The first of many

There are moments in time when you can see, feel, and know that heaven and earth have intersected in a powerful way. I have had those moments. Not all of them were captured on film, but will forever be imprinted on my heart. This snapshot was caught during a moment when the beautiful things God planted in my heart and stirred in my soul collided with God’s heart –spoken through His people. It was a moment of defining, calling out, and commissioning. It was a moment of surrender accompanied by the sweet fragrance that comes when both fire and oil overtake the thing you have laid on the altar.

Maybe you have your own memory? If so, return to that place. Whether or not you have encountered such a day, let the recollection and testimony of my moment provoke you to action. Let your action start with a pause. Choose to fall into God’s loving arms so you can effectively wait, listen, and acknowledge what has been stirring in you. There is power in our pause.

Then get up and write it down. Pour out your heart to God- all of the good and ugly. Don’t hold back. This is a moment to present your heart and hopes at the feet of Jesus, and then climb onto the altar and let worship rise. Let your voice rise to acknowledge God’s majesty and holiness. Let gratitude for His salvation pour out of your lips. Let your life be a song that tells of the goodness of God. 

As you press into Truth Himself, let the Holy Spirit do that deep work in you that redefines the labels the world has put on you. The Holy Spirit loves to gently remove the things that don’t align with Truth and reposition our heart to see what God sees. That work requires a yes— a daily pressing in to hear who God says you are. 

So let this be your day. Let this be a day in which heaven’s truth (who God created you to be) collides with earth. God designs and defines what is lovely. Don’t let the world distort or mislabel. God masterfully initiates beauty. Don’t let the world retract the value God has instilled. You were created in the image of God to carry His presence on this earth. You were designed to give God glory while experiencing His glory surrounding you. You were uniquely fashioned to reflect part of God’s nature. Your life story, song, and sweet aroma is needed.

Let this be the day– a new day. Let it be the first of many days which goes to the heart of the matter. You were made to be aligned to God’s heart and to function from a place of true identity. You have been marked by love. It’s time to recount that testimony and live from it. Let this day, be the first of many!