Do you know the old hymn “Up from Grave He Arose?”
It’s one of my favorites, and when I am bursting with excitement and praise, I pump my arms and sing it loudly off-key. There has been much occasion for this silly display recently, even in the midst of the pandemic.
A Call to Pray Boldly
More than a year ago, our pastor asked everyone at church to write down a bold prayer or two on a post-it and get serious about bringing it to God daily. If God answered the prayer in the next month or two, there would be doors around church to stick your note on.
The bright post-its would be a visual reminder to all of God’s faithfulness.
I wanted to hang ours up, but God didn’t give us a clear answer quickly.
Eventually, the notes at church came down, and we continued praying through a season of uncertainty.
A Ton of Tiny Answers
Have you ever asked God for something you thought was straightforward?
I sort of thought the prayers on our post-it warranted a simple “yes or no” type answer from God. Instead of one, overarching response, God’s given us a ton of tiny answers.
- Encouragement, prayers, and advice from many friends and family members
- A helpful test/coaching for understanding how we’re wired
- The right books, Bible passages, and blog posts at the right times
- Little opportunities and things falling in place
I can’t begin to describe all the details, especially as so many of these “tiny” answers are very personal.
What God is ALWAYS Up To
One of the blessings of this extended season of seeking and getting serious about bringing our bold and honest desires and questions to God has been discovering anew one answer God is always giving.
Whatever else He isn’t actively doing, God is always shaping our hearts.
Whatever else He isn’t actively doing, God is always shaping our hearts. Share on XA few verses have marked His internal, eternal work in this time:
- “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us.” –Romans 5:5
- “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” -2 Timothy 1:7
- “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” –Galatians 3:3
God’s Big Surprise
Just before the pandemic shut things down, we brought our post-it to church. We didn’t have “an answer,” but we couldn’t help praising Him for all the tiny answers and the ways He changed our hearts.
It was “too late” for the congregational display, but we stuck our sticky note on a door for a moment and paused to praise our Lord.
A few weeks later, God surprised us with an answer that was a bit more glaring and testimony to something we’d recently heard:
“If God calls us to something impossible it is so He may be glorified in the way that it comes about. -Colin Smith
God gave me a dream job I didn’t know was real at a company I’ve long cherished. He set that job in a place we’ve prayed about for years. These good gifts came with so many more that aren’t mine to share!
PRAISE THE LORD!!
Saying Yes And THANK YOU FRIENDS!
Part of saying “yes” to what God’s doing in our lives right now is scaling back on the blog. I’ll post about twice a month, and won’t be as active in link-ups or book launches. (Forgive me, I’ll still be celebrating with you!)
So many of you have encouraged me, given me counsel, and prayed for me over the years of blogging and fellowshipping online regularly. THANK YOU. I’m sure you do not know how much you mean to me, and how God has used your words- your posts, your comments, your emails, your example, your friendship.
The body of Christ is connected, and I’ve witnessed this powerfully through online Christian community. That’s why the story of the post-it prayer, a testimony to God’s faithfulness, had to be posted here. May this be a reminder to you, too!
God is with us. He cares. I thank God every time I remember you, and I look forward to our fellowship, even as I’m around less frequently.
“If God calls us to something impossible it is so He may be glorified in the way that it comes about.” -Colin Smith. Listen to the rest of this fantastic sermon on Romans 4. Part 1 here. Part 2 here.
This post may also be shared on: #MomentsofHope, #DreamTogetherLinkup, #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #TeaAndWord, #TellHisStory, #RechargeWednesday, #Thought-Provoking Thursday, #Heart Encouragement, #LiveFreeThursday, #DanceWithJesus, #LLMLinkup, Faith-Filled Friday, Sitting Among Friends, Fresh Market Friday, and #SoulSurvivalLinkup.
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