You are sailing along. Doors seem to be flying open. Praising the Lord, you marvel at this season of suddenly, as you reconnect with old acquaintances, are introduced to new partnerships, and see the hand of God at work in your life and in those lives around you. And then “suddenly”….nothing is happening. The phone stops ringing. The emails stop coming. Creative inspiration dries up. After going full speed ahead, it seems God has hit the pause button.
Disappointment sets in. Frustration takes hold. Fear steps in. All very content to get their foot in the door. Never content to stay in one place. Make no mistake about it. Those demons are intent on taking over! They are quite content to partner with their cousin, self-pity and dig a pit that is sure to trip you up and keep your eyes on your circumstances. The more you try to work through the pause, the more frustrated, disappointed, etc. you become.
You are in what I call a hallway season. God often gives us time to adjust, to breathe, to rest between seasons of “full steam ahead”. After passing through one doorway, He asks us to pause long enough to get our bearings, lean on Him, even readjust our vision and goals to match His, before ushering us through the next doorway.
- It is in these times He reminds us that His ways are not our ways, nor is His timing our timing.
- It is in these times we are reminded that He places higher priority on our relationship with Him than what we can do for Him.
- It is in these times He will place a finger on something that needs work in our character before we can ascend to the next level of release.
- It is in these times we realize that all of our striving is vanity.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts” {Zechariah 4:6}. It is in these times we are called to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Worshiping God in the midst of frustration, disappointment and fear is the first step to overcoming those demons, cancelling their assignment, and taking back the territory where they have camped out in our hearts. Something miraculous happens when we set our eyes on the One who created us with all of our gifts, talents, and call. We realize that He is the One who makes a way when there is no way. He is the One who opens doors that no man can shut. He is the One who delights in impossible (in our eyes) situations because they are the ones that bring Him greater glory.
Rather than resisting the pause, worship the Lord. There in the midst of your worship, you will find yourself embracing the new season. There you will see Papa smile and say “Welcome Home, I’m so glad you are here. Come rest for awhile. All that I have is yours. Come, let us reason together.“
Yes and Amen!
“The Road Home” is a 40″x40″ painting that I created in the midst of my current pause. It is available for purchase. Contact me for details.
Deborah, this is a post that I can tell was harvested from the abiding place. Thank you so much for putting into words what I’ve been feeling lately. Reading this challenges my reluctance to slow down and rest. (Love this: . . . you will find yourself embracing the new season. There you will see Papa smile and say “Welcome Home, I’m so glad you are here. Come rest for awhile. All that I have is yours. Come, let us reason together.”) I’m going to start fresh tomorrow with this countenance. Thank you. <3
Thanks so much Toni! Your comment means much to me. A place of abiding…yes indeed. I had a friend tell me “If the Lord is calling you to name your business/ministry Abide Studio He is certainly going to require you to do so.” That was over 10 years ago and still holds true. Nothing better than sitting at His feet! Blessings on your fresh start!
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