Awaiting Cool Weather, Awaiting Transformation

I awoke to chilly toes, two dogs curled up in tight balls at my side, the birds chirping loudly, and bright sun shining through the broken blinds... These signs could only mean one thing... COOLER WEATHER!

If you live in the Jacksonville area, you've been a part of what I call "The Buzz". People begging each other, and even God, for cooler weather. We've been waiting, waiting, complaining, waiting. Now, this day, it is finally here. As I walked outside this morning to experience a taste of it for myself, and see if it could really be true, it was as if walking into a huge celebration. Yard sales galore, family after family walking the sidewalks laughing, talking, jumping, riding bikes.. Birds flying every which direction, singing at the top of their lungs.. squirrels playing tag in every front yard on the block.. a beautiful, brisk breeze chilling my face as I wrapped my arms around myself... and the smell of contentment. The humans finally got what they've been begging for!

I sit here, garage door open, pondering this dramatic change. A simple, though long-awaited change in weather transformed cranky people into the happiest beings! It's as if the earth and everything in it (or at least Jacksonville =) has awakened from its sleep.

Then, it hit me!! This is so identical to the spiritual state some of us may be in. We're waiting, complaining, waiting, begging, waiting for a change. Waiting to come out of this dry season that's suffocating our souls... waiting to walk out the front door into a celebration of Life! It's so similar... though there's one difference, which is the reason we are free, the cause for true Life. The difference is that WE can CHOOSE when the weather changes in our life. Unlike the poor people of this city who have no impact on when or how quickly or how drastically the weather changes, we can choose that today will be the day.

Today will be the day when my soul comes alive. Today will be the day when the clouds part and the sun shines deep inside. Today will be the day when we come out of hiding and unite back together with our Creator, our Lover. If you have been waiting for a change, or better yet as I love calling it, a TRANSFORMATION in your life, make the choice. Take the step. Choose to hand it over to Him, the one who calls you His own. Allow the Lord the privilege of taking Your heart back for Himself. For His work. For His glory. Stop waiting, and complaining, and begging... you don't have to. You've already obtained the Prize. You've already conquered the battle. Stop making this harder on yourself, stop drawing it out. Will you stop waiting and take hold of Change, today?

Am I a Sponge?

There are times in my week that I have opportunity to sit for extended amounts of time, in His presence. Yes, I'm ALWAYS in His presence, but I mean like really SOAK in His presence. Face down, or at the altar in a quiet sanctuary alone, or on my bedroom floor on my knees, or in my car in a parking lot. There are these times... so sweet, so deep, when one hand of Jesus wraps around me while the other reaches in deep, down into the pit of my heart and the depths of my soul, pulling out things He wants handed over to Him. Things I'm still holding on to after many painful days, or months, or some things even years.

I realize when I am in these moments that this is a time for me to "sponge-ify" myself. (Like the new word?) I see myself as a sponge, grungy and dry, with an occasional hole or two in the covering of my heart. And I see Jesus as pure, clear, cold water. Not dirty water or used, but that pure water that you get when you pour a fresh cup from the Brita pitcher! It's so refreshing, and you feel it travelling all the way down, from the entrance of your mouth to the bottom of your stomach. This is what Jesus is to me in these moments. I am a sponge, soaking in fresh water, fresh Word, fresh wisdom.

The fiery cry of my heart today is that I might ALWAYS be a sponge. I will learn how to sponge-ify =) myself, in every moment, every single day. Knowing when He is speaking fresh knowledge, knowing when He is pouring His fresh, pure spirit... and having the ability to soak it up 'til I'm dripping with it! Every day, soaking in the presence of my sweet, holy Jesus.

Father, pour Yourself out and into my life today. I receive, I soak it up. I want more of Your spirit, more of Your passion, more of the fire that is in Your heart to consume mine.