Christian Artists Street Team on Etsy: encouraging

Showing posts with label encouraging. Show all posts

Have Faith and Jump!

Hello Everyone! My name is Ana Jimenez and this is my FIRST TIME EVER writing for you all here on the CAST TEAM Blog. So I figured I'd briefly introduce myself and tell you a short bit about me before I get into my blog.

I own SugarCreations on Etsy and I'm fairly new to the Etsy world but I have been creating accessories for about 6 years now. I'm married and have 2 adorable girls (Ava almost 2 & Chloe 4 months). My husband and I are the youth ministries pastors at our church and have been doing that for 3 years. I am also lead worship with our praise team.

Now, I want to share some words of encouragement through toady's Friday Finds. I share this with you because someone shared this with me, just at the time I needed to hear it.

I was feeling a bit discouraged a few weeks ago. A bit frustrated with our youth ministry. Almost questioning God why He had us there. Wondering if that was our purpose. Wondering, if I was doing what He was putting in my heart, why was I not seeing the results I wanted to.

The day after my husband and I were conversing about this, friends of ours came over. We were to have a meeting, planning our youth camps for the year. We normally have a short devotional before starting our meetings. So we did. We read out of the book of Job.

"I'm speechless, in awe-words fail me..." Job 40:3

"I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans..." Job 42:1

I began to think...

Who am I to question God or His purpose (I certainly don't want God to speak to me the way He did to Job). He has placed me here for a reason. He has entrusted this ministry in my husbands and my life for a reason.

Sometimes I know we feel like we are doing everything in our power to be a success in our ministries, home, children's life, marriage, job, and business. Maybe your struggling to succeed in something else. You might feel as I did, like you are not reaping the reward of your hard work, and you simply don't understand why.

As we were going through the devotional that day, I realized something. God's timing is more perfect than what we think. All God has called us to be is "FAITHFUL". He didn't call us to be "SUCCESSFUL", although I have no doubt in my mind that he will take care of us, that is a promise.

"I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." Jeremiah 29:11

Let me share this short story with you:

As the father wakes to a blazing fire in his home, he realized his young son is upstairs. The fire is so bad it's hard to see through the flames and smoke. He hears his son screaming for him. The father realizes he is unable to get him, the flames have engulfed the stairs.
As the young boy stand at the top of the stairs unable to see his father standing below, his father yells, "Son, just jump! I can see you. I will catch you!" The son replies, "But dad, I can't see you. I'm scared!" His father again replies, "Son, don't worry! Trust me! I can see you. Jump!"
Although scared, and unable to see his father, he jumps. Only to fall into his fathers arms and out to safety.

Sometimes, we have a hard time trusting Him when we can't see what we were anticipating. We doubt. Always remember He is at times just simply waiting on us to be faithful and have complete trust in Him. Once we let go of our doubts and fears and JUST JUMP, we will realize we will be falling into His arms and taken onto HIS purpose and plans.

If you don't remember anything else from this, remember this...

He has called you to be "FAITHFUL" and let Him take care of the rest.

I hope you have enjoyed this and today's faith driven finds.

In His Love,

Ana

SugarCreations