Blooming Where I am Planted

This summer has been wonderful for me! I have grown in the waiting period or as one friend said a few weeks ago, "I believe you have bloomed where you are planted."

It's a sweet time for Jeff and I, one filled with peace, love and joy. We are blessed.

I think Elisabeth Elliot summed up our family motto quite nicely, "We accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing the not-given to spoil it." Good huh?

You see the reason we are filled with peace, love and joy is because we are resting in God's timing. We know that God has a reason for this moment. It would be easy to compare our lives to the others around us and start to begin to think we are not good enough because we aren't on the same page with others. Do you see how that is stupid thinking? I believe God has a plan for me just like He has a plan for you. My plans may not look like your plans and your plans may not look like mine. The question though I ask myself, "Does that make any of our journeys less significant than the other?" Um, no.

Jeff and I have desires and longings just like many of you. Yet one of the most encouraging things about Jeff is that he does not let his desires and longings get in the way of God's plan for him in the present moment. He truly is amazing! :) We both try to live day to day. Some days we are called to serve, other days we are called to be served and some days we are called to do nothing at all. The trick though is going with the flow and taking life one step at a time.

I recently started re-reading Loving God with All Your Heart by Elizabeth George. This my friends is a MUST READ. In the chapter titled "Thinking the Truth About-The Future" she closes with this list of Bible verses.

A list that "brings peace instead of worry when we choose to believe the Bible's promises that God will superintend every future event."

• Nothing will ever happen in you that God does not already know about (Psalms 139: 1-4)
• Nothing will ever happen to you that is a mistake. (Psalms 139:4,16)
• Nothing will ever happen that you cannot handle by God's power and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• Nothing will ever happen to you that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in your life (Romans 8:28)
• Nothing will ever happen to you with God's presence (Matthew 28:20)

Take a moment and soak up these truths. Cool, huh?

I don't know about you but I want to live out my life free of worry and fear of the future. I want to thrive in every season of my life especially in the waiting. With that idea in mind, I have come up with a list of things that will allow me to truly bloom-where-I-am-planted.

Tune in next week to see that list. Some of the things on this list have made Jeff say the words "Susan, you are nuts!" I think he is just jealous that a few of the ideas he didn't think up first.