A Prepared Heart

Hi everyone and happy December! I'm going to be honest, I've been in a writing rut to say the least, hence my absence from blog writing over the last month and a half. I'm currently in grad school which requires a lot, and I mean A LOT, of writing for papers, where I've been dedicating a lot of my mental writing energy toward. Needless to say, I'm overjoyed to be back!

We have officially entered into the last month for this year, how is everyone doing with that? Do you feel fatigued? Do you feel hope? Are you longing for something? Are you deeply rooted in joy? Where is your heart at when you look at this past year?

The ending of a year, or season, is marked by a time of reflection. A period of time for us to intentionally look back, on how we have lived, on the hills and valleys that have been part of our circumstances, where prayers have been answered and where you are still desiring for something. It’s a gracious opportunity for us that in our time of reflection, we get to see the ways the Lord has worked in us and through us over this last year. 

While this year draws to a close, it also ushers in the coming of a new beginning, a new year. I find myself full of hope when it comes to the newness of something. It feels like a blank canvas for us to create something new, where our dreams, goals, and visions can take space. This time of year is an oxymoron of sorts as the ending of our year also means the beginning of the next season in our story. 

In this time of reflection, the Lord has impressed two words on my heart, preparation and restoration. Preparation is a season of gathering, taking stock of what our lives have been like this year, and having faith that the Lord will supply what we need, when we need it. The gift of preparation is something that takes time and demands the presence of space for the very new thing that is coming. In this Advent season, we are preparing our hearts for the arrival of Christ, making room for what His coming actually means for our lives today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Restoration is marked by completeness, something that was once dead, now alive, and the fulfillment of a promise that the Lord has made new. 

In both preparation and restoration, this demands something of us. This prompts our response of dependence on the Father. To depend upon someone or something, means to trust in that person or thing. The good news here is that we can have hope in dependence on God because of who He is. Our security in being dependent depends on who the source is for which we put our trust in. Maybe you’ve put your trust in someone or something and have been disappointed or let down as you depended on them for a specific outcome, being left with unmet expectations. This example may have tainted your perception that our kind and loving Father is worthy and able to be depended on. Can I offer you encouragement here? He desires and delights to be depended on by you, carrying your burdens and joys. We find the truth of God’s character here in Lamentations. 

"Because of the Lord's faithful love

we do not perish, 

for his mercies never end. 

They are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness! 

I say, "The Lord is my portion,

therefore I will put my hope in him." 

Lamentations 3:22-24

Our gracious Father, is faithful love, with boundless mercies which are available to us and new every morning, and because of who He is, we are justified to put our hope and faith in Him. He can be trusted as our source of dependence as He continuously tends to the soil of our hearts everyday, preparing and restoring our hearts back to Him. When we find security in our dependence here, we can find rest, a desire of our hearts that many are desperate and long for. There is no greater news for us, that we have security and rest offered to us in our dependence on an unchanging Father. 

As you prepare your hearts in reflection and in casting vision for this new year, draw yourself to remember how the Lord’s faithful love has been evident throughout the last twelve months in your life. Before hurrying or rushing into the new year’s resolutions, remember preparation demands the space for something new. Reflect and prepare your heart for what is coming, and trust and have hope for restoration in your life because of the character of God. As we approach the newness of days ahead, you can find security and real rest when you depend on Him. 

He loves you. He sees you. He chooses you.  

Praying for this season ahead, that we would seek Him first and delight in what He is doing in our lives. 

Until next time,

Em