A Page Turner…

"...looking unto Jesus the author and finisher..." I Cor. 14:33

Ever had one of “those” books you just couldn’t tear yourself away from or want to put down? Ever said,

“Just one more page! Then, I’ll…”

or

“I’ll just finish the rest of this chapter, then...”

Been there? It was an absolute page turner for sure! Those are reads you just eagerly consume - word by word- until the final page says, “The End!” Interest, knowledge, intrigue...the whole ball of wax.

Let me backtrack right here for a moment: I’m so thankful for words to be flowing freely once again in my life. Feels good to be in my element (God-given) once again! There's so much to share that I'm having a difficult time taking it bite by bite. I am also humbled and grateful for what God is doing presently in my heart and life, and I give Him all the glory and thanks for it all.

My husband can often be heard saying, “Trust the process!” How many of us would rather be "done with it already"? One day, during the beginning of our season of grief after the loss of Steffan, I remember telling someone, "I thought I would be through this by now!" How naive I was about THE PROCESS. There were many days during that time I would have rather jumped to another book entirely! However, God knows best and I quickly learned that I had to walk this road day by day...and I had to learn to trust God in a completely new way than ever before. And, can I tell you today, as we near yet another marker of that particular season, that I'm so grateful I didn't toss the book aside. It's a beautiful story.

I'm grateful that the Lord made me a finisher!

As I continue to walk this journey carrying the cross God has prepared for me, I am amazed at the way He works things together for good. Sometimes we aren't afforded the pleasure to toss the book aside and begin another. I'm ever so grateful that the Lord carried me through and kept turning the pages for me when I would've just as soon hidden the book back on the shelf - to be lost forever.

Processes can be lengthened because of our choices; but rarely can they be shortened.

God is faithful; and His thoughts and ways are way above our code of understanding. I know some folks who pick up a book, turn to the first page, and if they aren't "taken in" by the cue to turn to the next page, they put the book down and quickly label it as boring. Because of my make-up, I am rarely found in that category though; in fact, I usually won't even skip the preface or author's notes. I find they usually have something important to lend to how the book is transcribed in our minds. That's just me though.

A real page turner.

As I continue this story God is writing with my life, I realize that I'm no longer in other chapters anymore, but that each individual one has provided its important lesson and undeniable growth which happens to add to the depth this current chapter entails. I'm not who I was ten years ago, I don't look like what I've been through; God has given beauty for ashes even thought I thought I'd never recover. To Him be the glory!

I feel I'm in a new season of life right now. I'm excited. Hopeful. Thankful. Blessed. And still growing! (I hope to do so until the end of this life.) I've just recently turned the page on a chapter I'm not completely happy to have had it penned in...but The Author of my story isn't finished. Spoiler alert: He isn't finished with your story either! Please don't take the pen away - or toss the book aside. I just kind of got a feeling, this next chapter is going to be a real page turner and I don't want myself, nor you, to miss out on this being a Best Seller - a Masterpiece.

Fact: God never wastes an opportunity to bring glory to His name, nor are our hard seasons for naught.

I am aware that I write a lot about myself and my life here on this blog. I don't mean for it to be all about me! What I am focused on doing however, is sharing the pages of my own life - victories and defeats included - in hopes of bringing you a different perspective and pointing you to the only One who makes it beautiful and all worth while. I realize that when our chapter seems dark and discouraging, we need a friend who can share similar experiences and testimonies, while pointing us back to the basics. I know from experience that at times it's hard to turn the page alone; sometimes we need someone to help us. My friend, can I offer to be your page turner in this moment? Can I cheer you on? May I help encourage you to be still and allow the Lord to continue writing your story?

This I know:

• God does all things well, sometimes we just need our perspective shifted.

• God never makes a mistake and will use every page for our betterment and His glory.

• We can trust The Author to write us a page-turning Masterpiece - forget Best Seller List.

• We can be confident in knowing when He brings us through, He will use our story to help others get through too.

• God NEVER wastes a hurt, season or a single page He's offered!

Whether you feel like your story is just beginning or nearly over, give God a chance to edit and write a beautiful ending. He won't be satisfied until He's written in the next chapter of our lives successfully...the way He sees us becoming. He saw all that down through time as He hung on the cross, bled and died for us, then rose again so we didn't need to end our story defeated. My friend, without a doubt, God can write a page-turning, victorious, love story we never could've thought up ourselves nor even seen coming from our current vantage point.

GOD LOVES PAGE TURNERS!

What if...no, just imagine it with me...He's got our story in His hand desperately longing to turn the page for us. He's excited to see what we will become and what we can accomplish through and for Him in this next chapter! He hasn't declared "The End!" yet

...won't you rturn the page with me now? Be blessed!

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