Before

Welcome today when I am joining with the  #FiveMinuteFriday  Group. We gather every week to freewrite for five minutes flat on a single writing prompt. This week’s prompt is: Before.

For there to be a before there as to be an after

So for me I could divide my life up into;

Before I got married

Before I had children

Before I left for a remote island

Then correspondingly:

After I got married

After I had children

After I returned from the island

But then I am missing out the life which happened inbetween , missing out on the messy middle,  the ‘inbetween’ the ‘during’ process, or even the enduring process.  God has been there in the ‘befores’, God has been there in the afters and God is most certainly there in the ‘durings’.

So whatever your Before, or after, whatever your ‘during’ or even ‘enduring’, rest assured that it is the same God who sees you through to the afters.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;

he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Risk

Welcome today when I am joining with the #FiveMinuteFriday Group. We gather every week to freewrite for five minutes flat on a single writing prompt. This week’s prompt is: Risk

I am so not a risk taker! I like to play it safe. I like to know what is going to happen, I like to have it all planned out! Yet the path of faith is often not like that and at times it seems as if we are having to take a risk, a ‘leap of faith’ to move out of our comfort zone and trust in God.

When I think of the great Bible Hero’s they all took risks: Abram to leave the land he was in, Moses in leading the people out of Egypt, Esther to go before the king, Ruth to follow her mother-in-law, Daniel not to bow down before the king. Each took a risk, each exercised their faith, each put their trust in God.

And yet, and yet was it really such a risk? Or was it more moving on in assurance? Were they assured of God’s faithfulness, did they know their God and know that He wouldn’t let them down, so that it hardly seemed like a risk at all?

What about me, what about you? Does following, trusting, believing seem like a risk to you or are you just walking out with God your faithful Father, placing your hand in His and trusting where He may lead you?

Experience

Joining today again with the Five Minute Friday Group of Writers, where we write for 5 minutes on a one word prompt. Today’s word is: Experience.

As I approach my 6th decade, I have quite a bit of life experience behind me, so I want to share with you 3 things experience has taught me.

1. I have learnt the wisdom behind the saying “this too shall pass“. I have been in circumstances which I thought would define me for life, ways I thought my life would always be. But praise God, those things and times have passed and I have seen God redeem those very situations.
2. I have learnt not to compare my situation, my inside with those of others’ external outside. They may seem to have it all together, they may seem to be having a far easier time than I am, but actually I don’t know. I don’t know the struggles and trials they are actually facing behind those seemingly ‘smooth’ external circumstances.
3. And I have learnt through the ups and downs, through the trials and blessings, that God is faithful. As I have seen Him work, show up, strengthen and guide, then that encourages me and grows my faith in my God who is faithful and in control of all our situations.

And Praise Be, I have learnt that God is not finished with us yet! Another page to turn, another chapter to be written and lived.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

Talent

Joining with the Five Minute Friday Group of Writers where we write for 5 minutes on a one word prompt. Today’s word is: Talent

Some people are SO talented aren’t they? They can sing, draw, paint, dance, and just seem to excel at everything. That leaves me feeling a bit flat, I can’t do any of those things, doesn’t that mean I dont have any talents? This can lead to a lot of negative, unhealthy introspection.

But if I say I have no talent, then I feel as if I am denying God, the creator who has made us in His own image and has made us creative, He has given us talent and to deny that talent is to negate the gifts He has given each one of us.

They may not be up-front, obvious gifts or talents, but like our personalities may be hidden, shy, retiring. It may just be a knack of saying the right thing at the right time, the knack of making scones and being able to take them to some club or meeting, or it might be the knack of remembering people’s birthdays and important dates. What ever that ‘knack’ is that you have you are to use it.

Use it as if working for the Lord. Don’t wory about what people think, don’t worry about it not being as good as someone else’s talent. Just use what you have, and use it well, and use it for God and the good of others.

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

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