Be obedient and he will take care of the rest

The kids were asleep and the husband was relaxing so I took advantage of this coveted quiet time and sat down to be with Jesus and read my bible. I genuinely love being with the Lord, but today if he were here in person it would've been like me sitting across from him in Starbucks with an agenda for our time, ready to have a serious conversation about a specific topic and for goodness' sake, get some much needed answers. With me doing that in all my human-ness and him being the all-knowing, all-loving God of the universe, I imagine him smiling and smirking at my restlessness and need for some more details on my life. Because really, he's got it all under control, right? I mean, he created me, knows my entire life story, he knows how this life will go and end, but it's hard to trust that down here on Earth in the midst of all the unknown and ever-changing things in life. 

I proceeded with my prayer: "I love you Lord. Thank you for xyz. Here's whats on my heart: WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY LIFE?!"

Okay, it wasn't that dramatic....It was more like "Here's whats burdening my heart, Lord. For real what I've been wondering lately; What's next for me? What do you have for ME next? I'm ready for it. I'm yearning for it." 

I follow the Life Journal Reading Plan where you read the bible in a year. Well correction, where some people read the bible in a year...more like read half the bible in a year for me. Anyhow, I opened up to Jonah like it told me to and wouldn't you know, the Lord was faithful to answer my little questions of him. 

(Isn't he always?)

Here's whats up in Jonah...
*The word of the Lord came to Jonah with detailed instructions of what Jonah was to do (Jonah 1:1-2)
*Jonah chose his own way instead of God's way and went to a different city the opposite direction (Jonah 1:3) God's way was a LONG journey. 
*Once Jonah finally threw up his hands in surrender and said "okay, I'll do what you said Lord" God commanded the whale that had swallowed him to spit Jonah up onto land (Jonah 1:17 - 2:10) 
*God spoke the instructions to Jonah a second time and this time Jonah listened  (Jonah 3:1-3)

 I can so relate to Jonah. God gave me the plan and I didn't do it. I ask again, and he's simply repeating the same answer, the same plan. 

I've asked the same questions before. "What's next?" "What do you have for me?" "What should I be focusing my time on outside of my husband and kids?" 

This blog. This writing. THIS.

He's told me the same thing before. And is telling me again, just like he did with Jonah. 

I'll take another lesson from Jonah and throw my hands up in surrender and listen. We all have different reasons for not listening right? We get the answer and it doesn't make sense, or doesn't seem realistic, or we question why, or we have another idea that we like better.  I can raise my hands for all of those. 

How will this writing make money? Well, I think it can, but BELIEVING it can is a different story. Doubt rolls in like waves on the shore; over and over again. 

The better more important question is How will this writing glorify God? Oh so many ways! A place for real stories and real encouragement. 

I think the lesson is this: Be obedient and He'll take care of the rest. 

Because he is so good. He's so faithful. Faithful through all our doubt and worry and concern. Faithful through all of our "better plans" and lack of belief. None of it scares him. None of it deters him. None of it changes his plans or heart for us. He's patient and grace filled with us.