When God says, “Lay it Down”

We all have a word. Maybe you don’t have a word. Instead, you have a thought, a goal, or a dream. You might not be a New Year’s resolution type, but we all want more for our lives. My word for 2018 is expectant. I walked into the year fully expecting God to do big things in my life. I launched a ministry on a prayer and a dream. I knew God would show up and He did. However, as the year progressed I realized my expectations got wrapped up in my vision and not His story leading to some disappointment.

^“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

My dreams swirled around in my expectations. I know that God has placed this desire in my heart. I know I stepped into what He was calling me to do. What I don’t know, however, is how it all will unfold. And, quite frankly, that freaks me out a bit. I keep showing up day-after-day doing the next thing He is calling me to do. But, there is an emptiness, a longing, deep within. My daily journey wasn’t matching up with my expectations. I was expectant of the Lord but my expectations were all mine.

Lay down your expectations so He may fill you with more.

As 2018 comes to a close, I realized that while I started the year expectant of God, I became more expectant of me instead. I thought I knew best: that I knew how fast things needed to move and which direction they needed to travel. I know how this story plays out so let’s get to it. God doesn’t work that way. Thankfully.

It took me until December to awaken to my confusion; to see that my expectant vision was blinded. At the end of this year (literally, at the beginning of December) I clearly heard the Lord tell me to lay it down.  Lay down the dream.

Let’s have a little chat. Laying down what I hold dear, what I have worked so hard for, what I have dreamed about, what wakes me up in the middle of the night is much more difficult than I think. Sure, I’m a strong Christian girl. I trust God. I know He has great plans for me. I know he delights in giving me the desires of my heart. I know He wants to exceed my expectations. But lay my dreams down? Ha. Are you crazy, God?

He’s calling me to lay it down to make room for Him to fill my life with more. The more tightly I grip, the less space He has. He wants to fill our lives. He wants to give us more than our little hearts desire. But, when we hold too tightly to the dream, when we put our spin on it and add our narrative, we don’t make room for miracles.

It’s taken me a few days to write this. If I am being honest, I have not fully laid down my dreams for The Messy Mingling. I still have my grip. I sat down to finish this post and noticed something. Next to the computer on the coffee table was my mug. On it read, “Get Your Hopes Up.” Isn’t it just like God to ask us to sacrifice but not lose hope? And not only hold onto hope, but get your hopes up.

Laying it down, laying it ALL down, when God calls makes room for the miraculous to happen.

Laying down that dream can be rough. We often lose hope when God asks us to lay something down; especially something we hold near and dear to our hearts. But, what if laying it down doesn’t equal hopelessness? What if laying it down equals hopefulness instead? Laying it down, laying it ALL down, when God calls makes room for the miraculous to happen. Don’t fear laying it down. Don’t be burden by the sacrifice. Don’t lose hope. Fill your heart with anticipation for what He’s about to do.

I am not laying down The Messy Mingling. I will still work it wholly and completely. I am laying down the chase and replacing it with an active pursuit of God. My focus is no longer whether or not this dream will succeed; whether it will come true. My center of attention is actively pursuing God. There’s been a shift. Laying it down reignites the hope within. Journey with me, and I with you, as we all lay it down and pick up hope: hope in our active pursuit of God. 

Love & Blessings,

Meg