Tag: Reassurance

Humble Beginnings

Sometimes it takes getting small before we feel God’s presence.

In a self-focused society, we often forget what it means to be humble. And honestly, it’s quite difficult to be humble when we feel like we’re our only advocate and we must promote ourselves at every given opportunity.

But today I was given the opportunity to remember how important it is to stay small, to remember how fragile things truly are.

This reminder came to me at the horse riding barn where I help out. Before each ride, we let the horses run around the arena to get their playfulness and disobedience out before a rider gets on. Then, to see if they’ve calmed down, we call them in and see if they will come to us and follow us to the gate.

Twice today, I had to get small, bending close the floor, before the horses would respond to me. They don’t know if they can trust you until you prove you have their best interest in mind. That you won’t hurt them, it’s okay.

Only when I got small would the horse come to me.

This can be reflective in our relationship with God, too.

When we are feeling like the best person in the world, we forget that we need God. We have to get small in order to really feel God’s presence.

And when we are honest about our fragility, how nothing is really in our control, then we have the chance to truly trust God.

We can pretend all we want that things will go the way we imagine. We can act like we have complete control over everything.

But we don’t.

And the sooner we admit that, the sooner we can have peace about the future.

Being humble doesn’t mean denying your talents, it means using them for God’s purposes rather than your own. It means that you won’t take every opportunity you can to remind others of what you know. And most of all, it means recognizing your need for God.

Today, dare to get small. Dare to accept that God does have an amazing plan for you, but you need to trust Him first. You can’t do this on your own, and that’s okay.

You have an advocate, the greatest one of all: God. And that’s a real game-changer.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

What to Do with Regrets

It’s okay to have regrets. Wait–what?? Read on to find out why.

I’m going to say something that people who know me are going to be shocked by.

It’s ok to have regrets.

You’re probably like, uh…then why do you talk about taking risks? Stepping out of your comfort zone? Emphasizing a life WITHOUT regrets?

Well, regrets are a part of life, and pretty much unavoidable. Of course I don’t like regrets. You shouldn’t just get comfortable with constantly having them. But they are not something that we should necessarily dwell on if we can’t do anything more about the situation.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t learn from our past mistakes– of course we should reflect on them enough to not repeat them.

But everything that happens is part of God’s greater plan for our lives.

That job you turned down. That date that didn’t happen. That class you decided not to take. That conversation that wasn’t had. That missed opportunity.

Those didn’t happen because something better was in store for you.

Back when I started this blog, I was dealing a lot with my own past regrets. I even have a blog post in my drafts that is titled “How to Live a Life Without Regrets”. I wanted a second chance. I thought it was too late. But it wasn’t.

God gave me a second chance to do what I had longed to have done before.

It didn’t go the way I had imagined before. I wasn’t actually missing out on such a big opportunity after all.

Yet, I’m very grateful for that second chance. It gave me confidence, helped a relationship, and brought some truth to the surface. God loves giving us another try.

But whether or not you find out from experience that perhaps what you regretted was not as great as originally thought or you never know what it could’ve been, just remember that your past doesn’t define you. What your life looks like now is what it’s meant to be. You can work hard to prevent having regrets, like taking risks and going for new opportunities, but if you don’t have to beat yourself up over what’s been said and done already.

You are here for an incredible purpose and nothing you can do will change God’s plan for your life. God is here in the seasons of waiting. The seasons of lonliness. The seasons of questioning. Be willing to listen to His still, small voice. Even in the dark, when you’re alone with your thoughts. God is there, working in your life.

The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.

Pslam 33: 11