Each year, I ask the Lord to give me a word that will encourage me in the year ahead.
This word usually comes to me right in the start of the year – on the first or second day – depending on when I get some ‘alone time with God.’
But this year, however, I really struggled to get this ‘word’. There just seemed to be too much clutter. In spite of the fact that I am really trying to simplify and quieten my life, it was just impossible for me to hear anything above the din of life.
Absurdly, I am living my absolute dream. I am running my kids holiday programs which are nice and busy now and becoming financially viable, and I have started Homeschooling our kids, which has been a dream for three long years. But all of this was supposed to bring me peace and quiet.
I knew that God was in it because He gave it all to me! He was the one who made it possible. He gave me the space from where I run my Heartland programs. He worked a miracle in Clayton’s heart and brought him to the place where he agreed to let me Homeschool our kids. And He brought someone else into Clayton’s business so that I was able to step aside.
But in spite of all of this, I still felt pressed on all sides. And I still found it hard to make space for those special quiet times with God.
I knew that all I needed to do was ‘be quiet and press in’. But it had been almost a month and I still hadn’t done it!
Until this morning that is. And God, in His incredible grace and faithfulness, met me right then and right there and gave me not just a word but a sentence …. a calling… to ‘come to the cavern and praise My name’
The picture I got was of a ‘War Room.’
Did you see the movie?
It was powerful and encouraging and awakening. We can all have an incredible impact in the world that we touch, if we just go to God in prayer and then let Him do the rest.
Exciting stuff. Even more exciting is that on my run, after I received the word, I had a sense that I should use my container as my ‘war room’. It is my space, my private space in a very peaceful place. And I am about to start painting it dark charcoal. In fact, we begin the painting project tomorrow. The definition of a ‘cavern’ is a dark cave.
So my ‘cavern’ will be dark on the outside, but not so dark on the inside. Because it does have a window and it will have Gods light.
I am so excited about the journey ahead and I will certainly share all the wonderful words and revelations and battles that are won through my prayer time in the cavern.