Abundance

I love how the irony of life often teaches us the greatest lessons. It always seems to be when you are looking in one direction you actually end up exactly where you didnt think youd be. Just when you think you know the answer you realize you have so much more to learn.

For nearly 6 months I havent had a job for all intensive purposes. I mean, I am on the payroll and still have a sweet office but God just didnt have work in the cards. My industry is hanging on by a string, my company has new news every other day and I am right in the middle of it. I have been doing things diligently and aggresively but it's just not the time for me to be killing it in my career. It is the time for other things though and I couldnt be more thrilled with my inactivity.

Since my job is slow the paychecks are even slower. This kind of living can be fun really - it's all in the attitude. Ive been able to see my family alot more because when they see me they feed me and one meal means sweet time with my family and a few dollars for gas or our exhorbatant AC bills these days. Yep, kids, its that tight but its fine. Things will pick up. More so, I have never felt more weatlhy. Seriously, I am living the abundant life these days!

I went for a run tonight a few minutes after 8pm. Run with me for a second......
The sky has a slight layer of faint orange - enough to make you wonder what kind of weather the night will hold but enough too to make you run a step faster just in case the sky is holding a secret....
It was super hot today but around 8 the intense heat has died down and the most perfect temperature surrounds you.
It is Sunday night and several families are out in their yards or walking the streets with the dogs but it is Sunday night so not quite as busy as a typical Saturday afternoon around Capital City.
It is the end of a relaxing weekend with your family and your favorite people and the beginning of what may be one of the best weeks of your life.
You just know God is stirring things. You know your patience has been worth the wait and you just feel like you arent running alone. Someone was running with me just delighting in the fact that my joy comes from Him. After about 22 minutes I come to my favorite part of the run - the one I always tell you about. Until now the Ipod God has perfectly shuffled the songs to get you in the perfect "St. Elmo's Fire- theme song/Braveheart" kinda mood and then one of my favorite praise song comes on and I just run and run faster and my hands open and I look up and the faint orange is now a bold, firey orange.
I open my hands and run this perfect stretch of the run and just feel myself breathe in everything around me and breathe out anything that might be holding me back from feeling everything I want to feel.
Thank you, God, for the abundant life you offer. Thank you for being so intentional in my life and for arranging my steps perfectly so that I could be in that moment enjoying every single ounce of it. Thank you Father for loving me so abundantly. I can not even begin to fathom the depth of your love, God. I am so grateful for this season of my life. I am thankful not because my job is great or even promising and not because Im making a lot of money and seeing the world like I one day hope to do. I am thankful for the peace that you have set in my heart, Father. I am thankful that you would see the depths of my heart and you would still love me and want to use me the same. I am most grateful for Brad. (Yes, yall dont know this whole story but trust me - it is good. ) I am grateful that through him Your love has been so obvious to me. Thank you for wanting to use us to bring glory to Your name. Thank you for Your faithfulness. Thank You for writing our story and then using it to reveal your unconditional love to others. I am floored by your graciousness! Thank you God for the abundance of grace and mercy and love and compassion and sympathy and excitement I feel because of what you have done for me. My heart is abundantly grateful.

I have abundant peace. My heart is free. Ahhhhhhh......