Don’t Miss The Blessing
Hey friends, Jesse and Marissa, back at it again with the blog post!
Picture this: your parents tell you they want to take you on the best trip you've ever had. They describe this adventure, they prepare you and the family, pack, and see the snacks and other goodies your mom packed. You and your siblings are HYPE! Your dad made the dopest playlist and charged every possible gadget in the house. You load up the car with your phone fully charged, ready to go, but you realize they didn't tell you how long the trip was going to be. So you drive, and drive, and drive, and drive. It seems like the journey will never end.
You ask, "ARE WE THERE YET?!" every hour. Being a dad, your dad tries to play I spy and other car games with you to pass the time because you have NO cell service—a nightmare. You also run out of gas and later get a flat. BRO! YOU ARE NOT HAVING IT! This isn't the trip you signed up for! You say, "You seriously made us leave our AC, bed, Xbox, and wifi, to go through all of this? We might as well have just stayed home!" Your parents know what you don't know. They have the plans all laid out. They see the adventure and magic ahead. They tell you to believe that they love you and have the best plan for you and that you won't have to deal with these car problems much longer. They tell you not to be worried because they are sure you'll have fun by the end of the day and just be still and wait.
So you finish up your journey, and it turns out your parents were right. They got you a car that you had to travel to get. The vehicle you kept saying you wanted but couldn't find in your city for a reasonable price. The car was waiting for you at a resort where your family can stay with a pool and the most fantastic food, fast wifi, game room, and movie room. More than you could have expected from your trip! They also know the manager, and guess what, your stay was for the free! Imagine if you had turned around just because it got hard on the way. You would have missed out on your blessing!
Well, that's precisely what happened to the Israelites in the bible. They traveled following Moses with these promises in mind and ran from an army, making their trip incredibly hard. They wondered if God was bringing them out to die on this trip and said they might as well have stayed back as slaves for the Egyptians if this is what it was gonna be like. If only they knew of the glory ahead. Often just like on the trip we talked about for both you and the Israelites, we can be so impatient waiting for God's plan to become a reality in our life. We have moments in our journey where we stumble, come across roadblocks, struggle, think this is the end, and have no hope in sight. Those moments make us doubt and feel rocky in our faith. God tells us what Moses said to his people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today, for you're never going to see them again. God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!". Sometimes God asks us to move ahead in faith, even though we cannot see him in front of us. We expect Him to come only to us in one form, as light. We often don't recognize when He's working in our life during our journey for that reason. In both your breakdowns and celebrations, God's presence is there. We don't realize he uses our trials and road bumps to put His Glory on display!
Moses ends up putting his hand out to the sea they were crossing, and God parted it. Just like you miss out on the amazing gifts your parents have for you when you go against their plans and instructions. The Israelites would have missed out on the gift of watching the sea part for them if they had just given in to being a slave for the Egyptians.
DANG. When we give in to the hopeless feeling we get, to the darkness, the depression, the sense of comparison on social media, and just are defeated, we miss out on the victory moment God has lined up. Trust me, He has it lined up for you. So what do we need to do? We push through the struggle; we hear God's plan and follow it, trusting that He has the best possible outcome in mind. Now we know, just because the destination will be grand does not mean the journey will be comfortable. He calls us to be still, trusts him, and walk-in faith even when it doesn't make sense. God does not bring people to the water and then leave them there. When do you find it hard to stand firm in your faith?
As a family, talk about a time where maybe you were impatient in plans set before you, and you realized later you missed out. Even as simple as the time where Marissa was impatient and didn't want to wait in line at Chik- Fil- A. The moment I walked away, I heard the cashier say, " Our system is down, so your meals are free." MISSED MY BLESSSINNGGGG!!! If only I had been still and trusted that my time was coming soon.
We want to hear about your Red Sea story. Have you ever been in that space right before the red sea parted, trapped in desperation for much longer than you wanted? Maybe you're in it now. Remember that God asks us to do what seems unreasonable so that He can do the impossible. God is glorified in that! Let us know how to pray for you in this season. It ain't easy, but it's worth it.
Don't miss out on your blessings this week. We cant wait to talk to you on Zoom this Sunday!
We love, cherish, and are praying for y'all!
-Jesse and Marissa
