Guest blog by Josephine L.
How many times have you driven by the same place over and over and then one day BAM!! you noticed a sign or a building that has always been there but you never saw before?
How many times have you misplaced something, freaked out, searched and searched, only to realize you were holding whatever it was in your hand the entire time or it was right in front of you?
Sometimes we search for an answer to a question only to realize after the fact, that it was very obvious what the answer was!
It happens to the best of us. I have been there...way more times than I can count.
(The image above is a rock that has plants growing on it.. did you notice it’s in the shape of a boat and looks like it’s about to go into the water?)
I have a point with this.. so please stay with me.
This has been my faith journey…I actually want to say my life journey.
I am that woman who tends to overlook most things when everything is fine and dandy, but the moment a single piece in my life goes out of alignment, I break down and lose sight of all the other perfectly placed pieces.
In my adult life, I have had bursts of anxiety, self-doubt, restlessness you name it. Things I have been ashamed to admit. Why? well, most of the people in my life are strong encouragers who stop at nothing to express how important faith in God is. The fact is, being a christian woman, i know i need to have faith; well, I do ... on most days, but stinky feelings like doubt still creep up on me and some days I admit, they get the best of me.
A few weeks ago during a Sunday meeting with a group of friends, we reflected on the passage of the transfiguration (Luke 8: 29-35). Verse 32 struck a chord in me and I have been reflecting on it ever since. The passage reads, “Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became FULLY awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.” (NIV)
If you read the full chapter, you’ll find that the disciples had been there for a while. In spite of this, Peter and his companions had not really seen what was happening right in front of them. Why? because this whole time they were sleepy. They did not get to really see until they were fully awake…
So my question to myself after reading this was, how long have I been asleep? How often do I get drowsy and miss out on God’s magnificent work and blessings in my life? Actually, what does it mean to be fully awake? Do I think I am awake now and really I am not?
We could be here for days trying to answer these questions.
However, from this scripture, I learned that there are countless times I am in Peter and his companion’s shoes. There are times I get blinded by feelings such as doubt and these feelings inhibit my ability to have a clear Godly perspective. It causes me to be spiritually asleep!
As a young woman, I am at a transitional time in my life. There is a way I want to see my life go. There are things I want to achieve by a certain age. And like most people around this age, let’s call it the twenty-somethings, anxiety, self-doubt, restlessness you name it find a way of creeping into our lives.
We get on social media and wallow over the ‘perfect’ lives others our age have and we begin to beat ourselves up or maybe question God on why we are not doing as well as that person.
This scripture teaches us that until we are fully awake, we cannot see what is right in front of us. We will miss out of the magnificent process of life God is taking us through. We will miss precious encounters with God!
I am not anywhere close to perfect. This is my every day challenge. Some days are harder than others but I am constantly reminding myself to really focus on who God is molding and calling me to be.
For as long as I keep my focus on what I do not have, I am asleep and don’t get to enjoy what God has placed right in front of me.
For anyone reading this who feels they can relate in some way, join me.. Let’s challenge ourselves to be awake. My prayer is that God helps us stay awake so we can really experience His Glory in our lives. So we can let Him use us for what we have been called for. So we can be our truest most authentic selves in every way possible.
Let’s stay awake so we don’t miss out on God's glory.
Blessings friends.