Unclenching My Fists - Encouragement Café - July 7, 2015

Unclenching My Fists

Café Menu for Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Today’s Special is:  Opening Up to Be Renewed

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Angela Mackey

Main Ingredient:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 12:24 ESV

Entrée: 

No.  It's the cry of our hearts when the storm rages, the road bends right instead of left, or the season changes before we are ready.

And some days I stand like my pin oaks in early spring, clinging to my dry brown leaves because it is what I want.  I refuse to let go of my dreams, my plans to let God do something new.  I ignore the green buds on the trees around me, I don't even notice that my dreams have dried up.  I just know that letting go of my dreams isn't what I want, it isn't part of my plan.  So I clinch my hand tightly around my dreams.

Then God graciously sends the wind.  And it howls around me ripping my dreams from my hands.  Bereft of the dry leaves of my dreams, I have a choice.  I can pine away after the piles of dry broken dreams God shook from my limbs, or I can look for the buds of the new things God is bringing to life in me.

It takes dying a little to my sinful self to see God creating life as I let go.  It means saying no to the part of me that wants her own way and saying yes to a God who promises He plans for my good.  And sometimes it is best for me to weather a storm and not merely stand in the sun.

But God does not merely call us to die to ourselves in order to be dead.  No, He calls us to die that we may live.  He calls us to trust Him in the sun and the storm, so we can bring Him glory and honor in all we do.

Take Out:

The next time a bend comes in the road, open your hands and let your dreams, hopes, and plans fall at the feet of Jesus.  Trust Him to work things out of your good.  Cling instead to His promises.

Dessert:

Father God, Thank You for Jesus.  Thank You that no storm comes into my life that You cannot use to make me more like You and to show Your glory brightly.  Help me to hold loosely to my hopes and dreams, but cling tightly to Your promises.  Thank You for being faithful.  Amen.

© 2015 by Angela Mackey.  All rights reserved.

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