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Hope for the Weary- A Short Word.

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This morning I was in my accounting class and my teacher showed us a verse before we began. Galatians 6:9-10.

Both verses are amazing but I want to highlight just this one part “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap”

I have heard this verse a billion times before, but today it hit differently. For the past few weeks, being bombarded with homework and the realization of all the things I need to know before I even THINK about starting my career, I have contemplated how easy it would be to forget about it all and do something I’m naturally good at and doesn’t require so much work.

But here’s the catch. I know -don’t ask how, because I don’t know that- but I know that God has orchestrated my life so specifically so that by the age of 19, I am here…in west palm, studying Christian Community Development in hopes to give hope & healing to the impoverished one day.

The place in which I struggle the most, is somehow the most peaceful place I can be. Not the location. The place in my life. And that right there is what I think we need to hold onto hope for.

This is a hard season of my life, but God has blessed me with so many opportunities to pour His love into others and really lean into Him.

So yes. It’s very tough, but it’s one of the greatest blessings. And if this is where God led me…if you are where God led you…let me encourage you with Galatians 6:9-10.

Whatever you are doing, if it is for the good work God planned for you, do not grow weary. The world may throw all it has at you, but believe me, our God is bigger.

Dear the Tenderhearted… – God sees, hears, and loves you

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“ Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.”

Genesis 29:16-17 NKJV

The other day, I was struggling with seeing myself the way God says He does. As I stared in the mirror, I ripped myself apart from head to toe, and when I was done, I did the same thing with my personality and talents.

I am unsure if it is what one would consider lack of confidence or just basic insecurities, or maybe they are the same thing, regardless, whatever it was…I had a lot of it.

Shortly after I composed myself, remembering I was at college and had to seem collected again, I decided to pray. Who better to ask for advice about our identity than the one who created us?

So there I sat. Very much upset with a lot of things in life, and just to add the cherry on top, I hadn’t done my devotional or read my Bible in 3 days. I was on a role, 22 days strong, only missing 1 day since I started. So you can only imagine how frustrating life was for my perfectionist mindset at the moment as I realized I could not even keep myself disciplined to reading a chapter of God’s word everyday.

However, as I prayed, feeling so much anger with myself for my lack of consistency for God, and all of the flaws I just pointed out, I felt peace. Not in a way that removed my insecurities or justified my disobedience, but in a way that reminded me, God can still use me.

So that night, I was still upset of course, but also at peace in my heart as I knew God was the ultimate judge and regardless of how I view myself, only His perspective is without fault. The very next morning, I woke up and decided to get back on track. I pulled out my morning devotional and boom! God smacked me right across the face with a rush of grace, love, and reassurance of what His peace told me the night before. The title read: “Bamboozled”

Leah. The unloved wife of Jacob.

Looking all the way back to Genesis 29, you encounter two sisters. Rachel and Leah.

Jacob (Abraham’s grandson; Isaac’s son) was searching for a wife. Long story short, he got played. He worked for 7 years to get permission to marry Rachel but the night of the wedding, Laban (the girls’ father) switched the daughters and gave him Leah instead. If you refer back to the verse at the top of this page, Jacob was infatuated by Rachel, not Leah, and that was pretty clear. But Laban knew it was shameful to let his younger daughter marry before His eldest, so he did what he though was right. However, this did not sit well with Jacob, for the rest of Leah’s life, everyone knew her as the unloved wife.

Now you are probably wondering, how in the world is this a story filled with grace and love? Well…although her identity was crushed by the judgement of others, God had a plan for her that no one expected.

The name Leah means tenderhearted, delicate, or weary. Based off her name and the way she is described, she comes across as a very plain woman. No special talents, no astounding physical features, and not easily swooning to others. But the good news is that God saw her completely different.

We often get so captivated in what the world thinks of us. Desperate to mold our lives around society’s standards. OR we just give up, forget about even trying, and settle for the identity everyone has told us we classify as. How terrible and sad. This world is so broken that even though we are aware of how great our Creator is, we can’t bare to look at His creation in the mirror for too long before we start pulling it apart, or think for too long before we shame our personality and lack of talents.

But what I want to bring to you today is a path to Hope.

1 Samuel 16:7 says “…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Let that sink in for a second. The God of the universe, the ultimate Judge, the One who knows more than we do about ourselves, states that our heart is the main way in which true character is displayed.

I feel as though this is a very common thing to hear growing up. Many are taught to see people for their heart and personality, not their outward appearance, but how often do we live that out? I am sure we can all agree, not very well. As racism and sexism continue, people have their prejudices, and WE stare in the mirror and tear ourselves apart. The brokenness of this world is so clearly revealed.

