Reset

Reset is defined as “to set again or differently”.

God has given me the word reset for this season, and I am extremely thankful for that.

I needed the reset for myself.

I have had time to sit back and relax. I have had time to do things that bring me joy and peace, that calm me. I’ve had time to color and craft and organize and catch up on things that needed to be caught up on. I have even had time to do a Bible study with a friend!

In this season of reset God has allowed my focus to be more on Him rather than the junk going on around me. He has allowed me to get some much-needed rest. In this season He has also allowed me to become surrounded by people who I otherwise would not have been surrounded by.

I must say that this season of reset has been good for my mind, spirit, and soul. This is the calmest I have been in years. These past few weeks have been good for so much! My prayer is that I don’t forget this season and what it has shown me, that I don’t forget the ways that I have experienced God and the ways that He has comforted me.

This is how 2020 has gone for me so far.

The first couple of months I was working my typical 3 days a week, carrying my youngest daughter to school, having our missional community on Tuesdays here at the house, staff meeting for the church on Thursdays, and church on Sundays. There were many things thrown in the midst of those days as well that made it feel as if I was always on the go. There were crises that had to be handled and things that would just pop up that had to be handled that moment. You know, the norm.

Then in mid-March things made a change. Schools closed. I no longer had to leave the house at 6:40am to drop her off. Then my job put protective measures in place to keep us and our clients safe, then we cut back on being at the center, then we had to close. Churches closed. It originally started as gatherings of 100 or more couldn’t happen, then no more than 50 could gather, then no more than 10, then no public gatherings period. This included our missional community as well.

You know what happened then? My schedule was no longer full. I went from being busy all the time to not busy at all. I no longer had a schedule to follow. I could sleep as late as I wanted. I could do whatever I wanted to around the house. I didn’t have to worry about being somewhere at a certain time.

And you know what I have learned during this time? I have learned to let God do His thing and stop trying to do my thing.

Just before all of this went down, I had received an email from David C. Cook books that included a free Bible study. I find it funny that the study was on Nehemiah. Why do I find it funny? Because God knew that I needed it during this time. He knew that this down time would allow me to connect with Him more and that this study would be exactly what I needed at exactly this time and that He would use it to keep me connected with an amazing friend and to grow me more as a leader.

You see, aside from Jesus, Nehemiah is my all-time favorite leader! He was an amazing prayer warrior first and foremost. He was a leader that looked to God first. He was always waiting on God. Nehemiah loved the Lord, and he knew that he was loved by the Lord. This allowed him to love his people and his land with the love of God. He was a servant leader, one that led the people by doing what they were doing and not just barking orders at them. He seemed to be kind and courageous, compassionate and obedient. He knew the calling that the Lord had placed on his life and was not afraid to do it.

I want to be a leader like Nehemiah. I want to lead like he led. I want to be a leader that prays first, waits on the Lord to direct my footsteps, and walks in obedience. I want to be a leader that doesn’t care what people say about me. One that remains obedient to the calling on my life no matter what. I want the boldness of Nehemiah.  

A question that was posed at our youth group zoom this past Sunday as one that really got me thinking. You know how some of us say when I get to heaven, I’m going to ask so and so a particular question? Well the question that was posed to us was, if God were to ask you one question what would it be? For me it was why do you allow things not of Me to hold you back? Talk about a smack in the face! I’ve been pondering that question for the last several days. Why do I? Why do I let fear hold me back? Would I rather please man than the Lord? I want nothing more than to walk wholly and faithfully in my calling. I want nothing more than for God to look at me at the end of my time and say well done my good and faithful servant.

Again, I am very thankful for this time of reset. For this time to sit back and ponder on the things of the Lord. For this time to remember who I am in Him rather than what the world is telling me I am.

So, for whatever time we have left in this season of reset, I challenge you to sit back and ask the Lord what your calling is, how your supposed to walk it out.

We are headed into a season of a new norm. While we don’t know what that will look like, we do know that God is in charge. Remember this time that we have had to sit back and relax and get away from the busyness of this crazy world. My prayer is that we don’t go back to the old norm but create a new norm that is more focused on Christ than the world. One that is calmer, more peaceful.

I have never been so thankful for this season in life. I am thankful for this reset. I pray that it has been an amazing season for you all as well.