At the beginning of every year, the Aglow staff seeks the Lord for wisdom and direction for what the new year will bring. Oftentimes we receive a word which encapsulates the essence of that direction. My word for this year is ‘emerging’. Emerging to me elicits the imagery of a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon in newness of life.
But what does that look like in practical application? Every morning before work I sit out on my back porch to read, meditate, then be silent and listen. Specific direction will oftentimes come sitting in the stillness of Presence, but other times it unfolds during the course of the day. Resting in that cocoon in the morning to receive direction and upgrades prepares the way for whatever will emerge during that day.
A personal aspect of the emerging word for me this year is to do upgrades on my house. The time had come to go room by room cleaning out drawers and closets, throwing or giving away things we no longer need, repaint areas that need it. A little wood soap and scratch cover oil does wonders to make furniture and cabinets look brand new again.
One beautiful way I saw the emerging word unfold was with the dining room set really needing to have the chair cushions recovered. I’d put this off because reupholstering can be so expensive. But in shopping at a thrift shop one day I felt a nudge to go to the very back corner of the store. To my amazement and delight, there was a bolt of very high-quality upholstery material with a print I really liked, and it was only $10. After watching a few YouTube videos, I felt confident enough to give it a shot. The cushions turned out great and as I looked at the remaining material on the bolt I thought, hmmm, I wonder if there is enough left for a tablecloth too. There was – down to the inch! Now that’s provision, not too much, not too little, exactly what was needed for the job.
We have a promise in Isaiah 26:3 that we can remain in perfect peace if we will keep our hearts stayed on Him. In light of that, throughout the day I take frequent “emotional temperature checks”, and gently bring myself back to peace if I’ve strayed off into frustration, or striving, or being anxious about something. The more I do this, the more life naturally unfolds in a synchronistic way. Divine appointments just happen in the normal course of the day. Creative ways of solving problems come to mind. Setting an intention to be mindful of keeping a peaceful spirit is a way of partnering with Holy Spirit so that life just flows.
In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15
We would love to hear your journeys of how you are partnering with Holy Spirit as we all encourage each other. Tell Us Your Story
Martha Stanley, Publications Designer, Aglow International