Lord is to be submissive under His authority. Like a wild animal is yoked and harnessed by its authority for its protection, giving it the ability to focus on the work at hand, we too must be yoked to our authority for our protection and focus. It is this very act of submission that gives us great clarity helping us to shed all unnecessary distraction so that we may have the peace that gives our soul- our mind and emotions- must needed rest.

The Lord promises that when we take His yoke- when we submit unto His authority- we will learn from Him experiencing His gentle and humble nature. Taking His yoke is easy… much easier than fumbling around attempting to juggle the many overbearing demands of the world. And no matter how well we learn to juggle them, our arms will become so very weary and tired. Taking on the burdens of this world is too great a price to pay if we attempt to do things our way.

Stepping into our now isn’t attempting to accomplish everything all at once. That is a burden we were never meant to bear. We must ask The Lord to give us clear focus each step of our journey. Let’s not forget that He is the one directing our path desiring to protect us from an overly weary soul.

Father, as I take your yolk, direct my path. Help me to focus on the task at hand so that my work may be pleasing to you. May your gentle and humble heart be reflected within mine. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-24/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 23 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-23/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-23/#respond Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:00:47 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5421 I moved aside the soft curtain and slowly opened the window pane to let in the unusually warm autumn air. The sun was bright and shone through the glass pane with brilliant force flooding the room.

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]]> Soul Dusting

I moved aside the soft curtain and slowly opened the window pane to let in the unusually warm autumn air. The sun was bright and shone through the glass pane with brilliant force flooding the room. The first thing I noticed wasn’t the warmth of its rays, but the way it illuminated a long overlooked area of dust. Like a thick grey mask the dust covered a particular piece of furniture taunting me of my ignorance that it had gone untouched for so long.

And just like we have the ability to overlook some insignificant dust, we have the ability to overlook some much significant sin.

2 Timothy 2:21, Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

When we claim a commitment to seek God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we often get incredibly eager believing we’re ready to take on the world. But rest assured, the world is a dirty place and there is always a little clean up to be done. We feel we have already come so far- and we have- but in order to step into our now, we must cleanse ourselves of our latter.

We need to let go. We need to get over ourselves and be willing to admit that there may be a little more soul dusting to do. We need to stop rehashing our past, our failures; rehashing the moments where others failed us. This isn’t because God wants to hold us back from stepping forward, it’s because He deeply desires to give us a fresh start when we do. And the way I react to a little soul sweeping can determine the way others respond to the Holy Spirit at work within me.

There exists those moments where life has the ability to get the best of us and, in the flurry of the hurry, we fail to see the thick mask attempting to fix itself over an area of our soul. It’s when the dust begins to settle that the Holy Spirit can shed a little light illuminating a long overlooked area that has been left untouched.

The dust is enviable. It’s why we need to clean it up that makes all the difference.

Father, help me to see the dust that has settled in my life creating mask blocking your brilliant light. May I let go of my latter so I may fully embrace my now. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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]]> https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-23/feed/ 0 31 Days of Now – Day 22 https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-22/ https://melissapsharpe.com/31-days-of-now-day-22/#respond Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:00:59 +0000 http://www.elizabethshouse.ca/?p=5420 The counter is sticky and littered with not one, but two days worth of dirty dishes. My suitcase is still sitting unpacked in the hallway three days after coming home. The laundry is a never-ending eyesore, dust balls covered in cat fur are drifting across the dirty floor, and there isn't a clean pair of boxers in the drawer.

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]]> All I’ve Got

The counter is sticky and littered with not one, but two days worth of dirty dishes. My suitcase is still sitting unpacked in the hallway three days after coming home. The laundry is a never-ending eyesore, dust balls covered in cat fur are drifting across the dirty floor, and there isn’t a clean pair of boxers in the drawer. Every toy is scattered, every blanket and pillow strewn, and various items still sit by the front door waiting for someone to care enough to put them away. The fridge is getting bare, we’re out of milk again, and deadlines await via an overloaded email inbox. There’s gymnastics practice and homework and.., sound familiar?

These are the moments that cause one to question their now. These are the moments that cause one to rethink now and lean towards later. These are the moments that leave one feeling incompetent. And these are some of the very moments where the enemy can be found lurking behind corners preparing to swoop in.

John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The enemy is out to steal our attention, kill our spirit, and destroy soul. When we attempt to step out and claim our now, it sometimes feels as though all matter of chaos erupts in our once simple existence: spouses are fighting, children are needing, things are breaking, bank accounts appear to be shrinking, and no one seems to be effectively communicating.

And in these moments, these things are very real. The have the ability to suffocate us from within making us believe that claiming our now and fulfilling our purpose simply isn’t worth the fight. The semi-chaotic life isn’t for everyone, and feeling overwhelmed can make one feel underwhelmed to complete even a small task. But perhaps the chaos itself is a testing of sorts to determine if we are truly willing to walk out the dream, not just dream the dream.

Something will always have to give, compromise will have to be executed, and expectations most certainly adjusted. Through all of this, let’s remember that Jesus promised He would give us life- and give it to us abundantly. To give something life you must nourish it with all that is good and pure in order for it to thrive and be sustainable. To sustain something is to give something support and strength, yet the word sustain also means to endure and suffer.

If Jesus has promised us life, then He has promised to nourish us with all that is good and pure so that we may sustain- endure and suffer– this life with great abundance. Chaos and all.

Father, help me to see past the chaos and into your kingdom. Though life around me is threatening to overwhelm my mind and emotions, I will stand firm on the truth that your power and strength is all I need to endure… and help me to give it all I’ve got. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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