Laying It Out

This last month or so has been a tough one for me.  I lost my job at the end of June and wasn't really sure what direction to go in.  I knew that I needed to trust God to provide and I felt an incredible peace about what was happening.  I was not scared of it.  I knew God had the plans for me, I just didn't know what the plan was.......and I still don't.  I do know that He's been watching over me, even when I haven't been the most faithful to Him.  And when I finally got raw with God last night, He opened my eyes to a lot of things.

HE.  IS.  IT.  I've been saying I trust Him 100% these last 6 weeks, but I've still been harboring my "what-ifs" and "just in cases."  I hadn't been taking EVERYTHING to God and asking what I should do or look for guidance from Him.  I'd been sugar-coating it.  (Like He didn't know the whole story anyway?!)

I had been looking to move to Chicago this summer after I lost my job, but it never was able to come together.  I was terribly disappointed.  But last night, in my devotion, He showed me what I was doing wrong.  He showed me in Colossians about what it means to be complete in HIM, not in someone else or something else.


Colossians 2:10--and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

After I'd laid it all out to Him, today He showed up in a huge way.  My previous job was appealing my unemployment and I had a hearing scheduled for tomorrow.  I was confident I was right, but you know how satan loves to toy with your emotions;  he was filling my thoughts with anxiety, with doubt, with thoughts of worry about how I was going to take care of my girls until I found a job.  But last night, I laid it out to God and asked Him to take it, that I wanted to trust Him in it......

This morning, I received a call from the Workforce Services office.  The company withdrew the appeal.  No more worries.  You see, God WANTS to show up for you.  He WANTS to take care of you.  He WANTS to love you.  But "self" tends to get in the way.  And when you get "self" out of the way??  Things happen.  He can finally do His work.

I can't imagine not putting my faith in Him.  I'm not perfect.  There are times (like these last 6 weeks) where I've not trusted Him completely.  Where I thought I was, but if I was really being honest, I was holding back.  And when I see myself doing that, I confess it, I lay it all out to Him again, and I know He'll extend His unending grace and welcome me back.

Psalm 84:11--For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.