Acres of Hope

You’re worthy of it all, for from You are all things, and to You are all things, You deserve the glory...

Transition. It’s been rough, to put it mildly. Almost everyone on the team has had a tough transition to Denver. I have been no exception. Pain, disappointment, and confusion have all been my main emotions, with a measure of heartache thrown in. Many things have not looked like we thought they would. They’re not bad...just different. It’s a weird thing and I feel so complicated, because I am genuinely LOVING Denver. I don’t want to be back in Dallas right now.  Colorado is beautiful and there is a newness here that is so refreshing. Maybe because of the fresh snow that is on the ground every morning. Maybe because there are mountains on the horizon. I am so happy to be here and there have already been plenty of laughs. It comforts me that everyone else tells me to just weather the yuck because the other side is coming. I’ll drink to that. (Kombucha, of course...I’m in Colorado). 

My friend Lorisa gave me good advice. “Let it be hard. It’s okay that it’s hard. Be gracious to yourself. It’s okay that you’re feeling what you’re feeling.” Michael (my pastor and good friend) keeps saying to just weather it and be sure not to waste this. Because it is producing faith in me, which results in praise, glory, and honor unto the Lord (1 Peter 1:7). He keeps saying that there is freedom to process what I need to process. I’m glad I have a leaders like that. I’m in a really unique and God given season of life. I’m in freaking Colorado and I’m not going to squander that. 

And that’s where the above song lyric comes in. A couple days ago, this theme broke out in a prayer set. The truth is, He is worthy of it all...all the uncertainty, all the pain, all the tears, all the laughter, all the joy, all the peace, all the discomfort, all the energy, all the time. He’s worth all the snow and cold and crappy parking (I’m looking at you, Denver). He’s worthy of it all. He’s worth getting up early for, and He’s worth staying up late for. And it won’t always be hard. I’ll drink to that. 

Just be. Those are the words the Lord keeps whispering to me. He spoke to me this morning and said, “Why do you constantly invalidate yourself? Where did you get the idea that what you think and feel is not valid? Because you sure didn’t get that from Me.” The truth is, I don’t know where that comes from. I can only assume it’s from the pit of hell itself. And I should treat it that way. It’s okay to just be. Cease striving and just be. I wrote that on my hand this morning to help me remember. 

Danny Silk says, “To get the peace that passes understanding, you have to give up your right to understand.” That quote keeps popping into my head. Lack of peace and rest is exactly how I’ve been feeling since I got to Denver. This morning, I laid down my right to understand. And I know that lasting peace is coming. 

Many of you know that I LOVE sunsets and sunrises. Like, I take great delight in them and they stir my affection for my Creator. I have countless sunset and sunrise pics on my phone. When I look at the pictures later, they all look the same, but in the moment, I always think that it’s truly the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. 

As I watched the sunset this evening, I felt His delight and affection. And yes, even a little bit of the peace that has eluded me for a while. Then it occurred to me. 

His peace often hides in the places that I love and enjoy and run to the most.

It pleases Him for me to take delight in something He created. Maybe it’s running for you. Or sewing. Or playing music. Or listening to music. Or having a cold beer. My friend Autumn (who just moved to Denver, too) has found peace in the mountains for years. A few years ago, she was visiting the mountains and spending time with the Lord and He spoke to her that she needed to make it a habit to go to get refreshed in the mountains. He knew that He made her to delight in the mountains and get refreshed there, and she needed to make the effort to get to that high place. In essence, He brought her to Denver just because He loves her. And I am certain that He does things for me, simply because He loves me. That's reason enough. In fact, somedays I am convinced that He rose the sun just for me, because He knows I love it. 

We all have things that bring us peace and refreshment. Most of us have more than one thing. Tonight it was the sunset. Tomorrow it may be something else. Whatever it is, I think it’s important that we are intentional about it. 

I am so thankful for the team I’m on, here in Denver. Our hearts are truly knit together and I could not ask for higher quality friends. If it’s true that you become like the people you spend the most time with, then I am glad I spend a lot of time with these people. There’s no one else I would rather be like. They love really well. And they love when it counts the most. And most importantly, Jesus loves on me through them. 

I’ll drink to that.