There is a big difference between isolation and solitude.
Without the time to stop and doing a stocktake of our thoughts, sneaky lies have the habit of taking up residence in our thought lounge. These same lies dissipate when we come face to face with our Creator.
Time alone with Him will have you slowing down, being more aware of priorities, and instead of reaching for familiar and easy vices you’ll reach more for Him.
Deep down we crave the stillness.
We go through cycles of turning off social media, inforcing boundaries on time-wasters, and the things that numb the deep feels all the while swinging from absolute to absolute.
Okay, no more shopping for the rest of the month.
A month without sweets… wine… coffee
I’m deleting Instagram…
I’ll only watch Netflix on the weekend…
The real question is why do we turn to these things in the first place?
Self-enforced boundaries are an effort to deal with the symptoms, not the cause.
There are things in our life that we turn to for comfort. Good things. But somehow inherently we know there is something amiss with our relationship with things. We know more or less ‘things’ is not the answer. Just like children’s church, Jesus is always the answer.
More and more I am realising that I will spend the rest of my life learning to trust Him at a deeper level of surrender, and rest in the knowledge that I am enough just as I am. Less chasing, and fulfilling the plan more following and allowing the plan to unfold as I watch in awe of His timing, faithfulness and unfailing love.
Jesus, its always been you…
I am more at home in His presence than I have ever been and the wonderful byproduct is that I am more at home in myself than I have ever been too.
Those strict boundaries around those things that provide an escape for the soul are fast becoming obsolete as my heart rediscovers what I’m really longing for is found in Him.
I’ve been confessing Psalm 23 of late. ‘He restores my soul.’
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
And John 3:2 is a beautiful reminder…
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
This is my prayer for you today.
Be blessed,
Carly is a writer living on the Gold Coast, Australia with her husband Joe and their two girls: Beni and Selah. She is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, a lover of His Church, His people, His Word and life in general. Daughter Wait! is the first of many books she hopes to write.
She first book Daughter Wait! is an engaging conversation on dating and relationships as well as a memoir where she shares her heartbreaking experience of unplanned pregnancy, abortion and the road to restoration.
ORDER DAUGHTER WAIT! or Read a Sample Chapter here.
Daughter Wait! is an invitation to consider a different approach to dating and relationships. If you have ever wondered:
How do I have a Godly relationship?
How do I know if he is the one?
What are realistic boundaries in a Christian relationship?
How do I move on from a broken heart?
Then this book is for you.
Written in Carly’s unique conversational style, you’ll cry, laugh and cheer as you follow her story of love and loss. Daughter Wait is a timeless reminder that regardless of your past, God has the best for your future.