A Peaceful Confidence

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin." Matthew 6:28b

First of all, this is my first blog post ever. I really hope that I can keep up with it! I will try to write things that are interesting for you guys to read. I have been looking forward to having a way to reflect on this exciting time in my life. I will be learning a lot about what it means to be engaged and preparing for marriage. I so desperately want to pass on anything that God teaches me about it. 

So, it was my first full day at the Focus on the Family Institute. I am still taking in the new faces and new environment that I have been plopped in to. From the moment I stepped on the plane to now, I have a very deep sense that God has creatively designed detail of my experience here. He has been preparing me for this season for years now. I began to realize these plans on my first flight from Austin to Dallas. The man I sat beside initiated conversation about the wedding magazine I was flipping through. He then started telling me about his family and how two of his sons recently married. He was so open to share and I was eager to listen. After a few minutes I sensed that this man was beautifully filled with the Spirit and also adopted into God's family. I learned so much from him in 45 minutes. Through this divine encounter God gently reminded me that He is always Jehova Jireh--the Lord who graciously provides. He has provided me with this season to get away and be with Him and also dig deeper into something that I am uniquely intrigued by--the family unit, the building block of society. I am so thankful for a ministry that educates people about God's design for the family. I am thankful to be here. 

Three years ago I would have been a nervous wreck coming into a new environment so far away from home. I would have been incredibly intimidated by these super Christian people. But I woke up today and felt a peaceful confidence that I belong here. I belong in this family. I am His. We are all His. The lack of anxiety I feel is like this little secret I have been sharing with Him all day long. He and I know best where I've been and how far I've come. This past year has been kind of dry for me, but today He reminded me of my story. I love that He wrote it and is patient enough to play out the parts with me. Many parts were certainly brutal and ugly, but I praise Him for reminding of those desert places He brought me to in order to show me now that He never left my side for a second. So I am considering the lilies and believing that HE will be the one to move me along into a deeper place of knowing Him. And He will be much more creative than I could ever dream. I could write for hours, but I can't. I hope I can be back tomorrow.