So there Leah was. Stuck in a relationship in which her husband wanted no part of. Yet God moved in mighty ways. Not much was said about her personal life. But she was recorded to have given birth to 7 children. 6 sons and 1 daughter. In fact, she gave birth to Jacob’s first child. (Jacob later married 3 other women including Rachel who had a accumulated total of 6 sons as well). Not only was bearing many children an honorable deed in that time which was a blessing in itself, but her sons just so happened to be 6 out of 12 sons that formed the tribes of Israel. In case you didn’t know, one of those sons, Judah, was the ancestor of JESUS!!

My reasoning behind the overload of genealogy is, yes, to praise God for His blessing of using Leah to bear most of Jacob’s children, but primarily, I want to highlight the names that Leah gave them.

Leah’s Sons Names & Meanings:

  • Rueben – “Behold, a son”
  • Simeon – “To hear”
  • Levi – “Joined”
  • Judah – “Praise”
  • Issachar – “There is reward”
  • Zebulun – “to dwell, dwelling”

How beautiful. These names are in order from the first born to the last. What I love about that is you can clearly see Leah’s journey of humility, contentment, and a growing love for God. Starting out as chopped liver, no one would have ever pictured HER to have a special purpose. But oh how God loves the tenderhearted.

She knew she was not someone who others saw, heard, or loved, but she had faith that her God did. As she gave birth to son after son after son, she never forgot who this blessing came from. I encourage you to read her story and research the deeper meanings and reasons behind each name, but for the sake of time, and holding your attention, I will simply leave you with the list above.

So as you sit there, remember that there is a future of hope for each and every one of you. Now I am not saying you are ugly, untalented, or plain. The main point of looking at Leah’s life is far deeper than that. Whether you are beloved and admired or rejected and disposed by society, none of that matters to God. He longs for the tender heart. Those willing to humble themselves before His authority. Those who know He is their Lord, and the only one worthy of our devotion.

Life is not about being “beautiful in form and appearance”. Although it is not bad to have a stunning physique, that should not be our main focus, and definitely not something capable of making us cry over because we lack it. Life is about God. As you live pursuing the character of whom He initially designed you to be, you will find more beauty and love than this world could ever offer. This does not mean you’re hair will become perfect, your wrinkles on your forehead will disappear, the chubbiness on your lower belly will cease to exist, or your skin will be as smooth and clear as the surface of a pool before someone canon-balls in. This means you will begin to see other people and yourself the way God sees. From the heart. What makes a person beautiful is not how unfrizzy their hair is or how straight their teeth are, but how humble, loving, compassionate, selfless, tender, and forgiving their heart is.

So to all of the Leah’s out there who are constantly crumbled by what the world thinks, or even just what you think of yourself…do not forget who your God is. Do not forget the sacrifice on the cross for YOU. Do not forget His promises for your individual purpose. And PLEASE, do not forget you are seen, heard, and loved…oh so very dearly.

The only way to this path of hope, is through Jesus Christ. Spend time in the Word, pray, build your relationship with Him, and pray some more. The closer you get to God, the more you will see His plans for you unravel. Regardless of how broken this world is, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, can ruin God’s work He is doing in the tenderhearted.

“Tick, Tick…BOOM” – Slowing down and listening to Jesus in a world pushing you to speed up

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Tick…tick…boom. I just finished watching the movie about Jonathan Larson on Netflix and all I could say was wow. It took me multiple sittings to actually finish it because ironically, when I began playing it, I felt as though I was wasting my time on a movie I didn’t understand. However, as I remembered Andrew Garfield and Lin Manuel Miranda’s amazing reputations, I knew there had to be good reason behind all the hype. So there I sat, for my third attempt at watching this movie and trying to understand it without any clue of who Jonathan Larson was in real life.

To say the least, I was very impressed with the music and acting. But what intrigued me the most was the fear many of the characters, mainly Jonathan and somewhat Michael, had throughout the movie. Running. Out. Of. Time.

What a serious fear to have. With a perspective of only living once, time seems as though it is our biggest enemy. Waiting for no one, and making no exceptions. Yet for those with a hope in the beyond, that being, everlasting life with Jesus Christ in heaven, time’s threat becomes less and less…or does it?

As I watched Jonathan pace back and forth in the movie, trying so hard to formulate the perfect words to this very important song which his show, his career, his life, all depended on, I could not help but feel very similar. I think those who know me personally, or even just had one moment to speak with me, would agree that I speak as though I am reading the ingredients on a deadly medicine. So fast and so intense, my audience will often lose track or sometimes feel overwhelmed. Why do I speak this way? Well because of the loss of time that every one of my breath’s take.

