I am No Victim

My life is all the music lyrics....
I pray with music.
I worship with music.
I meditate with music.
I ponder with music.

So when a friend introduced me to this song I had ALL the feels.  This is MY story.  

I am no victim.
I live with a vision.
He’s not just reviving.
Not simply restoring. 
Greater things have yet to come.
I do not wonder
If His plans for me are good.
If He'll come through like He should.
Cause He is provision.
and enough wisdom 
to usher in my brightest days.
To turn my mourning into praise.
I am defined by all His promises.
Shaped by every word He says.  

I am No Victim

I am NOT a victim.  
Ok.  I will admit that there are moments when I feel sorry for myself.  When life becomes overwhelming and I cry out to God, "I didn't CHOOSE this! I don't WANT to do this alone!"  

That when He gently reminds me in His compassion and gentleness, "My dear, you were never meant to do this alone."  

He is so good to me in those moments of doubt.  In those moments of fear and insecurity.  He makes His presence known.  In subtle ways.  In grand and glorious ways. 
But He always makes Himself known in ALL of my moments...simply to remind me....He is sovereign.  He is ONLY good. 

There are things only known in Heaven that I may never understand.  But can I trust that His plans for me are good?  That He WILL turn my mourning into dancing?  

Will I measure His goodness by my circumstances?  Or by His promises?

Recently I had come to the end of a really really hard day.  I sat in the floor of the shower, feeling the hot water wash over me and in my utter exhaustion I whispered, "God I don't WANT to do hard anymore.  Haven't I endured enough?" 
It was a silly question....and I wanted to withdraw my words as quickly and honestly as I spoke them.  "In this world....you will have tribulation....but take HEART....I have overcome the world."  

Life is messy.  Life is hard.  Life is unfair.  But if I get lost in the questions, the whys and what-ifs then I miss it. 
His promise to me.

That He has become victorious over this for me.
He is redeeming.

He is restoring.

He is making things new again.

But not JUST restoring.

Not JUST healing.

Not JUST coming into my darkest moments and bringing me a kind of comfort that only He can bring.

But His promise is that GREATER things are still to come.

There's still more. 
His story doesn't end with ashes and brokenness. 
You were created with a purpose.  For such a time as this.

And if He is going to finish what He started then your healing...your rescue is ONLY THE BEGINNING.

He is so kind and intentional and He's always gently leading us FORWARD to those greater things.  Towards Kingdom things.
The temporary grief of this moment doesn't even COMPARE with what's to come. 

No----we are not victims. 
We live with HOPE.

He is our Hope.
He is our Peace.

And there is always a future for those who trust in Him even in our darkest hours.