Cages

I had a discussion with my husband the other day about why someone would still believe in God after leaving the Mormon church and interestingly it led to the fact that I feel like God has taken me out of a box and opened up unlimited possibilities while my husband, on the other hand, feels like believing in God is just going from one (Mormon) box to another. I think it's fascinating to see how people think and why they think the way they do, and it's freeing to be able to listen to their point of view, but still have your own. So In my experience, God is trying to get us out of the box, not put us in it.

Since my Mormon days, I feel like I've stepped pretty far out of the box... finding my own faith, taking a chance in a Masters program, and starting this blog... things I never dreamed I'd do, however, with Gods gentle nudging, it miraculously seems to be working. Now I feel God taking me out even further into the unknown with almost everything else in my life. I remember hearing a sermon once that talked about how God wants us to let go of everything that's keeping us from achieving our full potential and I see that happening in my life right now. This is scary! It takes everything I have not to grab the lifeboat for fear that I'll drown, or even better, swim back to shore where It’s nice and safe. But then I'm reminded of one of my favorite books, It's Not Suppose to Be this Way by Lysa Terkeurst. In the book she talks about how to find strength when life doesn't go how we expect it to. One of my favorite quotes in the book is this, "God is far more interested in your being prepared than in your being comfortable." When I start to panic because of my lack of control and feel completely uncomfortable, I remember this quote and it calms me down and reminds me that all of this has a purpose and what God's doing is making sure I’m prepared for what's next. What if the purpose in all of this is to give me a more meaningful life? What if all of this is transforming me into who I'm suppose to be? What if He is trying to get me out of the box I'm trying to keep myself in? What if God knows that I have never believed in myself the way He believes in me so trusting what He is doing is the only way. Maybe what He wants for me is to become stronger, more courageous, more authentic, and more bold. Maybe what He wants is for me to see myself the way He sees me... 

When I look back on my journey with God, all I can see is how He’s opened my eyes to so many things. He's given me new perspectives, opened doors to new possibilities, and got me out of a religion that did feel like a box. He’s told me before to look up and embrace the beauty in everything and taught me that I can be right by His side even when I’m not in church. He’s shown me that I don’t need anyone else to tell me who He is because He can do that and that it doesn’t matter what gender I am, He has big plans for me. He has shown me how strong I am through life’s ups and downs, and is now calling me out even further and showing me things in my life and about myself that I didn't even know existed. This sounds to me like He wants to get us OUT of our box and free us from the Cages we sometimes find ourselves in...


"What if I knew I couldn't lose this time..."



 

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