This fear of never having enough time brings so much pressure to making sure every word counts and is as meaningful as possible. Soon enough, I realize this rushing of words becomes a rushing of actions. Whether it be in the short focus towards my friends and family, or the skimming of a book I need to read for school, or filling my sentences on this blog with random words for the sake of having SOMETHING to offer in case I don’t find the time to finish it before I decide to post it. Every movement is rushed. Every thought is unfinished, or capped with aluminum foil because I didn’t have enough time to look for the plastic cap that fit.

This seems very chaotic as I write it out. But what I find humorous is how slow my life actually is. Yes, I have obligations like school, blogging, social events, volunteering at church, work, etc. Yet even on my “busiest” days, none of that equals out to 24 hours.

If that is so, then why is it that I am rushing everything I do? Well, I would say that remembering God will make room/ways for His purpose through my life is a rather hard thing to do. I am being slightly vulnerable here, but I know I am not the only one, so if this reaches even just one person…thanks be to God.

Nevertheless, God is too gracious to leave me here as I am. So what I’d like to do now is share with you all the great news that God has for those of us living as though the boom will be in the next tick.

I believe the first thing we must recognize is the fact that God is over time. He is the creator of it, so time bows to no one but Him. That alone should lift a little weight off your shoulders. However, what we should also engrave in our minds is the intimate relationship God seeks with each of us. He is a God who desires a connection with each individual person from Adam and Eve to the very last person to ever be born on Earth. His attention is vast and without the limit of time, He is able to spend and extend every second with each of us on a personal level.

Now that we established a foundation of recognizing God for who He is, we come to the harder part…

Believing God’s plan will come into fruition on HIS timing as you go about your journey of pursuing Him.

Or in a more blatant form, believing God will finish His plan in your life before you die.

Living in a society that puts us on deadlines from the moment we are born is not at all easy. From being told you should be walking by 18 months (at the latest) after coming into the world, to graduating high school after 18 years, to being in a stable condition to retire by 65 years old, we humans have quite a tight schedule to get a lot done.

Yet my encouragement to you today is to slow down. Take a moment and remember who your God is. I am not saying you should wait until you’re baby is 5 years old to start walking, or to flunk high school so you graduate at 25, I am simply saying to take a moment of your day right now to just refocus.

God gave us each an individual mission, but we all have the same purpose. To love God, and love people for the sake of spreading God’s glory.

So as you pause for a moment, ask yourself if what you are so desperately giving so much of your attention to, the same thing God called you to?

If not…why? How can you make a change so that it is? When will you begin making that change?

If so…why are you rushing towards a goal that you did not even form? How can you begin to let God guide you through what HE designed?

Fixing our focus, especially when you have an impatient heart can be hard, but it is the only way we can slow down enough to see the next little step God is directing us to. We must not let our fear of time running out become our priority, or soon enough, we will come to the end of the clock realizing every waking moment was spent worrying about what was already lost or what will soon be.

I am not at all claiming I have overcome the fear of running out of time. But I am claiming that my God is bigger than this fear and one day, either here or in heaven, God will help crush it for good. Until then, I want to encourage you with a few verses that have helped me, alongside some things to remember as we fix our focus on the one and only all-powerful, time creating Lord:

Bible Verses that may help:

  • Luke 10 : 38-42 (aka- the story of Mary & Martha)
  • Matthew 11 : 28-30
  • Psalm 37 : 5
  • Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-22
  • Matthew 6 : 33-34
  • Luke 12 : 27-28
  • Isaiah 40 : 31
  • Psalm 27 : 13-14
  • Proverbs 3 : 5-6
  • James 5 : 7-8
  • 2 Peter 3 : 9
  • Psalm 130 : 5-6

Things to add in your daily lives:

  • Reading God’s Word to see how God has kept His promises. And how even in some lives that seemed unfinished, God used for an impact greater than one could imagine.
  • Pray for patience, trust, peace, faith, a surrendering heart, and obedience.
  • Keep accountability partners who will make sure you di bit overwhelm yourself with rushing everything.
  • Set out time in the morning AND night for nothing else but God.
  • Evaluate your motives behind your actions and goals regularly.

The reason this is so important is because the longer we focus on our own way of achieving success, the more time we lose the chance to fulfill the plan God had for us.

Let Your Heart be Holy Ground

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 Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Exodus 3:5 (esv)

I officially completed my second day of my second semester of college. To get a glimpse of what my days have looked like, simply imagine planning. Planning my daily schedule, planning my weekly schedule. Planning my monthly schedule. And most thoughtfully planning my new years resolutions.

I know, the year has already begun and it is almost to that point of getting blank stares if you are still wishing people a happy new year. But in all honesty, when am I not late to something?

So as I sat in my dorm for these past two days, trying to put in order all of my syllabi to make sure I do not miss a day of homework or an assigned quiz, I decided to take a break and make a daily routine just for fun. This routine would include my new years resolutions that I am rather extremely determined to achieve, alongside any hobbies or activities I wanted to focus more on. This blog being one of those activities.

