Happy Fall, friends! I am so ready for cooler weather! I also have some fun things coming up in the writing and speaking departments—see below. But first, a few words of empathy and encouragement for those times when the future seems agonizingly unclear.
Step by Step
There’s an area of my life that has long resembled an unresolved quest. Over the years, my response to the delay has ranged from patient faith to honest confusion to grieved disappointment to dogged perseverance to hands-in-the-air exasperation.
Through it all, my prayers have inevitably returned to one prevailing question: God, what do You want?
Recently, God and I held this conversation for the umpteenth time. Frustrated but determined to understand Him, I said, “I want to move forward according to Your will. But how am I supposed to do that if I don’t know what You want?”
Like the slow break of dawn, it occurred to me that there are two ways to interpret my question … and I was asking the wrong version.
I was asking God what He wants the outcome of my situation to be. But on this occasion, He gently reminded me that I don’t yet need to know the outcome. As long as I follow Him, I’ll get to His desired outcome at the right time. Instead, I can and should be asking Him what He wants me to do, one step at a time.
Those steps of daily obedience are what lead us to the outcomes God desires. He meets us in the present, and He wants us to meet Him there too. And then He wants us to walk with Him through one present moment to the next. In this way, we reach the future together.
When you feel lost or uncertain of God’s vision for your life, try changing the question. Instead of peering into the future for what God might do tomorrow, turn to the present to see what He’s doing today. Ask Him to show you the next step and equip you to take it. Thank Him for meeting you here and now and guiding you along the good path He’s laid out for your life.
Then take that next step.
Behind the Screen
I’m happy to report that, for the past month, I’ve managed to keep a pretty healthy balance between work and fun. (The fun is in large part thanks to some special friends and family who’ve been pitching in to help me during my mom’s health issues. I cannot thank them enough.)
While I’m not a fan of the muggy heat of NC summer, I’ve been making the most of our remaining dry stretches to pack in donkey time before the rainy season hits. I’m also now three weeks into fall riding session at Wings of Eagles Ranch. Della, the steady Norwegian Fjord horse (think Frozen) who helped me keep riding after my health and confidence fell apart in 2013, passed away last winter. This fall is my second riding season on Topper, a beautiful little bay mare with an inquisitive personality. She and I are still getting to know each other, but I have a feeling that with time and experimentation we’ll have a lot of fun together and could turn riding into play (or dancing!).
Funny enough, I also think I’ve discovered a new hobby: cooking from scratch. My exploits so far? Two different flavors of hummus. Next on my list are chicken salad, maybe salsa, hopefully some kind of bread … Clearly I’m a “simple food” person!
On another note, my mom’s hip replacement at the end of August went well. She’s slowly but surely recovering. Thank you for the prayers!
And now for a few announcements …
Coming Up!
After a quiet summer, I have a lot of exciting things slated for the fall!
On Saturday, November 7, I will be speaking at Wings of Eagles Ranch in Concord, NC for their annual Dinner and Dancin’ in the Dirt fundraiser. If you’re in the area, consider coming out to support this wonderful ministry. Tickets are available on the Ranch’s website.
Also in November, I’ll be welcoming a special guest writer to BeanSpired Editions in honor of RTD Awareness Month. She and I have been friends for years, and she has an amazing testimony of her own. More info to come!
Finally, over the next few months, I have two devotions and a guest blog post scheduled for publication with two different ministries. I’ll share the links in upcoming newsletters.
Stay tuned! It’s going to be a wonderful season!
Help others find grace and resilience in the face of the unknown.
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Jesus loves you. Embrace His love and live it out.
Thank you, Megan ❤️
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