Last week was a whirlwind, and that was not due to a change in business or anything like that. To be honest, I’m not really sure why it was so overwhelming, but it was. Everything is good in moderation, but by the end of the week I was definitely feeling pretty exhausted. I just figured I would share a little bit about what the Lord was showing me throughout the week.
Many things were all being shown to me through the most random and simple ways. It was in talking to a girl about something going on in my personal life, I saw the Fathers heart in the way that she deeply empathizes with others and just how much she cares for those she loves. It was in another girl’s tears that rolled down her cheeks one evening; that showed how the Lord’s heart breaks for His children and just how much it hurts Him to watch them struggle. But He is also the one who sits with us and holds us tightly in His arms as we weep. In the midst of missing home, I saw just how many blessings the Lord has given me and how often I take them all for granted. In the changing of a relationship back home, I saw how easy it is to create an idol out of something that was never meant to be that and it had to be taken away in order for the distraction to be removed so I can better focus on the Father. And in that same thing, I saw just how gentle the Lord is with our hearts and how He’ll sit with us in the confusion and provide comfort; He doesn’t necessarily bring clarity, but simply asks for trust. In Luke 4:18-19 which says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering the sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”, I see the mission the Lord has set before me and what the point of all of this is. In the children within the Romani villages, it’s evident how broken our world is, but also the love the Father has for HIS children is like nother. In going through the motions, I am seeing how easy it is to become comfortable and thus grow complacent. All in all, I have just been falling madly in love with the Lord and watching my relationship with Him grow into an intimate and deep relationship, kind of like a marriage. He so deeply desires to be known, and I am all too quick to ignore Him in what He is clearly saying to me. He’s been showing me how much I’ve been idolizing relationships, my future, etc, and how each of those things are so far out of my control. And that’s where trust comes in. In all that, I’ve also been realizing one more thing, I need to be at home after the race. There is a lot that I have neglected for far too long that I need to fix, because if I don’t do it now, I’m not sure when I will. All that… in a week. Life is a lot, overwhelming, and frankly it’s been pretty hard. But it’s good because the Lord remains constant and SO VERY GOOD through it all.
I’m sure that was all a jumbled mess and hard to follow, but honestly that’s what my life feels like too, so I guess it’s on brand. I love and miss you all dearly.
In Him,
Nat <3
Oh Natalie! That was a beautiful pouring out of all that you are seeing and learning through even the “smallest” of interactions. Wow! So excited for you and all the Lord is doing in and around and through you! I love you, my dear girl!!
Natalie, thank so much for sharing all you are seeing and doing in your walk with your team. All we can hope and pray for you is that you continue to serve and grow in your relationship with the Lord. This experence will serve you the rest of your life. May you grow ever closer with your love for the Father.
We love you, grandpaw & grandma