Living Carefree Before A Careful Father

Where to begin...?

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Life has just been happening. One busy day passes off it's load onto the next and then the next and the next. Rare is a moment of rest and when I find it, I can't help but to just sit there and eventually fall asleep. It's as if all of life around me is happening, but everything going on in my own world is all that my eyes are aware to. And it's not necessarily a bad thing; I love all that I do. What a season it has been! Really, what a summer it has been. I've started a new job, moved into a new apartment, threw a bridal shower, made a trip back to Ohio in a weekend, went on my 1st visit to Kansas City, and so much more while maintaining a social life (a somewhat small social life). I pretty much wake up, get ready, pray, go to work, come home, work out, then depending on the night maybe hang with friends, go to rehearsals, or just sit alone for a while just to process the day. Oh, but how I adore the busyness. I really do love it; it always keeps my mind off the things that can consume it and distract me.

Through this busy season, so many little distractions have thrown themselves into the midst of the train track that my life is on. And as the training moving forward, I can't help but to notice those things in my way. They can range from the most silliest of things to the most serious. I just consider myself such a thinker and I can tend to dwell on thoughts for hours. Where is my life going? Will I get the audition? Are my dreams going to come true? Why can I not connect with this person? Where is my so called Prince Charming? Where will I live next? Questions, worries, doubts, fears, and more! Can't they all just go away? And there's another question. God, can you help me get through this? Push these thoughts out of my mind! And I almost feel guilty because it's been such an amazing season of my life; I have so much to be grateful for. I feel that the good things that have happened, in a sense, should out weigh the thoughts of my wondering mind.

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, 

it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at meal times 

or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. 

There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, 

more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. 

Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, 

careless in the care of God. 

And you count far more to him than birds.

Matthew 6:25-26 MSG

Here's what I've come to learn: God is limitless. Limitless, I say! His perspective is so much different from our own. Not only does he see a wider perspective of reality right now, but he even knows what is to come. He knows the plan he has for us and how he wants to use us. I believe there are two things that are needed simply in order to live carefree before the Lord: "God, I give you my life. And I trust you."If we understand our lives are in God's hands and choose to live for him, where could we ever stray away? In living for him, we lean in to listen for his voice and feel his Spirit guiding us. In trusting him, our hope is in nobody else, but him to lead us through life. I trust you, God, means so much: I trust you with my life, my dreams, my heart, my salvation, my worries, my fears, my family, my friends, my finances, my everything! God knows our heart and he knows our dreams and he has amazing things planned for his children. Living carefree before God removes those little questions and distractions because we know our heavly Father has a handle on it. And by saying the word "carefree," I don't mean doing anything we want and getting away with every sin. No. It's living our lives for Jesus, but carefree to the everyday worries and fears that can try to cross our paths. God is for us and he will take care of us. He loves us so much and tends to His sheep because they are, in fact, HIS sheep! We have chosen Jesus, and for that He tends to our needs. It's like a daycare. When parents choose to put their children in the hands of the daycare workers, of course those daycare workers are going to take care of the children! It's their job and what they love to do. They are going to tend to the needs and watch over the children who were placed in their care because the parents choose to place their care and trust in them.  The Lord will take care of those who place their trust and hope in him. Live carefree before him because he is most careful with you!

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers 

― most of which are never even seen ― 

don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 

What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, 

so you can respond to God's giving. 

People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, 

but you know both God and how he works. 

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. 

Don't worry about missing out. 

You'll find your everyday human concerns will be met.

Matthew 6:30-33 MSG

Many verses in Matthew 6 have been speaking to me through this season. I am choosing to trust God with my "everyday human concerns" because I know he can handle anything and everything. I have decided to live carefree before him because I know he is caring for me. He is watching over and listening to me. I am choosing to steep my life in "God-reality:" the reality of who is is which is God-almighty, creator of the universe, he who can do anything because he is all-powerful. That's my dad. I'm trying my best to not be "preoccupied with getting, so I can respond to God's giving." This I take as focusing on all that he has already given me! I have enough and Jesus is enough for me; I have all that I could ever need. Anything above and beyond that is my Father's blessings and goodness. My new job that I never thought would of been possible, I believe, came because of God's goodness. Where I am at in life and the opportunities I find are because of his favor and greatness. It's his giving-nature and I adore him even more because of it. I can live my life carefree. My Father is with me and has gone before me. And because of that, I can focus on his will and living my everyday for Jesus. I can give attention to all that He is doing and serve Him wholeheartedly. What a life; what a season. 

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, 

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. 

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:34 MSG

 

Happy end of Summer! I think... (I'm at least ready for Fall)

❤ Ariel Christine

Taking the Road Longer Traveled...

When the king sent people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, "If they have to fight , they might change their minds and go back to Egypt." So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. 

Exodus 13:17-18

Recently hearing a podcast reviewing the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, this particular verse jumped right off the page to me. One verse it may be, but it speaks heavily.

God did not lead the Israelites through the shortest, most convenient way. He knew if he took the people through the Philistine country, there was a chance they would turn around. If they turned around, they would of never gotten out of Egypt and traveled to the Promised Land! God had great things in store for the future, but he didn't go about the easy way of making it happen. 

So often we look at our futures and want things to happen now. I'll be the first to admit it; so many of my plans and dreams I just want to pop into existence now! But God sees the bigger picture. He can see how it'll effect me if his plans for my life would happen as soon as I asked and he made them appear. I could be underprepared, wouldn't learn a thing, won't grow, or maybe not even reach my fullest potential. Sometimes to take the route of the easy way, we skip out on so much more. Sure things happen quicker and faster, but it might just end up being unsatisfying and nowhere near what it was meant to be. Great things take time. It's like a garden: a garden only gets better with time. Every season, it becomes bigger and more fruitful. It doesn't start off that way. 

Don't be disheartened if you feel like God is leading you "out of your way" or taking longer than expected. He already knows the plans for your life and they're already set in action! Each moment he leads you to is preplanned to take you in the direction he has for your life. Yea, it might seem long... but the Israelites were in the desert for 40 years! God took them the really long way around, but it was for their own benefit and to take them where he wanted to bless them. He has a reason for every action he takes in your life; you never know what tribulation God is protecting you from by taking a longer path. He wouldn't want you to face adversity and run back to a place of no freedom or excitement.

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June is the anniversary month of Eternal Bride! It's been an amazing year to blog and speak the things God reveals to my heart. I hope every post has been nothing but encouraging, uplifting, and insightful. I am constantly growing and it amazes me to read over my blog post from this time last year. SO much has happened between then and now. God is faithful to his promises and sensitive to the desires of my heart. No place else I'd rather be than in his will and for Jesus in my heart.

Have an amazing Thursday everybody!
With much love and appreciation,
❤ Ariel Christine