I was driving to work, as usual. And He whispered.
I saw a familiar sign declaring the town name. And He whispered.
The fall foliage was bright and bountiful. My heart was full of joy. My tummy full of a warm breakfast shared with a daughter. And He whispered.
He whispered, “Embrace the place I have for you”!
See this space, this place, this moment as the very gift I have prepared for you. Embrace this place.
So many days we race right by where we live.
The very place God has planted us in and prepared for us, we overlook.
This moment is often right out my back door. Photo by Cindy Garris Boone
We even plan around how to leave it…for a day, for a weekend, forever. How many times did I say growing up, “I will never live here my whole life”?
I don’t live in exactly the place grew up but I am near.
I’ve been able to move a few times and as I look back I have to admit that I have a little regret. So many times I did not embrace the place God prepared for me.
I saw that sign and a warm whisper entered my heart and God said, “Embrace this place, embrace my gift, embrace, my love, embrace this moment”. And that is where my heart is today.
My morning scripture reading included Matthew 6:25-27
25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?….
I think the whisper came this morning because God saw me racing forward.
Racing to the weekend, to Thanksgiving, straight past to Christmas and the New Year.
And He wanted my heart to pause and embrace just the simple drive to work.
Don’t look back and regret not embracing the place God has given you. Photo by Cindy Garris Boone
The color of the leaves, the warmth of a small town, the love of Jesus right where He places you.
Let go of your worry.
Let go of your plans.
Be the bird in the air that embraces where God prepares for you to land, making home in that moment and that space.
This is out my back door most evenings. The wonder of the place that God desires my embrace! Photo by Cindy Garris Boone
Will you slow down with me today and embrace the place God has for you?
Maybe its a small nook in a crowded apartment that you can find a moments rest.
Maybe it’s a dirt path that needs walking where you can just clear the clutter of the mind and open your heart up for whispers.
Perhaps it’s a drive to a grandparents house or a walk through the neighborhood.
Embrace the place.
It’s been prepared for you…with a whisper of love.
(My friend and neighbor, Cindy Garris Boone is known for capturing phtotos of the town I live in, Roanoke Rapids, NC. Through the lens of her camera I see how she embraces the place God has prepared for her and her family. Her delightful photos have helped my heart to slow down and see that God is whispering with love everyday, right in the very place He has for me. I pray you enjoyed seeing I little glimpse of my place and I pray you treasure the very place that God has given you!)
Blessings~ Jodie
http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/
Thank you very much for the encouragement. It is true that many times we want to move on and to rush into another activity but the truth is that God wants us to linger sometimes and to stay in the place that He has prepared for us. Through this, we are able to learn, grow and mature in our relationship with Christ. Visiting from #fmfparty
We are so glad you stopped by and so happy to be hopping around with such a great group! Growing and learning together is such a joy!
we’re looking forward to a huge move, an enormous change… and so i thank you for this challenge to embrace the place as i’ll soon be learning to embrace a new place.
I pray that your move will go smoothly and that you will have a wide open heart to embrace the new space that God has prepared for you and your family!
What a truly wonderful post. Loved it all. So many great messages and lessons here. [Was amazed at the coincidence: last night I couldn’t sleep and something told me to pick up the Bible. I did and I opened it randomly: at Matthew 6:25!! I think I’m being told I need to *listen* to it’s message!]. Love how, at the end of the post, you say you have learnt from your friend the photographer: I find that when I’m with my camera, it helps me appreciate things so much more, helps me slow down and love the world even more…..great, great post. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! God is so good to interweave our hearts with His use of scripture! Let your heart soak in the treasure of His truth! Thank you for the kind words of encouragement! I look forward to continuing to share as God whispers!
Thank you for your reply: so kind!
Reblogged this on Faithfully Following and commented:
A reblog in honor of special local friend whose photography has touched my heart. Today she is featured on the front page of our small town Daily Herald, but more importantly she is just a beautiful person who loves to preserve history through a lens and talk about life where you live! Enjoy!