God Is Doing A New Thing

God is Doing a New Thing

Thus says the Lord,

    who makes a way in the sea,

    a path in the mighty waters,

 who brings forth chariot and horse,

    army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

    they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

 “Remember not the former things,

    nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

    and rivers in the desert.   

Isaiah 43: 16-19

Can I just be honest for a few minutes? I mean, if you asked me recently how I am doing, I likely said “good”, “okay”, “tired”, “busy” or maybe even “great!”.  It’s not that I am not those things, but I am also not being completely honest. But this is a space for honesty.  So I will tell you. I am confused. I am unsettled. I am confused, because I am content, but my spirit feels unsettled. I am lost and desiring answers and direction. I am torn. I am conflicted. Something in my life is needing to change, or possibly even progress, and I don’t know what it is. Do you ever feel like your path is simply unclear or even impossible?

I love staying home with my kids and not “working”. I enjoyed my summer with my kids immensely. Now, with school starting, I feel like I have grown so much since last year in my organization and preparedness.  I feel like I am getting better at what I do. And i love it. I love staying home. I want to work in their classrooms, and be involved in their activities. I want to get better at cooking and cleaning and making our home more peaceful for our family. I want to be available to help family or friends during the day. I never want to go back to work. 

But… I need to make money and help out our family financially. Things are getting more expensive by the year, and I don’t want all the pressure to fall on my husband. We should save more money. We should buy a house someday.  We can’t work forever so we should probably be way more concerned about retirement saving than we are currently. Clothes, shoes, sports, doctors visits, dentist visits, food.  It is all so expensive. So, I wrack my brain… how can I make extra money, and still be home?  Waiting tables once or twice a week? Working from home? Watching someone else’s kid? What should I do??

While all of this banter is going on in my mind, I also began to notice some spiritual stirrings.  I started having very strong convictions to pray for people in my life who are going through very difficult times. I realize how that sounds. You are like… I mean… duh. But again, can I just be honest for a few minutes?  I didn’t usually ACTUALLY pray for people all that often. You know how it is! You say you are praying for them, and you have very good intentions, but it just never happens, or it only happens once. So now listen to my situation again.  I have been having VERY STRONG convictions to pray for people I know who are going through tough times. These convictions have been so strong that I often feel physical discomfort until I simply stop and pray. You guys. I am talking about people who have lost spouses, and children, or who are going through marital troubles, or depression. And I feel compelled and emboldened to reach out to them and insert my prayers into their lives. It is a deeper level of compassion and discernment than I have ever experienced, and I feel like God wants me to press in and do more.  And it makes me excited. But how can I do it? I take care of three crazy kids all day, and I really NEED to begin helping out financially. 

I have no idea how to reconcile these feelings and emotions and desires into one life. I need clarity.  I need a miracle. I feel like I need to be doing three different things at once, and there is no way for it to happen. All I really know for sure is that God is doing a new thing inside of me, and I need to be prepared to walk on whichever path He clears for me. So I turn to scripture and this verse comforts me to press on and wait for my path to emerge from the ocean waves. I wait for my chariot obstacles to be swept away and for my fears and enemies to be extinguished. I will press on and remain unsettled while I wait for my Mighty God to clear my path so I can walk forward on the road of clarity.  This verse reminds me that God is supernatural and He can make the impossible, possible.  It reminds me that He will get His people where they need to be no matter how many obstacles need to be overcome. He will do it for me and He will do it for you. Continue praying and seeking His face and He will make a path for you. 

Bridget