grace – Collective Circle Gathering

Worth It All

June 27, 2019June 27, 2019 Hannah B.

The Darkness – It isn’t supposed to be like this

Last October, I surrendered everything I had been holding onto to God. Within a matter of days, my life changed and since then the only thing I have been able to hold on to is God. He began a new work in me that is uncomfortable, scary, and frustrating. Though this process seems so dark, I have been learning to trust and depend on Him more than I ever have. During this time of my life, I realized that He is answering my prayer to go deeper and on another level with Him. The deepness that He is taking me through requires a trusting faith, a real faith without any room for doubt or another plan, and a faith that can’t be measured by expectations of even human comprehension. A faith that is completely reliant on God to carry out His Will, His Way.

The Call – This was not a part of the plan

I’ll never forget the Sunday Morning that I audibly heard God begin to answer my payer and confirm that I was to go to Greece on a mission trip. During the prayer at the end of service, I audibly heard God tell me that my sign to go would be “eating Greek food”. Of course, God does not answer prayers like this. Right? Apparently, if you pray for a sign to hit you over the head like a cast iron skillet, you do get your answer and it is never in the way you expect but ironically in a way that is real to you.

During this time, I remember replying to God as if we were having a conversation that I wouldn’t be going because we do not have Greek food in Eastern Kentucky so of course, I knew I would not be going to Greece to be a part of this mission trip. End of Story – I tried, I sought, and did my part. What a relief! Although I felt relief, I must admit that I was disappointed as well. Isn’t life funny sometimes? I was even rebuking myself for having thoughts of eating Greek food in church – I had never tasted Greek food so why was I even thinking like that?

As we were getting in our car to leave, a friend came up to me and handed me a container of food. I thanked her and asked, “What kind of food is this?” Her response caused my breath to stop as I heard her say, “It’s Greek.”
In the moment, I realized that was indeed God’s spirit talking to my spirit and I heard the audible voice of God. I explained everything to my husband, of course, with a “you’re not going to believe me!” and in the church parking lot my fate was sealed – I was going to Greece and God had answered my prayer in such a way that I could not deny it, nor could I say no.

I was going to see the process through and would do everything in my power that I was supposed to do to follow through with my commitment to God and the plan He has for my life. It has been a bumpy journey – I have been stretched in ways I could have done without, but my faith has soared and is continuing to a new level. There were many times I questioned if I could even be able to go due to time off, increase of the cost of the trip, deadlines to have a percentage of the trip paid for, and the dates of the trip being adjusted due to unforeseen circumstances. Family and friends have questioned why I am even doing this and have suggested that it is not the right time. God put a Rhema Word in my heart and He audibly told me the sign I would receive before it happened, so I have been clinging to that Word and trusting God to provide. When our trip price increased, I was experiencing many sleepless nights and one night when I woke up, God reminded me, “God’s Will, God’s Bill.”

From that moment on, I chose to have faith that God would carry out His provision for the spoken word I received. God has given me these moments to have something to cling to when the doubts and questions come in and when my mind races. I always go back to that Sunday in the church pew. Now, it is less than a couple of days that my bill is due, and I only owe $184. God is faithful, and He does provide. His ways are higher, greater, and as humans, we just can’t understand.

The Day I Died

This season of darkness has not lifted but the beautiful thing about walking through this time in my life is that when God does speak it is audible, loud, and clear. It can not be denied that it is God. As the days approaching until our team leaves for Greece, I must admit that I am beginning to have my reservations as questions run through my mind. Am I doing the right thing? Is it selfish of me to leave my kids and potentially risk my life causing them to not grow up without their mom? I can’t help but remember the pain of losing my dad at 19. Leave my husband widowed? Leave my mom with her worst fear coming true? My heart tightens with deep pain thinking about these scenarios.

The truth is even in today’s society, no matter where we go as Christians, we have the chance of being persecuted and that is growing every day. People lay down their lives willingly every day. Am I truly ready to lay down my life? As I have been asking myself this hard question, I have come to realize that yes, I am. In the face of the unthinkable, if my wonderful Savior has the unthinkable apart of His great plan then I will trust His heart. I will be joyous that I was given the opportunity.

Sometimes I must take a deep breath and move forward. I’m not sure what circumstances await me, but I do know that I will be forever changed. I’ll gladly go, dying to self every day if that is what it takes. He called me. Life does not exist apart from God and through Him, I am alive.

