Holy Spirit Right Now

The picture above, and the words that follow below are from a young woman named "Jillian" who says this about herself:

i am a twenty something girl in a season of life i didn't see coming. Administrative Assistant by day, youth helper/ creative ministry co-leader/ artist by night. normal girl on the weekends. :) God is leading me down some interesting paths and i'm just trying to follow where He's leading. and no matter what comes up or what crazy turns He takes me on...i'm just learning to trust that its all a part of the plan...God's plan.

Our Father God is leading us also, through His Holy Spirit.  We don't know just how or where, but we are moving ahead in faith.

Here's what Jillian wrote last May. You can see the original at iitsallapartoftheplan.blogspot.com.

this is a drawing i did one night...

after reading the verse about the Holy Spirit

- and how its like the wind...no one can see where its going.

and i feel like i have spent a lot of time waiting...

waiting for...........something.

when i first realized that God had a plan for me,
that i could actually be led by Him into a life that i was specifically designed for -
it was one of the most earth-shattering moments of my life.

like - whoa!  God has a plan for ME?  i need to know what it is!

and so i started praying for it.

i started looking for it.

i was desperate to know what it was...

and while God didnt lay out every moment for the rest of my life for me,
He honored that desperation and started to reveal Himself to me. 
i started to get to know Him, really get to know Him and not just "God" as a religion.

and my world was rocked again.

i mean - God was real, He had a heart and He was really listening to me. 
He wanted to interact with me.

crazy.

but somewhere along the line i got so focused on the future -
and i entered into the mindset of
"tell me what i am working toward,
tell me what you are going to do for me, through me"... 

and i stopped being open to what Jesus wanted to say,
what He wanted me to do right now -
and i just "listened" for what i wanted to hear.

and to be honest - i am still working on listening for right now.

its so hard to stay focused on the steps right in front of us...
i am absolutely a person who wants to know the end, the goal -
and i'll figure out the best way to get it done from there.

but God's got different plans for me.

as HE passed along,
He noticed a man blind from his birth.

His disciples asked Him, Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he should be born blind?

Jesus answered,
It was not that this man or his parents sinned,
but he was born blind
in order that the workings of God
should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him.

John 9: 1-3

and Jesus went on to heal the man's eyes.

he walked away being able to see, shouting God's praise.

this man's life didnt make sense...but God had a plan. 
that His glory might be revealed through his life.

one day i was having some quiet time and God told me to not try so hard
to figure out how to get to the "end goal"
or even figure out all the details of what the "goal" might be - 

but instead,
pay attention to where i am,
where i've been,
what opportunities are presenting themselves...

because all of that has been shaping and is shaping me
into the person God designed,
to be prepared to fit into the life God has planned.

and instead of spending my time waiting and wondering -
i need to embrace every opportunity that comes up,
to learn from them and let them do their work in molding me
so i'm ready for whatever God wants to do.

that I might be in such a position
that the workings of God should be
manifested (displayed and illustrated) in me.

not that we shouldn't dream or have goals
- but we can't get so focused on 20 years from now
that we miss the incredibly valuable lessons this time was made a part of our lives for...

He's preparing us so that His workings can be displayed in the best way possible.

i read that verse in John tonight and i was reminded again of that quiet time.

i am trying to learn to not worry so much about the far future, even the near future...

i have no control over it, and thats the way i want it -
but my flesh wants to take over every now and then.

like when i want a husband RIGHT NOW,
or when i want to be traveling or doing missions someplace different,
or when i want to have an art ministry right now that is doing big things -
leading people to Jesus all over the place...

i just have so many huge dreams and i get so restless and there are times i dont think i can handle waiting for them to be in full swing one more second...

but its at those times when He gives me reminders like that verse.

and i just need to take a deep breath and let go...

God has perfect timing for all of those things.

and He has them set up so that when the dreams He gives us DO come to pass - 

His workings will be manifested and displayed for ALL to see.

and my wanting to hurry them and do them my way will never be as good...

He demands that we not settle for anything less than the best.

so that leaves me with being patient.

and learning all i can now from where He has me - so that i'll be ready

for whatever He has planned...

He's got plans and dreams for ALL of His children.

what are the dreams He has for you?

what can you see Him doing in your life right now to prepare you for what He has for you?

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