Thoughts of future....

Hmmm, I sit here and think about what the future holds. New siblings from Africa, Carissa's departure to Argentina, Gregg's arrival from Iraq.... but what about me? In this season of my life God has been growing and stretching me in so many ways. His mercies continue to be new every morning and his unconditional love is astounding!
When I think about the word "unconditional" I have to grasp the fact that it means that it doesn't change based on situations, conditions, or one's actions. Christ's love is not based on the fact that we are "good enough", because we aren't! It's not based on how well we worship in church, help our neighbors, care for our family, or even how much we tithe. Christ's love is unconditional and it comes from His heart of admiration towards us - His children made in His image! "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) This brings me back to questioning what my future holds.
At this point I am content in what I am doing right now, but am so excited for what God has planned for me! Right now, I look beyond to a far off future. I think about where I will be in 5 years from now.... ten... twenty... Will I be married? Will I have children? A lot, or just a few? Where will I be living? In the USA or somewhere doing missions? These thoughts, however, do not create in me anxiety, but quite the contrary. I am filled with a sense of hope, a sense of purpose.
My dear sister, Cassie gave me a book a while back entitled, "Soul Cravings" by Erwin McManus. He says this about hope and future, "Without a future, there is no hope and hope is essential for our souls to thrive. Hope exists only in the future, and if the future does not exsist, there is no hope... Without hope there is only despair." In Jeremiah 29, God assures us of a hope and future, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This verse is so familiar to many of us, but sometimes we don't realize that it doesn't end there. He continues by saying, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." It is my desire to seek the Lord, to go to Him and pray to Him, and know that He is listening. I am calling upon His name with the desire to find Him. For it is when I find Him that I come to know His hope for me, and that my future rests in the hands of the Almighty God, who is beyond time and has known the very intricate details of my life, even before the world was set in motion. Going back to Ephesians 2:10 - not only are we God's workmanship, but He has prepared good works for us to do, even before the world was created. In Greek, the literal meaning of "in advance" means "before the foundation of the world" (more or less).
So... It is in this time, that I rest in the assurance of my future with hopes to complete the good works that have been prepared for me by the Creator of the Universe. May it be that each act is carried out in His name and in glorification of Him.

Matthew 5:16, "...Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in Heaven."

Looking forward to His plans....

Lindsey <><