Seeking to go deeper with God has taken me into the darkness but during this time I am learning His voice, who He is, who I am, and hopefully, discover another part of me that is waiting to be unleashed.
Even though I am blindly following, I can’t wait to see what is about to happen – not just in my relationship with Jesus, but on this trip, and in the next season of my life. For now, I’m trusting His good, good heart because He is worth it all.

Photo Credit: Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

Barefoot Devotions

Joy In The Pressing

October 5, 2018October 31, 2018 Hannah B.

As a child growing up, one of my favorite games was Dominoes. However, I hardly ever played the game according to the instructions. I would line all of the game pieces at the right distances so that when one would fall it would start a reaction of them all falling. I can remember listening to the sound of the tap of each domino falling against the nearest game piece. My eyes would follow the train with the expectation of picking up all of the pieces and starting over again.

At some point in our lives, we may have surrounded ourselves with people or choices that led to our ultimate downfall, leaving us on the floor in a tangled web of sins and calamity. Perhaps you are one with the gift of discernment who was able to see the disaster waiting for you if you did not make the right choice.

Maybe you have been put in a situation that you had no control over or it is what you were born into.

Ultimately, you can not change the shoes you have already walked in or been placed in, but you can change choose to make a decision that will cause a positive reaction to unfortunate circumstances. In life, you are bound to have circumstances that hurt emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially. The Bible tells us in John 16:33 that the trouble coming is inevitable.

John 16:33, NIV | “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We all have a choice in choosing our reactions to the tests and trials that are placed on our journey. In fact, the Bible even tells us to consider our trials pure joy because when the trial finishes will be mature and complete. If we take the trials and look at them with joy, we can know that our Father has a specific and special lesson for us personally. It’s time for us to mature and grow in our faith but I can say with complete confidence that all things work together for the good of those who love Him who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

James 1: 2-4, NIV | Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

It may seem like all the pieces around you are falling down but the reality is God knows where all the pieces fall. He knows the outcome and He wants you to entrust Him with pure and authentic faith.

Whatever you are facing, do so with a cheerful heart, drawing near to God so that His peace and love can overwhelmingly transcend over and through you. Just ask God for the grace to endure the trials you are facing in a way that will glorify Him.

James 4:19| “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

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Barefoot Devotions

Stepping Stones of Faith

May 23, 2018June 26, 2018 Hannah B.

In life, you will have stepping stones placed on your path. There is not a way to avoid this because it is the cycle of life. You will experience ups and downs, parched seasons, and blooming seasons. Stones aren’t placed before you to harm you but to grow your faith and relationship with God. He wants to show you how much He loves you by providing for you – even if that takes removing something in your life and allowing you to feel heartache. You can’t see the plan God has set forth before you but I do know that it is a plan to prosper you and give you a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

[bctt tweet=”The plan is set forth. It already exists. So, why do you worry about the things we can not control when The Maker already has it planned and every obstacle worked out? All He wants you to do is sit in His presence and enjoy Him as He guides your footsteps. ” username=”BarefootHannahB”]

So don’t say, “if God loved me, then He wouldn’t allow me to experience hardship.”

[bctt tweet=”It’s because He loves you that you experience hardship, trials, and sufferings. Through these, your perseverance grows and your spirit has a longing to lean on God during these times. As you stay close to Him, we flourish in our faith as we witness and experience His love, His grace, and His mercy for us. ” username=”BarefootHannahB”]

Romans 5: 3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

If you aren’t careful you may find you stub your toe, trip over the stone and fall. Maybe you fell years ago and just aren’t sure where things went wrong in life. You could be in a place where you feel like you keep getting pushed back down on stones you thought you already crossed only to lose hope. Perhaps you need to have a come to Jesus meeting and ask God about the stone you’re stuck on.

Life moves forward and each day passes quickly. The days do not wait on us so we must continue to move forward with them. You can use your current stone to rise above, step by step to the next stone or you can stay where you are questioning God, being bitter, and stuck in a rut.

[bctt tweet=”The choice is yours, but won’t you ask God what you need to learn from the current stone in your life? Are you going to choose to allow God to work through the stone you are experiencing now or Are you going to choose to question God and doubt His love for you and the desire in His heart for you to have the best life yet?” username=”BarefootHannahB”]

Change your mind! Choose to look at the stones in life as an opportunity to grow, love others, and most importantly get to know God’s heart on a deeper and more intimate level.

How are you choosing to look at the stepping stones in your life? You are chosen and your steps are already planned. You are living the adventure, keep moving forward.

Xoxo,

Hannah B.