Reason #27
As I've said multiple times through in my posts this week, this has been a rough week. My week has been peppered with many wonderful and good things, but I sure feel like arrows are being shot at me and they aren't coming from Cupid. I was on the verge of tears this evening as I headed out to check some things off of my "to-do" list. Before I left work today, my sweet cousin, Lauren, texted me to see if I could meet up for dinner. Unfortunately, I had a meeting but the Lord knew I was in need of a good coffee shop conversation accompanied with a cup of warm chai, so plans were made and we met up. As I said a few weeks ago, "chatting and chai" is a very therapeutic activity for me, which continued to be the case tonight.
Lauren and I have a very special relationship. Not only is she my cousin, she is one of my best friends. We are 11 days a part in age, so I guess that would also make her my longest friend. Lauren and I have really grown close over the past 7 years, as we've experienced a lot together. When we were seniors in high school we were fortunate to get to go to Europe for spring break. It was an incredible trip! Two years later, we got to go on another incredible spring break trip together. Lauren and I started college as two little terrified freshman. It was a good thing we had each other to be scared with. We moved to Lubbock to start going to Tech and got up the courage to go with the college ministry on a spring break mission trip to California. One of the requirements for going on the trip was to memorize the "designated mission trip verse." In fact, we had to say the verse from memory before we could get on the bus. The verse that year was Isaiah 43:19-21 and it says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." I remember reading over this verse and thinking, "Really? Out of the whole bible this is the verse they chose? This seems like such a random verse for a mission trip." Well, I memorized the verse, got on the bus, and headed off to California for an incredible week.
Little did I know that 5 years later I would be sitting in a coffee shop, with tear-brimmed eyes, sharing how difficult of a week I was having with the same sweet girl that has walked through so much with me and she would remind me of that exact verse. Wow! God is good! I poured out my heart tonight and as Lauren listened (she's a really good listener by the way), she just looked at me with love, sympathy and sincerity and she said, "Remember the verse from mission trip about the jackals and the owls? Brittnye, he's already doing so many good things and he's going to do new things."
I read this verse and I am so overwhelmed. I remember going on that mission trip like it was yesterday. I remember all the things that happened on that mission trip and as a result of that mission trip. It was a life changing experience for me in more ways than one. Fast forward 5 years and I have had another life changing experience. I look back on this verse and I am reminded of God's faithfulness and provision. Five years ago, I had no clue where life was going to take me. I didn't know the journey that was before me but God began to do new things in my life. Right now, I do not know where life is going to take me. I do not know the journey that lies before me, but as I read the words from Isaiah, I am reminded that God is still going to do new things. Tonight, I told Lauren that I feel like I walked out of one wilderness only to walk into another one, however, when I stop and perceive what he is doing, I begin to see some streams in the wasteland. I see how he provides me with refreshing water just when I think I'm dehydrated. I'm reminded, once again, that I am one of his chosen children. And I'm challenged to remember to proclaim his praise... wasteland or promised land!
Reason #27 - Because he is doing new things!
"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare..." - Isaiah 42:9
Here we are on Lauren's big day!
Lauren and I have a very special relationship. Not only is she my cousin, she is one of my best friends. We are 11 days a part in age, so I guess that would also make her my longest friend. Lauren and I have really grown close over the past 7 years, as we've experienced a lot together. When we were seniors in high school we were fortunate to get to go to Europe for spring break. It was an incredible trip! Two years later, we got to go on another incredible spring break trip together. Lauren and I started college as two little terrified freshman. It was a good thing we had each other to be scared with. We moved to Lubbock to start going to Tech and got up the courage to go with the college ministry on a spring break mission trip to California. One of the requirements for going on the trip was to memorize the "designated mission trip verse." In fact, we had to say the verse from memory before we could get on the bus. The verse that year was Isaiah 43:19-21 and it says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." I remember reading over this verse and thinking, "Really? Out of the whole bible this is the verse they chose? This seems like such a random verse for a mission trip." Well, I memorized the verse, got on the bus, and headed off to California for an incredible week.
Little did I know that 5 years later I would be sitting in a coffee shop, with tear-brimmed eyes, sharing how difficult of a week I was having with the same sweet girl that has walked through so much with me and she would remind me of that exact verse. Wow! God is good! I poured out my heart tonight and as Lauren listened (she's a really good listener by the way), she just looked at me with love, sympathy and sincerity and she said, "Remember the verse from mission trip about the jackals and the owls? Brittnye, he's already doing so many good things and he's going to do new things."
I read this verse and I am so overwhelmed. I remember going on that mission trip like it was yesterday. I remember all the things that happened on that mission trip and as a result of that mission trip. It was a life changing experience for me in more ways than one. Fast forward 5 years and I have had another life changing experience. I look back on this verse and I am reminded of God's faithfulness and provision. Five years ago, I had no clue where life was going to take me. I didn't know the journey that was before me but God began to do new things in my life. Right now, I do not know where life is going to take me. I do not know the journey that lies before me, but as I read the words from Isaiah, I am reminded that God is still going to do new things. Tonight, I told Lauren that I feel like I walked out of one wilderness only to walk into another one, however, when I stop and perceive what he is doing, I begin to see some streams in the wasteland. I see how he provides me with refreshing water just when I think I'm dehydrated. I'm reminded, once again, that I am one of his chosen children. And I'm challenged to remember to proclaim his praise... wasteland or promised land!
Reason #27 - Because he is doing new things!
"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare..." - Isaiah 42:9