There is nothing more precious

There is nothing more precious, beautiful, or rewarding than an obedient heart.

I've been a Christian for the vast majority of my life. I was born into a Christian family, went to church most Sundays growing up, and accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 8 years old. But my walk with Christ hasn't always been on the paved yellow brick road. I've veered to the bumpy shoulder, crossed back across the smooth paved road just to flip across the bar ditch and land upside down in a seemingly empty field where all lost hopes and dreams can be found next to a mess of heartache and sin. It has been said before, and I will gladly say it again, being a Christian isn't easy, it isn't all sunshine and roses. My days get dark and dim just like everyone else's, but one of my favorite qualities of Christ is His unrelenting, reckless love. He never fails to show up and pull us from the wreckage, even when we have lost all hope, even when it seems like we'll never make it out alive. And I've been there, I've experienced His mercy first hand. And those are some of the moments in my life that I am most thankful for. Thankful that no matter how far I strayed, He was never more than one step away from welcoming me back into His arms and guiding me back to that paved yellow brick road. 

Now I still fall off that yellow brick road from time to time. I'm not perfect, I never will be, nor will I ever claim to be. That's Jesus' role, not mine. But here lately, I've gotten pretty dang tired of every plan I make failing. And by failing I don't mean one bad grade on a test, I mean flunking the whole dang class. So I've been challenging myself to let go, to quit all my planning and just follow. Take one blind step of faith after the other and trust (truly TRUST) in God's plan for my life. I know you've heard it a million times before, so have I, and I've "tried" it time and time again before to let God take the reins; but then I become impatient and start picking up one little piece after the other and before you know it, I've got a plate fuller than my dessert plate in the buffet line [I've got a serious sweet tooth, okay] , with my plans for my life again instead of allowing God to stay in control. So after countless failed attempts at planning out my life, chasing my earthly desires, I'm trying something new: I'm making a conscious effort to change my heart's desires into simply wanting what the Lord has for me, not what I want for me. Because let's be honest, He (literally) has our lives C O M P L E T E L Y planned out, down to what I'm going to eat for dinner in 3 weeks. Heck, I don't even know what I'm going to have for dinner tonight! [I guess I should probably figure that out... And in case you need help with dinner ideas too, follow this link for some fabulous recipes] Anyways, I've truly been focusing on having an obedient heart, shifting my desires to align with those of the Lord's rather than to those of my own or what the world tells me I should be chasing after. And let me tell ya, it has been such a blessing!!! I am so at peace with where I am in life right now. Focusing on where God has me in this moment instead of anxiously planning where I think I am going next, such a relief of pressure. It's not always easy because I have questions (lots of them), my lack of patience starts causing a little (okay a lot of) friction, but I just have to remind myself that God provides, His plans always prevail, and they are always better than mine. So even though it sounds pretty silly, I mean I laugh out loud sometimes myself, in my conversations with the Big Man Upstairs I say, "Okay, God. I want to be where you want me to be, even if it isn't Texas. [I really love it there if you hadn't gathered] I want to be with who you want me to be with, even if it isn't ______." Kinda silly I know, but it's real, it's raw, it's me. It's the conversation I have with God that has lead me to some of the greatest confidence in the direction my life is headed that I have ever experienced. 

If you've stuck with me this far, 1) Thank you! You're a gem...seriously. I know I ramble, so thank you! 2) I just wanted to share with you a small piece of my walk with Christ in hopes that maybe you can relate somehow and that this will serve as a reminder to you that God has a master plan tailored just for YOU! All you have to do is follow His lead. Strive to have an obedient heart. He will reward you. And if you, yes you reading this, ever need a friend who has failed time & time again, makes really cheesy jokes, but loves to see other excel in the lives Christ has laid out for them, then I am your gal! I mean that wholeheartedly. God has a beautiful plan for you my friend, all you have to do is take one obedient step of faith to start watching it unfold.