Painted Skies

Last Friday as I drove home from Minnesota after five wonderful days of visiting some friends, I could not help myself as I got my camera out and snapped a few shots of the gorgeous sky before me. The Lord had painted the sky so beautifully that day as if it were just for me. I had a lot of things on my mind, but mostly I was thinking about what kind of life God has planned for me. I know he has plans to prosper me and not to harm me, he plans to give me a hope and a future...but no where in that verse does it say that I get to know these plans right away! And that tends to be my problem, I want to know his plans now not later. Yet, at the same time I know his timing truly is perfect and cannot be rushed even if I desperately want to know now!

I don't make New Year's Resolutions, but I do reflect over the past year and look forward to what is ahead in the new year and try to think of things I want to accomplish, and see changed in my life. Since I am a slight perfectionist, my list is usually very long, but this year I simplified:

1. To love my God
2. To be loved by my God
3. To know my God
4. To share my God

I have a hundred more goals but I think they all fit nicely into those four areas. 2008 was a most difficult year and I don't know what 2009 will hold, but I do know that I will not live one day outside His love, His will or His presence. I may not feel those things, but I believe deep in my heart what it says in Romans 8:38. I pray that we all will come to a deeper realization of how true that is, nothing can separate us from God's love. Even a simple gesture of painting the sky shows me that my Father knows how to love me perfectly and knows what I need even before I need it. Now that is worthy of the word 'awesome'.