About me. Is it? Is this blog really me? I don’t believe it is. What I know, with certainty, is that God began gently nudging me 10 years ago to start a blog, nudged me harder 5 years ago, began pushing with more intensity one year ago, and last week he was so persistent that I felt like he was jumping up and down in front me, continuously tapping me on the shoulder, excitedly and repetitively saying, “Do it now! Do it now!” So today, I chose to listen even though I am not a writer and know very little about writing blogs. I am just a girl on a day-to-day spiritual grind that is sharing my experiences to inspire others to find hope in greater things and what is yet to come.
The Deeper Why
I’m not a huge fan of talking about myself; I feel like I am more of a private person who opens up to few yet loves taking in the stories of many. But God has shown me that talking about both my good and challenging experiences as well as my thoughts, wonders, and dreams isn’t about me; it’s about the one. The one who feels that people only partially “get it”, who is searching for more, yet finds satisfaction in both the still small moments and big and loud moments, who is uncertain, yet certain all at the same time, and the one who feels together, yet at times, falls apart completely and uncomfortably. He showed me that our stories were not created for us and that they are not all about us, but instead, our stories are about the one.
In the Bible, there is a story referred to as the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:11-14, Luke 15:3-7). In this story, Jesus is teaching the disciples (Matthew 18) and the Pharisees (Luke 15) about how the Shepard (Jesus) leaves the 99 sheep to rescue the one. But who is the one? The Bible tells us that Jesus came to save the lost (Luke 19:10), both the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24) and the gentiles (John 10:16, Acts 28:28). I feel like most people familiar with these passages only think of “the one” as those who haven’t “accepted” Jesus as their savior and I do believe it is indeed for people that don’t know Jesus but I also believe it is for those who have accepted Him and have gotten lost, completely turned away from Him, or simply for those who at times wander off- for a few hours, for a day, for weeks, for months, or perhaps, even years.
We are all imperfect and we all wander at times, even if only for an hour or in the seemingly unknown minutes that our thoughts drift off to dark places, but we have a God who is full of mercy and will leave the 99 for the 1 and gives us grace, scoops us up and carries us right back to Him in perfect love. I know, not hope, but know that God will use the stories that I have walked through or am walking out today, for good, as we have a God who uses ALL things for good. May these stories find “the one” and in the moment you read this blog, may you know that you are not alone and that your Heavenly Father has left the 99 for just you. ~ Spiritual Grinder Girl ~