8 March 2010
The Lord brought these verses at a most timely moment:
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” —Hebrews 13:5-6
Daddy read aloud Hebrews 13 during family worship, and it was a wonderful reminder that God gives us exactly what we need at the exact time we’re in need of it! (Proverbs 15:23.)
Before this was read, we had been discussing the future – including marriage and children and the generations to come. Breezy and I are eagerly looking forward to having families of our own and implementing into the lives of our children the many wonderful things our parents have taught us.
Yet, in the Lord’s good timing, He has not given us our families yet. We must wait patiently on God, and serve Him in where He has placed us.
We are passionate about the future, but are we passionate about today?
It is easy to look at the future and imagine how wonderful it will be, because “the grass is always greener on the other side,” right? Right?
We may imagine that it is so, but that doesn’t make it true.
We know not what the Lord’s plan is, but we do know that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28) and that “He will never forsake [us]” (Hebrews 13:5).
The future is the future for a reason – it is not today.
Let us be content in today. Content in where the Lord has placed us. Content in what the Lord has blessed us with. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
Today we can prepare for the future and become better equipped for the Lord’s will. Right now we can be living each and every day for the glory of God and faithfully serve Him where He has placed us and with what He has blessed us with.
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” —Luke 12:48b
Let us be passionate about today, glorify our Savior in devoting every minute to obeying Him, building His Kingdom and preparing for His will in His timing!
Hi, Emily Rose!
I was very pleased to see a new post on your blog today. Those were some lovely & encouraging words that you wrote. I enjoyed reading it, and everything you said is so true, and excellent things to ponder.
May the Lord bless you this week!
~ Tarissa
Dear Emily,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. What a lovely and well-written post! I was very much encouraged by it! :)
I just recently wrote a post on my blog about Courtship. If you would like to read it, you can click on the following link:
http://wheretheheartremains.blogspot.com/2010/03/courtship-class.html
Thank you again for the wonderful post!
Your Sister In Christ,
Jenna
Emily Rose~
What an encouraging, lovely post! I was encouraged by your highlighted points of “We are passionate about the future, but are we passionate about today?” and “The future is the future for a reason-not today.”
A verse that has greatly encouraged me recently is:
{Psalm 27:14}
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Blessings, Emily Rose, and thank you for your encouraging thoughts!
~Elizabeth
Thanks for such encouraging words!
Yes, we all have moments where we feel discontent where we are in life, and thank the Lord for His word as sweet reminders, and also the sweet sister’s in Christ that encourage and build each other up in the Lord is such a wonderful, beautiful thing! Miss Jasmine Baucham is writing some wonderful posts on her blog concerning this topic that have also been encouraging!
Thanks again, and God bless!
A fellow sister in Christ,
Miss Antoinette
Hello Emily Rose!
Thank-you for that post! It is so true! By the way I enjoy reading every one of your posts! You have such a wonderful blog!
God Bless,
~ Allison
Amen, dear sister!
Soli Deo Gloria!!
Love~ Jen
Emily Rose,
Thank you for this lovely post! It was very encouraging; something I think all Christian young ladies should read.
Very well done!
In Christ’s love,
~Annie~
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
Thank you for the encouraging words Emily! What a blessing it is to read your blog! :)
Love you!
Marie :)
Amen to this amazing post and inspiring words!
Thank you.
I subscribe to your feeds, and while I can’t remember how I stumbled on your blog, I am glad I did. I have been struggling with this very issue lately. I am quite a few years older than you and the possibility of having my own family has seemed like a fading dream.
I am encouraged by your words…
Thank you for the wonderful insight, Emily! Very true words to ponder for a while! Definitely a much needed reminder (and encourager) for me!
Love,
Lauren
This was beautiful, Emily Rose. Both an encouragement, a challenge, and a reminder. I must confess, though, that too often I am too passionate about today and want to hold on to it rather than look forward to the future as well.
Kyleigh
Jim Elliot once wrote: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt EVERY situation you believe to be the will of God.”
I think that quote applies to our lives now as single young women living at home with our families just as much as it does to the missionary in the jungle. Thank you for your encouraging post! It was very timely. ;)
Miss Emily Rose,
The Lord has taken me through many seasons. Like you and most unmarried young women there is a season of anticipation for that future family and sometimes discontentment and impatience. I recently read “Before You Meet Prince Charming” by Sarah Mally and it is so straight forward and encouraging. Life is not about marriage or babies. Life is about living to glorify God. I am so happy that you and your sister have learned these things at your age. Never forget how blessed you are!
Hannah
What a beautiful post. I am bookmarking it to share with my almost 13yo daughter. Thank you!
Hello,
I just wanted to comment on your blog post. I found it very thoughtful and very mature for someone your age. I struggled with these feeling of anticipation and desire to meet a godly man when I was in my 20’s. All my friends were meeting great guys and getting engaged and married — while I was living in a very small town and feeling like it would be nearly impossible to meet a guy (who wasn’t related to me!). I just wanted to tell you that I wasted so many years with my thoughts on this alone. I could have used that time of preparation and singleness to really honor God and serve others, but unfortunately I didn’t and instead battled depression and a sense of hopelessness. Your attitude is amazing to me. I encourage you to pray for your future husband now – because out of the blue God will bring you two together. It’s all in His timing, isn’t it? In my life, I was blessed to meet my future husband when I was 28 (it’s a beautiful long love story that I won’t bore you with but it was essentially a blind date that I agreed to very reluctantly). But thank God for the friend that set us up because were married one year later and now, 4 years later we have a wonderful 2 1/2 year old son. So God answers prayers and knows our every desire – hang in there and keep up your wonderfully inspiring blog.
-Kat
Emily Rose,
First off, you have a BEAUTIFUL name. I love it and think it suits you and your artistic pursuits. I’ve been very encouraged by your blog. As a fellow artist who loves most everything vintage, I hope to keep returning here as I encounter days lacking creativity in my studies of art in college. Your photography and beautifully written thoughts are gems!
Secondly, this post rings very true to life. For a while my whole life was concerned with trying to prepare myself to get what I wanted from God (A husband). Now I am not saying that preparation is AT ALL a bad thing and I encourage your pursuits of homemaking wholeheartedly! Neither am I saying that I no longer struggle to be content. This struggle is a daily one, and at some moments I feel more victorious than at others. But there came a time where I started realizing that I was demanding what I wanted from God, that I had made my desire for a godly husband more important than actually pursuing God.
You are completely right. We MUST be passionate about today. Today is all He has given us! Our gracious Lord Jesus Christ gives more and more grace and shows us more of His mercy as we wait on Him. Part of that waiting is putting my hope ONLY in HIM, and not what He can give me. Regardless of what God gives me, will I trust Him? Will I love and glorify Him even if the path means that I suffer and ultimately die for His sake?
Thank you for pursuing Christ as a young woman. I am in my 20’s myself and know that regardless of what life experiences come our way, God will still be faithful. He is always faithful. Continue to use your art and words to glorify Him! May our journey be one that is so focused on Him, that the blessings He allows to filter through our lives are only part of the whole story of HIM. :)
Stay the Course,
Kate
Kate, thank you for your comment and encouraging words! It reminded me of a quote, “Our chief end is not marriage. … Being in this for the husband is just riding to hell in a hopechest.” -Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin from their article, “Why Am I Not Married?!?“ as well as the verse, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14)
Persevere, Emily Rose