High Fives From God

Hello friends! It's been a while since I have written and I do apologize! I am so excited to be writing this piece today and I hope you find enjoyment in the top five things God has taught me over the course of this year. Grab your favorite snack and/or drink and let's get into it!

Number 1: What is a relationship?

Here's the deal. I went into a relationship with Jesus thinking, "yeah I know what a relationship is" and turns out, I had the slightest clue. I knew absolutely nothing so that showed me that I went into my friendships and even an intimate relationship all wrong. A relationship with Jesus isn't for the blessings or only to get into Heaven. A relationship should have purpose and meaning. A relationship requires patience, love, joy, kindness, selfless, compassionate, gentle, and so on and so forth and what have you. A relationship should never be one sided or about one person. A relationship is about two people who commit to each other through thick or thin and work together to achieve a common goal. That goal can be marriage, adventure, grow more vulnerable and grow deeper into fellowship, whatever it may be, you are both working towards something. I learned that Jesus is my leader and that He is much stronger and much wiser than I am. I enjoy His company and learning about His wisdom. With that I have learned relationships is about willingness. Are you willing to count the cost or consider what you might lose in order to pursue Jesus or even in your earthly relationships? Are you willing to put in the work or commit no matter how you are feeling and such? That one was heavy for me. Relationships should be about keeping each other's interests at heart and trying to do all that we can to honor and bring glory to Jesus. I think of my walk with Jesus and I am reminded in Isaiah 43 that I was made for God's glory. How can I bring God glory each day with our relationship, my relationship with myself, and earthly relationships? I have learned that by living in the gifts that God has given me and giving up past ways of living has really helped me understand who God is and why He made me for His glory. God is Holy and set apart. He can not dwell where there is evil. When we give our lives to Jesus and accept Him into our hearts, Jesus has made a way for us to be Holy and set apart with God. God is able to dwell within us because of our commitment to follow, love, and be faithful to Jesus. This is why it is so important to live out the life that Jesus wants us to live. It is nothing that we have done but what Jesus has done! That was a lot! I could seriously keep going on this one haha!

Number 2: God is the blessing

For the first part of this year, I will admit I was more interested in God's blessings than God himself. I know, horrible. I know sadly what it feels like to be used for material things all too well and that was a very convicting moment for me. My mindset switched at the end of October. I came to the realization that God does not owe me anything. The greatest blessing I could ever receive is the blood of Jesus that washed me clean. The greatest blessing is God himself. He alone is enough. Don't get me wrong if God wants to bless me and reward me, I will enjoy it 100% enjoy and praise Him for giving me His best! What I'm trying to say is God is not a genie. He is the creator, a king, a father, a friend. He is more than someone who gives blessings. He holds truth, love, faithfulness, compassion, forgiveness and those things should be the greatest blessings in our life. He deserves our praise, our best, our entire being! Sometimes those things can just be surrender or our tears. Other times they can be shouts of praise or that fire that He can only spark! Instead of comparing and complaining about things, being content with where God has us is the honoring God and showing God our gratitude. Being content with who God is alone is something that I am going to continue embracing throughout this next year. God is the blessing.

Number 3: Meaningless to Meaning

This one was a lot but really opened my eyes. I have a lot of stuff. Like A LOT! When you work at a makeup store I mean you can imagine how hard it is to not buy things. I don't even buy things they just gift me with things each month. When I have seen people come into the store buying all these things or even me receiving products I just think, all of this is meaningless. These products, these clothes, these things can not get you into Heaven. Jesus tells us to store up treasures in Heaven and not on earth. What does that mean? Store up His truth, store up His fruit, store up experiences and interactions with His creation, store up one on one time with Jesus each day. Take care and be responsible with what you do have now because when God sees you are faithful with little, then He will trust you with much! He is preparing a place for you in Heaven! Don't waste time, money, or habits on things that won't add anything to your life; that's meaningless. Instead, be responsible with the daily bread God has given, the things that hold eternal meaning! I am learning to be more minimalistic and to be responsible with the things that God has given me not for my sake but so God can trust me with more that He has for me in seasons to come! Enjoy His creation and blessings yes but don't try and gain the world with material things or temporary things. I hope that made sense. Sometimes it comes out wrong!

