Submission- A New Thing

So this past summer, God began doing a new thing in me. And it began with a challenging situation that I had gotten myself into. I had not sought His direction, and I had rushed into something that was purely my desire. Not my desire being fulfilled by the Lord in His timing. He is so gracious. For the first time in my life (in the short 18 years I had accumulated) I was truly depressed. And I had no clue how to get out of it. Praise God for my family, and most of all just for HIM. For his mercy and goodness. In that pit was where I discovered painting. Particularly oil paints. (I love oil paints!) So on the Friday night that I had nothing to do and was wishing to be somewhere else, my mom took me to get some oil paints. And I sat in the basement of our friends’ house and painted this above painting. A NEW THING. This year, He wants to do something new in all of us. He has a vibrant plan for ALL OF US. One that is life-filling and not draining. And one that truly reflects who you are created to be IN HIM. He is bringing us back to the beginning, and it will begin with showing us a new thing. I don’t know what that is for you. I am still discovering what that looks like for me. But I know it is happening. Right before our eyes. Even though we can’t always see it. He is so gracious. All he asks is that we let him use us. Use our everything. Even the moments where we just want to go sit and sob in the basement. Even those moments. Are good enough. For our God. He will do something with anything. If we let Him. And listen to Him. So. I am praying for you this year. I am praying that God will do a new thing in you and make it boldly apparent to yourself and all who are around you in whatever way He wants, in order to bring glory and honor to His Name and to restore the peoples who watch and so desire to have that new thing as a part of their own life. He is working. He is moving. He is painting. Our Lord is so good. He takes everything we do and turns it into something beautifully, miraculously GOOD. A NEW THING.

Side note: What are you going to do with this? Pray about where to go next. About where your talents are (whether discovered or undiscovered), and just leave yourself open to whatever He has for you. Go with His flow, and don’t be afraid to jump when he asks you to. Remember- if God asks you to jump, He will always raise you up and set you in the fold of his wings and he will always be there to catch you when you fall. Always. So don’t let this new thing get you nervous or freak you out. It’s going to be beautiful. And it’s going to be great. Because it is in HIS hands, not ours.

If you need some extra inspiration, take a listen to the whole Beautiful Things album by Gungor (particularly the song called “Beautiful Things”) or check out our link to the I AM… Art Series (http://odetotheforgotten.blogspot.com/p/i-am-art-series.html). 

God bless and move,

Sarah Hensley