“we’re leaving all that behind..”

Hey Friends!!

I am back with you tonight, ready to share with you some of my thoughts for today.

Lately, the sweetest angel in the whole world, Crystal, has been telling me this sentence “we’re leaving all that behind” in reference to leaving behind the things not of the Kingdom or things that would or are bringing us closer to the King, and I love hearing her say it but the past two days I have been really thinking about what that truly means. Now, it is true that for each of us, that sentence will mean something completely different, it could be leaving behind a relationship, a friendship, an expectation, a job, a city or town, a college, whatever it looks like for you- that part will be different, but I truly believe the King has a similar invitation for each of us in it.

Think about your life, friends. Where are you right now? Are you in college, high school, are you a graduate? are you married, single, engaged? are you in a full time job, part time, you dont have a job? do you go to church regularly, or not at all? where is your relationship with the King? are you walking closely right now or are you feeling distant? what is your “thing?” what are you leaving behind in order to grow closer to the King?

I’ll share my own heart in this with you, for me it is expectations- expectations on where I would be in life by now, expectations on friendships and relationships with people, expectations on jobs, or places of ministry, literally just my expectations on everything. I am leaving my expectations behind. If you know anything about me, I can have expectations on people, things, places, etc. and never really fully be aware of it, until that person, thing, place, etc. lets me down- then I, like most of us, am fully aware that I have been disappointed. the dreaded word- disappointed completely. heart broken, frustrated, upset, mad, you name it I probably feel it. 

So, expectations are what I want to leave behind- because they aren’t making me look or love more like Jesus. I want my only expectation to be that the King is a kind King, He does all things for His Glory and my good, ultimately, even if in that moment, my expectations on that moment or time period or person looks completely different.

Lately, I have been reading this book called, “It’s Not Supposed to be This Way,” by my most favorite author, Lysa Terkeurst. In this new book, she talks about how her life “isnt supposed to be this way,” I wont spoil for you why she says this, but she talks all about it, how her expectations on life looked absolutely anything but what she is currently experiencing. In this book, she says lots of things that resonate with my heart- honestly go read the book, but one thing in particular that made me realize my expectations of life were crushed and that was what was holding me back from so much greater was this sentence, “Sometimes to get your life back, you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like.” mhm, Yes Lord. My expectations of what I thought life would look like needed to be crushed, or left behind if you will, in order to propel me forward into what the Lord intended, which I promise has to be so much greater- maybe not even for me, but for the Kingdom.

Today, I realized my expectations were what I wanted to happen, as Crystal and I have been talking about- I think I could do it better than the King (haha, I still laugh at that thought). More often than not I think “I didn’t want that friendship to end, or I wish I could fix what I did or maybe should have done to or for that person, I wish I could change my college experience, wish I could take back some decisions, etc.” but what if that is exactly what the King wanted. I know I can’t do it better, so why do I try? It’s because my expectations don’t match what I am currently experiencing or have experienced. Again, I think I can do it better, I am sorry, Lord.

So, friends, you are hearing me say this- January 4, 2019, I am leaving behind what I think should be happening, I am leaving behind my expectations on that person or people, on that job, on that place of ministry, etc. I am leaving it behind because the King is much greater. I want to be expectant of Him doing what is ultimately for His glory and my good. I believe that because His character tells me that- His Living, Breathing, Word tells me that, so I believe that- and I leave behind what I expect. 

Friends, what is it that you need to leave behind?

Is it that relationship?

Is it that job?

Is it that guilt, shame, pressure?

Is it your own expectations of life?

Is it how an experience made you feel?

Is it your depression or anxiety?

Whatever it is, let’s do this together, let’s leave it behind, and run as fast as we possibly can towards the King, trusting that He is so much greater, and that ultimately- whatever it is that He can and will use it for His glory and our good.

Praying for you friends, believing good for you and for I, no matter what this life brings.