Prepare

Sundays seem to be the easiest day for me to update on the happenings at the Fowler house, so here we go again. Friday I had three parent teacher meetings (it's that time of year again) and they went okay. I think the hardest thing for me at these meetings is the surprises.  My kids seem to be doing well and their grades are overall better than previous years, but there is always something that surprises me. I often leave feeling like I'm either being lied to by my kids or that the teachers aren't very good communicators.  If my child is really having an issue, I don't really understand why we go an entire 6 weeks without any communication home. Either way, I'm trying to learn to take everything lightly, and just understand that they don't know how my child is/was before so what they can't understand or are concerned about in many times is progress from previous years. (Does that even make any sense?) Don't want to get myself overthinking it all again, so I'll move on.

Today in church I got lost in worship. I am not sure that has ever happened to me before when I was playing the piano. I try to worship, but there is usually some conscience effort to remember what I'm playing (especially if I have my eyes closed) or to kind of pay attention to the worship leader or think through the next chord or lyric. But today, there was a moment, maybe a few minutes, where I totally forgot I was playing piano and I just worshiped from the deepest part of me. I wasn't singing the chorus, but was just praying/singing as the Spirit led me. I honestly don't know if I played all the right notes or clunked my way through, but it was amazing! I got a taste of what I think God truly desires from me. Now if I can learn to get there more often, I really believe God will get the honor he deserves from me. God is so awesome!

At church, there has been a growing sense of God's presence and an anticipation of God doing something big soon. This means there has been increased spiritual hunger and the moving of God's Spirit has been so sweet. That also means the devil is fighting members of our church harder and the attacks are coming stronger or more frequently for some. It seems that when God is about to move, there is a great divide among the church.  There are those who are getting in to what God is doing more, entering into worship more, spending more time with God, and there are those who are shrinking back, who are feeling more alone and more discouraged. We keep hearing the word preparation and the theme of getting ready for what God has in store next. 

And tonight as I read my Bible I was brought to these verses in Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all the people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

There are a couple of things God is speaking to me:

God wants us to prepare the way and get ready for him in the wilderness and valley. Usually when we think of God coming or a King making a grand appearance, we think about the beautiful palace or the royal gardens or a place that is green and full of life. But God wants to make an appearance, to show his glory even in the wildernesses and deserts. He is rearranging our lives, the valleys, the mountains, the rough grounds so that his glory can be seen in us, in the midst of the dryness and the struggles of life. He isn't waiting for everything to be perfect and then he will make an appearance. He wants his glory to saturate the valleys and the wilderness and bring life and breath to the parts of our lives that are dead and dry.

The glory of the LORD will be revealed. God is not asking our permission or deciding if he will make his presence, his glory, the awesomeness of him known to us. He has made up his mind and is waiting for us to be ready to accept him when he comes. We have to get prepared so he can have his way when he comes in his fullness in our lives.

God has spoken his word and will not change his mind. He is God and he doesn't lie. He doesn't speak and not act or promise and not fulfill. He will do it.

We have to chose to be a part of it. If we choose to shrink back or be more discouraged or tired, we may miss what God has for us. 

I am not belittling the exhaustion that can come when we are constantly struggling with the trials and circumstances of life. But I am saying you have to chose to either let God refresh you with his presence, trust him enough to lay down the burden and be prepared for the coming of his anointing and presence or miss what God is doing. He loves you and he wants you to be a part of it, but he can't force you. So choose to let God prepare you for his anointing that is coming for your benefit.

I preached at my church a couple of weeks ago on becoming weapons of righteousness. I have since watched the DVD of the sermon 3-4 times and I am really enjoying it (not because I prepared well or put it all together, but I can see where God was weaving it all together as I spoke.) I like to watch myself because when you are in the moment and preaching/ministering a lot of the time you have no idea what you said (or at least I don't apart from the main ideas in my notes.) When BJ gets it uploaded to the church website, I'll be sure to share a link here so you can watch it if you'd like. (Not for my glory, but for His).

Now its off to bed for me. My early bed time has turned late again, but I had to get some of that written down. Have a great week!