This routine included starting AND ending my day with God, working out, reading, writing, setting out more time for homework, and drinking a lot of tea.

I can’t really explain the tea besides the point that I love it and it saves me from spending every penny to my name on chai latte’s. But as for everything else, I specifically chose these for two reasons. I like to do them and they will help me lean more into God. Not to mention, they will set my body and mind in a good position to where I can be truly intentional in all of my actions as I stick to the allotted timeframe. Furthermore, they help me acquire the discipline skill…which some would argue I need lots of.

I was inspired to make this routine in this way after hearing the song Holy Ground by Passion. I highly recommend it. As the woman sang “let every burning heart be Holy Ground”, I immediately thought of the story of Moses.

Moses was a murderer, riddled with anxiety, but God saw more. As Moses witnessed a bush on fire, yet not burning up, the Bible says “Then He [God] said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.'”

Chills. Absolute chills.

What a sight to see. Not just hearing the voice of the Lord, but to stand in His presence as He made this impossible event happen.

I just love this story so much because as I listened to the song and heard the woman say for “every burning heart” to be similar to what Moses witnessed, this “Holy Ground” became so much more real. I understand there will always be a certain distance between us and God, for we were meant to be with Him, not be Him. Nevertheless, the idea of our hearts, and I would say our bodies too, to be a form of this “Holy Ground” is what all Christian’s should pursue.

Not by works or anything that we can do on our own, but by drawing as near to God as we can. Letting every step, breath, and thought be lead by the Holy Spirit. When we live with this main goal, we become a heart that is impacted by God and live a life doing all things for God. We become a vessel of the Lord’s will.

We are given 24 hours in a day. That is a lot of time, even with subtracting 8 hours for sleep. So whatever you fill your gift (day) with, let it be for Christ. Who better to live for than the one who died for us?

I will list a few common things to include in your daily routine and elaborate on ways you can do it for the glory of God. These are not the only examples, simply the ones I know of or am going to implement in my own life.

– Morning/Night devotionals: direct time to sit and talk with God and grow in your knowledge about Him.

– Working out: maintains healthy temple for the Holy Spirit. Helps brain be more alert which is helpful before studying God’s Word.

– Reading: Intellectual growth as you read God’s Word or books that help you grow closer to God.

– Writing: Personally I like writing blogs to share Jesus, but even journaling about your thoughts and or new things you learned about God are perfect.

– Engaging in Social Activities: this is the best way to express God’s love to others. Loving them where they are and helping them with whatever they may need is obedience to Jesus’ commands.

There are many more but hopefully these can spark some ideas into your mind as you still have a chance to add to your new years resolutions. Let this year be a year of simply obedience and listening to God. Believe me, when you direct your focus on Him, He will help you come closer step by step, but it takes discipline and a true desire.

Will you step back and let God tell you what your takeaways from 2022 will be? Aim to bring chills to every person you encounter as they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, this amazing “Holy Ground”, residing in you as the Father is at work in your life.

New Year, Same Journey – what Jesus taught me in 2021

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Let me tell you about my Jesus

This year has been by far one of the best years of my life. On January 1st of 2021, I decided to dedicate my time towards writing long paragraphs attached to my instagram posts that talk about Jesus. Later on in the year, God gave me the opportunity to create a blog. My “Grace Street Blog” now has 10 whole followers through the domain it’s on and many of you guys have been liking them through my instagram. For that alone, I can’t thank God enough. He gave me a chance to start doing what I love (writing) and glorify him along the way.

However this year hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. I faced one of the biggest struggles I have ever faced. College.

I have always been one who thought college was going to be picture perfect, but such was not the case. It was extremely hard being away from my family, trying to make new friends, managing school again after having barely any homework for a year, working 28 hours a week, and keeping my sanity straight even though I was failing test after test after test. Nevertheless, between the beginning of this year and this rough season of college, God taught me so much.

So thank you Jesus for all of these lessons:

  • I don’t know how He makes a way, but He always does.
  • Hope is essential for everyday life.
  • Have patience with His timing.
  • Loving people right where they are is the only way to express true love.
  • Sign a blank contract and let Him fill in what He wants to for your life.
  • Joy is not about being happy or having a good life, it’s about having a God-centered life.
  • Be still, and know. Truly know He is God.
  • Remember who you’re talking to when you come to Him.
  • No season is ever wasted.

This year has been amazing. God gave me opportunities I never thought I would get: like my time at morningside, my blog, becoming a group leader for the 8th grade girls at Christ fellowship, etc. He showed me so many amazing people I never knew could exist. And most of all, He showed me how desperately I need Him in every second of my life.

So here is to a new year, but may God help me continue this journey of pursuing Him. 2022🥂.