Posted by

Monica

Posted on

March 20, 2013

Posted under

Pondering, Prayer

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8 Comments

Tethered and Soaring

I live in a world of contrasts.

My mind is grounded and my spirit soars. My feet are in shoes of peace and my sword swings high. I feel lost and yet I’m found. I’m disappointed and at peace.

This beautiful dichotomy of high and low, bound and free, die and live, humble and exalt, believe and see, lonely and never alone — it’s a holy contrast that seems inconsistent yet makes perfect sense.

Do you see? Can you hear?

This Jesus-filled life explodes with beautiful contrasts and seeming contradictions…

run and walk

be and do

stop and go

yes and no

Psalms and Proverbs

virgin and mother

mortal and immortal

stillness and action

knowledge and faith

…and it always will.

What contrasts are you experiencing right now?

single and mama?

married and lonely?

yearning and quitting?

living and dying?

striving and failing?

hurting and healing?

disappointed and peaceful?

Can I tell you a secret?

Jesus lives in the AND.

He’s the bridge from one side to the other. He’s how this contradictory life stays balanced. Our lives must be filled with contrasts because that is the exact essence of who Jesus is.

Jewish and Christian

human and divine

baby and King

convicting and graceful

dead and alive

heaven and hell

friend and brother

lion and lamb

old testament and new testament

Do you see? Can you hear?

Jesus is the AND.

The AND is not a place where a battle is to be fought, but is instead the place to rest — the place where glory awaits.

single JESUS mother

married JESUS lonely

striving JESUS failing

yearning JESUS quitting

living JESUS dying

stillness JESUS action

knowledge JESUS faith

Do you see? Can you hear?

He’s in the middle of all of it. Look for Him.

virgin JESUS mother

stop JESUS go

yes JESUS no

tethered JESUS soaring

be JESUS do

mortal JESUS immortal

Jesus is the AND.

And when you rest there — in the AND, the place where your faith is stretched — it all make sense in a wise and nonsensical way.

stretch JESUS rest

strive JESUS cease

pray JESUS listen

hurting JESUS healing

disappointment JESUS peace

When you rest there, you can let go and hang on. Both. At the same time.

Because He brings the perfect balance to that very situation.

Jesus is the harmony and the rhythm that makes this life one beautiful song. (tweet)

Do you see? Can you hear?

It’s one of the most difficult things to do…find rest in the AND. But when you’re striving and worn out and frustrated and feel like collapsing from the sheer exhaustion — that’s when it’s most necessary to stop everything and live in the “unforced rhythms of grace” (Matt 11:28, MSG).

beauty and ashes

joy and mourning

freedom and captivity

JESUS.

Posted by

Monica

Posted on

June 8, 2012

Posted under

Five Minute Fridays

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6 Comments

Five Minute Friday #13

Linking up with The Gypsy Mama:

“On Fridays over here a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes. Unscripted. Unedited. Real. Your words. This shared feast.”

Today’s topic: EXPECTATION

GO.

I drove back to the office gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Okay, Lord. I really believe, with all that’s in me, that I’m supposed to quit my job. So I’m going to do it. If somehow I’ve misunderstood things, please stop me dead in my tracks and don’t let me do it. Otherwise, I quit. And then trust You.”

I so clearly, so loudly, so pleasantly heard a reply, “How many more confirmations do I need to give you?”

Just like Him to answer with a question.

I burst out laughing and drove back to my office and quit. With no safety net. No plan.

Just Jesus.

The next couple of weeks were exuberant. It felt 100% effervescent…like I was being carried on soda bubbles every step of the way. The funny thing about having no safety net is that it leaves you relying on The Safety Net. I had absolutely no choice but to trust Him. There was no option but to have Him come through for me. It was the most liberating freedom I’ve ever experienced. Nothing has ever come close.

I often forget what it’s like to have expectations of God. Not to expect Him to give me everything I want or do as I say. But to expect Him to care for me. To expect Him to love me. To expect Him to clothe me like the flowers, to feed me like the birds and provide the ram in the thicket. To provide green pastures for me to rest in. To be my strong tower and my refuge. To expect that when I trust Him, there’s no other choice but for Him to come through…even if the outcome looks different than I imagined it would.

“Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now!

I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.”

(Isaiah 43:19, GNT)

Expect it.

STOP.