By Amber Payne, Campus Pastor

My Sisters- I found this piece I wrote just before God brought CLC into our lives.  I thought you might enjoy the encouragement of knowing truly God works all things for good to those who love Him!
 

Well my friends- we are in fact moving. What a crazy, fun, scary, exciting, amazing turn my life is taking right now. To where we do not know yet but I have a feeling it’s going to be an exceptional move. I really believe God is placing us in a position to use everything we have learned in the past 10 years of ministry and all of our talents in one dynamic ministry opportunity.

I trust God.  Why wouldn’t I? He brought me through so much this year. Post-Partum Depression (after 16 months-16 long, dark months) is gone! I trusted God had a reason for this usually eternal optimist to go through this. I know there is always purpose behind every valley and mountain we face.   I can honestly say I worshiped my way through it.

With renewed joy, God has given us such peace about our future. My heart loves all those who we leave behind here but they also know that  “all things work together for the good of those who love our Lord.”

One great thing about moving is that when you’re packing you find stuff you didn’t know you had. I just found some new writings of my mother’s we never knew or forgot we had. Dad gave me a box of mom’s knick knacks and low and behold, there was a lovely sermon she wrote. I also found a hair brush I had been missing (less important- but also appreciated!) Anyway, Mom’s writings about faith have so inspired me!

Isn’t that just like God to feed your hungry, desperate soul! Isaiah 55:12 says, “For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace!”

Knowing God is an adventurous journey. One moment we are enjoying a grand scenic view and the very next minute we are clinging for life to a thin rope! We all go through a series of battles where we think we are going to win, only to find ourselves wounded. So often we allow hurt, anger, and even defeat to seep into our spirit, spreading the infection of our wounding.

Understand that often God allows us to be wounded so He may prove His healing power to us. His desire is for us to fully learn to rely upon Him. He wants to remind us of His stripes, His wounds, so that in our suffering we might see ahead to His resurrection and our victory.

When we begin to look at the “God angle” or the “God perspective” of our situations, we can then turn from sorrow and anxious living in expectation and growth, trusting always that He sees our big picture! How lovely it is when we allow him total artistic rights!

I took new pictures this week in a beautiful forest (my friend Sharron’s back yard). Walking through the fallen braches and leaves, (and oops, stumbling on a few rocks), I finally got to a lovely tree swing. What a wonderful surprise it was in the middle of lush green trees! Who would have known such a place existed? Well Sharron did for one, and also, God- the one who sees all that is ahead.

How awesome that in our lives, even when we walk blinded through a forest stumbling on rocky times and tripping up on the fallen branches of our misplaced hopes, still God who sees all that is ahead- has a surprising place of rest and beauty for us.

So “Go out with Joy, and be led forth with peace. The hills shall break forth before you in singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Is. 55:12

Posted under Devotion