Enjoying the "NOW"

I find it funny that I tend to always be looking to the "next" in my life in certain areas (my wedding day), but at the same time wishing it wouldn't come just quite yet in others (turning 24). And yet both leave me missing the NOW.

As I sit and think about the path of the last 24 years of my life, I am blown away, amazed, and greatly humbled. The Lord has led me faithfully on a providential journey that has left me falling more in love with Him and longing more than ever to be home at last, in His presence. I constantly find myself realizing how dependent I am on Him and how blessed I am by the work of salvation and sanctification in my life. On this, the 24th year of my life, I want to say THANK YOU to my precious Jesus who has lavishly loved me, patiently sanctified me, and graciously led me.

Thinking about everything that has happened in the last 24 years has left me realizing how often I have failed to enjoy the "NOW", to celebrate where God has me in any given moment, and to recognize the blessing of that season. So often I have found myself wanting the next big thing, or wishing that what was to come would just hold off a little bit longer. God always has you RIGHT where He wants you, whether it is where you want to be or not...His timing is perfect. When I think about my discontentment manifested in my life over that reality I am broken...I want to rejoice in His working and His path and rather soak up the season I am in.

That is my prayer this year of my life, to live in the NOW, to enjoy it, to "smell the roses" so to speak and to trust that God's timing is perfect, His placement is carefully designed, and He is working to make me more like Jesus. I pray that in doing this I will find more joy in Him, see more of the blessings He gives, and bring Him all the more glory! After all as James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." And life itself each day is a good "gift"!