Good Morning Girls!  So I took the week off last week.  I haven't written since last Monday.  You would think that I would be overflowing with words of inspiration to get us all started wouldn't you?  I have had a week's worth of time in the Word, going to church, reading a new book, prayer, and all of the other things "good Christians" do.  I should for sure have fresh ideas to write about about right?......WRONG!
Now there was a time when this would have unnerved me.  I would have started asking questions like "what am I doing wrong?'  "Am I in disobedience about something?"  "Lord, why are you not with me?" "Are you done with me?" "Are my writing days over?".  Oh yeah.....for sure...... I would have taken a trip down Drama Boulevard, and taken a left onto the Insecurity Highway!  Praise the Lord! I have actually learned a thing or two in the last year of writing........
I've learned that there are times when we feel so strong that the Lord is right there with us.  It is like He is sitting next to us talking to us.  The Holy Spirit takes you places and reveals things to you with such power and conviction that you know as you know it is the Holy Spirit.  These times are awesome as you are strengthened, encouraged, and filled with boldness and confidence that you are right smack in the middle of where God wants you to be!  Oh, how I love those times......
I don't know about you, but it seems like those times are the minority, rather than the majority of my experience with the Lord.  There are even times when I feel like God is a million miles away from me.  I feel like maybe I have been forgotten about....left behind......given up on.  I am so thankful that I have grown enough to know that is never true.....but it can "feel" like it at times- especially if you let your feelings guide your mind.
For most of us, we spend the majority of our time somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.  We know God is with us.  We ask the Holy Spirit to direct our steps.  We proceed with faith that we are in fact moving in line with God's will for us.  We do not hear an audible "thus saith the Lord......".  We just "feel it" in our spirit and trust it enough to do it.  Many times we don't even know if we have in fact heard right.  We just rely on the truth of God's goodness and faithfulness and believe He is with us at all times.
"Life in the middle" can be frustrating at times.  We so desperately want to do what is right.  We hate making mistakes.  We hate disappointments, surprises, and difficult situations.  If we could only plop the Lord on our dashboard as our personal life GPS..........oh, how cool would that be!?  To never again make a mistake.  Experience defeat.  Wonder if we are doing the right thing. Oh it sounds.....it sounds.....it sounds.....Hey!  It sounds like heaven doesn't it?
Yep, life without pain, sadness, doubt, trials, frustration, insecurities, and our own personal Jesus GPS.......pretty much sums up heaven.  So relax.  You will have those days.  Someday.  But for now, just keep on doing your best......to live your best.  Enjoy the moments when it feels like the Lord is riding shotgun in your minivan.  Cast down the moments when you feel abandoned.   And trust in the Lord knowing that you are a child of the Most High God, and you can handle life in the middle!

Hebrews 13:5 For God has said "I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you."

Love, thanks, joy, and strength to you all-
Jen