Thank God for times of reflection!

I have felt overwhelmed and discouraged this week, and I knew that I just needed some time to be still before God, to be quiet and to think. So I took what most people would call a "mental health" day, but for me has much more to do with spiritual health.

I had quiet time, did an hour of pilates, had breakfast, then started exploring... I KNOW that I am suffocating right now with work, but I feel like it's something that I have to work through...work out. I feel like it's a situation that God wants to use to teach me and grow me and that I can't just walk away. But what does that look like? How will I recognize that it's okay to leave? How do I survive in the meantime?

Which brings me to7/22 last night. Jarrett talked about how God is greater than any one of us--or even all of us combined--and that we need to look to Him for direction in everything, not just when times are hard. We need to declare our utter dependence on God. He is bigger than our plans, our hopes and our dreams. The lyrics from one of last night's songs talked about the fact that God is God of EVERYTHING. One particular phrase stuck out to me, "God of my hoping, there in my dreaming...be my everything."

I want to acknowledge my need for God constantly. I want Him to be my everything, to be in my hopes and my dreams, my conversations and my laughter...I don't want to seek Him only in those times when I am sad or hurting. So, now, I profess--I confess--that I alone am inadequate. I am not self-sufficient. I have no right to be independent. I need my God DESPERATELY. Everything in my life comes from Him; all that I am is dependent upon Him.

My life is connected to Someone much greater than myself. My actions should reflect that.

God, I pray today...and I will continue to pray...that you will be my EVERYTHING. My life, my hopes, my dreams are Yours. Please allow me to live before You with EXPECTANCY and DEPENDENCE. Teach me what awe really means. Teach me the deliberate pursuit of joy that comes from an intimacy with you. Give me freedom to be the person you made me to be. Amen!