Do you ever feel like God is telling you things and they basically freak you out? Rue Beason shared this blog with me (which is now my absolute FAVORITE read and I sob every time I open it) a little ago. If you’re in the mood to be ridiculously humbled and challenged, read this blog: kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com. I remember when Rue told me about it and I basically read every entry that Katie ever wrote and dehydrated myself from loss of tears. This chick is seriously amazing and I pray that my heart mirrors hers in every aspect. But the message I’ve been hearing lately is sacrifice. It’s like I wrote in the first blog of mine, I feel this anticipation inside but have no clue what it means but I know that God’s positioning me, teaching me and preparing me for whatever it is. It could be tomorrow, next week, or ten years from now that it makes sense but I just keep learning and taking one step at a time in the position that God is pointing. And it doesn’t surprise me today when I open Katie’s blog today and she’s saying exactly what I’m feeling, “Terrified and full of joy - I live there. It is possible to be afraid of what obedience might bring next and be full of thanks and overflowing joy and TRUST anyway. This giddy anticipation because we see all that He has done for us and we believe that He can only bring more good. Good, even in the ugly.”

And as all this has been stirring in me, it doesn’t come to me as a surprise that this morning when I was reading in Luke 14 (verses 25-34 in the message bible), I came across a story where Jesus was speaking to a crowd of followers about them needing to “figure the cost” of following Him. He says “in simple words, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” Then He says, “are you listening? Are you REALLY listening?” I think God calls us to different levels of sacrifice in our lives. Sometimes it’s large sacrifice’s sometimes it’s small ones, none-the-less He’s waiting to see if you are REALLY listening or if you’re living for yourself. And the crazy thing is, even when it hurts to give things up, through our simple obedience, we’re moving closer to a better life in Christ. He has the “best case scenario” for our lives and when we chose to live and give it all to Him, no matter what the cost, we’re actually living in the best possible life we can have. If we plan out our lives and never have any God involvement we could quite possibly live a good life, good career, and have good relationships but when we give it all to Him, he gives us the GREAT life, the GREAT career, the GREAT relationships. Even in the little things He loves to expand what we thought was already good enough.

I feel like He’s looking me in the eyes sometimes and saying, “Julie, are you listening?! Are you REALLY listening? Are you willing to give it all up? All the things YOU thought were going to be good for this 3 month trip, the plans YOU had for a husband, the plans YOU thought you had for a career, the plans YOU thought would make you happy? Are you willing to give them up so I can show you what I have for you? What I KNOW is better than all that you have dreamed and planned on your own? Are you REALLY listening? Do you trust me?”

There comes a time in your life when you have to take what you’ve always known to be comfortable, everything you thought you knew and throw it in the air. The things that are supposed to fall to the ground will fall to the ground and the things that aren’t supposed to fall will be caught by God. When He catches them, He will expand them to things bigger and better than they could have ever been while they were in your hands. And the things that fell to the ground and shattered He will restore with better.

One of my favorite songs in the whole world right now is “Hallelujah” by Bethany Dillon. I listen to it every night before as I’m falling asleep. The chorus is my heart right now. Don’t know what God has for my future but I will choose to sing Hallelujah no matter what it is.

Chorus:
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah


Copy and paste this link to listen to the song on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY5_jMdELnw