Raw.
God is stripping away all my preconceived notions of what it means to follow Him. I feel an urgency to purge. Social media. All media. All influences. Clutter. All my stuff. Busyness. All our school work exchanged for Bible study. I go from one extreme to another, trying to find peace. There must be a middle ground here that allows us to still function in 21st century America, even though it is not our home. Even though there is so much here that I want to hide away from.
I don't have to explain where these feelings are coming from because every true believer is likely feeling similar things. There is a shifting taking place and it's both scary and exciting. I don't want to miss what God is doing...yet I don't want to be a part of so much of the world's hatefulness and hurt.
As much as I want to hermit away, God has called me to be a voice crying in the wilderness. I looked up that term a few minutes ago to find the exact Scripture reference and found this from Collins Dictionary: "a lone voice in the wilderness. Someone who is pointing out the dangers in a situation or the truth about it, but nobody is paying any attention."
Nobody is paying attention. It often feels like that when you are speaking truth. It's a lonely place. I know I have hesitated and have shushed the voice of God for fear of being a weirdo, for fear of being the awkward one with no friends. However, that voice is becoming stronger and it's becoming the most important thing. I must make it the most important thing.
I want my countenance, my home, my priorities, everything around me to reflect the Lord and to draw people to Him. That's what Hope Cottage is all about. It's what I've named my home and my business. I include it in my mailing address. The "Cottage" part is for trendy, quirky, attention-catching purposes. The "Hope" part is what I really want you to grasp hold of. Many are hopeless now. Many more will become hopeless as the day of the Lord draws nearer. We who know Him must be the voices in the wilderness, speaking the truth of Christ and the message of hope and the warnings of eternal choices. Even if it seems nobody is paying attention.
I want my countenance, my home, my priorities, everything around me to reflect the Lord and to draw people to Him. That's what Hope Cottage is all about. It's what I've named my home and my business. I include it in my mailing address. The "Cottage" part is for trendy, quirky, attention-catching purposes. The "Hope" part is what I really want you to grasp hold of. Many are hopeless now. Many more will become hopeless as the day of the Lord draws nearer. We who know Him must be the voices in the wilderness, speaking the truth of Christ and the message of hope and the warnings of eternal choices. Even if it seems nobody is paying attention.
Sarah, You have expressed so many things here that are on my heart, as well. I, too, long for the simple, uncluttered life. In fact, it's what the Lord wants for us (I Thess. 4:11-12). Right now, those two verses are the theme of my life, as I try to balance living in the modern age with longing for the simplicities of the past. My heart is in the simpler times, but for whatever reason, God chose to put people like you and me...and others "simples" (!) here "for such a time as this". Perhaps it's to show others the Lord's true way! Thank you so much for your ministry. You encourage me every day to press on in the ministry the Lord has called me to. I've been "frozen" and discouraged for a while, but when I listen to you, I remember my calling and feel the Lord calling me back to it! Thank you, friend. Angela
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