Humbling

I have recently felt the Lord saying that He is preparing me for a season of humbling. Not a "pride comes before the fall" kind of humbling, but a humbling of reformation. I have felt Him saying that He is going to take me into places that will, by their very nature have a refining effect on me. Physical places He will take our family into, emotional places that He will use to chip away at my soul damage, spiritual challenges that will shake my foundations...

I confess I'm a little nervous.

I look ahead to 2015 and feel like He is going to strip away the comfortable. That these days of knowing what to expect, how to function in my little world, and exactly how I fit into that world will all change, like a pre-schooler dumping and reworking a puzzle board. There aren't that many pieces in a preschool puzzle, but when it gets dumped, it's gonna take them a minute to put it all right again.

I am so thankful He has prepared my heart. Isn't that just like a dad? "Honey, this trail we're walking has not been easy. But it's been somewhat predictable. We're about to start climbing some rocky terrain. And you can't always trust the rock under your next step. I'll test it first. I'll go ahead and make the path steady and true. Trust me, okay? You may want to deviate. You may think you see an easier way to get to the top. But trust me. I know the best way and I will lead you through."

And in that trusting, stepping where He steps and pushing through the hard climb when He leads me there, I know I will be better for it. My family, my children, my little world...will be better for it. I pray for the guts to see it through. I pray for His strength and the great ability to dig deep into who I am and what He wants to change in me and to walk boldly yet humbly into these refining fires.

Here's to 2015! May I walk worthy of His calling and find all the richness of this life He has planned.