Number 4: God takes the bad and turns into a beautiful garden

I am not going to lie, these last 3-4 months have been test after test. I feel like I am in a season of Job. Here's the thing I have learned. The enemy has to ask God to test us. The devil himself asks God to mess with us. The fact that God trusts us enough to allow the enemy to mess with us makes me happy actually. I told God after the youth conference I went to in October that I was committed to Him and no matter how hard things got I am not leaving His side. Let me tell you, after that it was like boom tests. I went through a really hard breakup but I did not let that affect my walk with God instead, I became more dependent on Him. It hurt so bad and would wake up in the middle of the night and just pray that God would work everything out for His glory. I prayed that if it was His will that He would make a way for us and bless it. I remember going into that chapel and into Tuesday night women's group and just being like, "I am so close to giving up." I remembered my promise I made to God that I was committed through thick and thin. I told God these are literally my words, " I am too stubborn to give up on You." After church one Sunday, I was driving down the road and all I hear in my head is, "car accident." IMMEDIATELY!! I got into a car accident. My car is in smoke, it's totaled, and I am full on having a panic attack. All I thought in that moment was Jp. I am calling, texting trying to get a hold of him, my dad is driving 3 or more hours after dropping my mom off at the airport to come to me, and all I could think about doing while standing on the side of the road waiting for Jp's host family to get me to take me to the hospital was sing praises to God. I remember singing, "O Come to the Altar," by the group: Elevation Worship. Literally, I was standing there with all my stuff watching my car being towed away, with a police officer in his car waiting until I was picked up and all I could do in that moment was sing that song. I get to the hospital and this nurse walks in and he goes, "Well young lady, what are you going to do with your life?" I was so caught off guard, I was thinking, "dude I literally just got out of a car accident and you're seriously asking me a serious question about my life?" All I said was, "keep going to school I guess." He looked at me in a disappointing way and walked out. I had no idea who that guy even was but I that's a question that I ask myself daily. My dad walks into my room and he goes, "Emily, how on earth is your blood pressure normal after all of that?" I seriously looked at my dad and I go, "It's the Lord's peace and love that surpasses all understanding literally." Jp's host mom allowed me to stay over at her house and rest for a couple days so I wasn't all by myself. I was so ready for Jp to get home from work that night. I stayed up waiting for him until he got home. He got home and he came straight to his room and saw me. He took such good care of me those two days because I quite literally couldn't move or do anything. He gave me rides and we started slower talking to each other again. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE NOVEL! I AM SIMPLY EXPLAINING GOD'S GOODNESS! THIS IS NOT THE HALLMARK CHANNEL! Anyways, he asked me one day in class if I wanted to get breakfast with him and talk about everything. End of the story we are happily back together thriving in every way! In fact I would say it's 10 times better than it was before. My car was indeed totaled but the Lord blessed me with amazing parents who got me a new car that's ten times better than Betsy, my previous car. All to say, God really uses our brokenness, our unknowns, our mess, and turns it around and makes it into a beautiful garden. What really got me through that season was John 15:1-8. I really encourage you to read that. All that got me through each day during that time was verse 5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me." Those 8 verses are still what I am trying to live out each day because apart from Him I am absolutely nothing!

Number 5: The more you seek God, the more the way you live changes

I have been praying for the past 4-5 months that God would just give me the ick on things that give him the ick. I am telling you, everything became an ick. I was like, "dang this is overwhelming." When you commit and go all in with God, you COMMIT and go ALL IN with God. You don't pick and choose. A good example: I loved listening to Taylor Swift and the top hits and now I'm like nah I'm good. The books I read I was like, "really, I enjoyed reading things like this?" Guys it was like my eyes were seriously opened. God started planting dreams and things in my heart. Sometimes when I think about all that God has for me, my spirit jumps. I tell Jp sometimes when I feel something coming or stirring in my spirit I go, "Jp my spirit jumped, God's cooking." With this there's those darn tests. I get the yes I am ready to grow but then when you're actually in the growing part it's like oh crap, get me out. I saw something and it talked about how instead of asking God to deliver you, because He will don't worry, ask for understanding in the trial. Pitch a tent and let the uncomfortable sharpen you. My friend told me one time, "if you are experiencing a smooth sailing christian life, you are doing something wrong." When I experience tribulation, I am starting to switch my mindset into giving praise and joy to God because one, like I said before, God trusts me in with this test and two, I am doing something right that the enemy has to attack me. It gives me even more motivation to lean into God and seek more understanding. It gives me even more motivation to step into my calling and to proclaim and follow Jesus.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed what God has revealed to me over the course of the year. It has been hard yes but, God has made it so easy. God has blessed me with adventure, wins, hardships, and restoration! I am honored to serve and have a relationship with such a loving, gentle, and faithful God! My prayer for you this next year would to read the Word, let God's truth and His spirit to convict you, teach you, and correct you! I love you all! See you in 2024! <3