Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss; my heart turns violently inside my chest.
The beauty of the Lord's love for us is so exquisite. His Love is so tangible and so real. It is quite intoxicating.
The first two weeks of my sophomore year at Lee have been very taxing. My closest friends, along with myself, have been thrown through so much emotional turmoil and so much warfare, and it's only been two weeks. The only way I can justify this is by knowing that we all must be playing a really intricate part in God's plan right now, specifically with our dance troupe. All of us have committed such a large amount of our lives to this troupe and its cause, and God has already blessed us so much. As new opportunities surface and our dreams for this troupe grow, we are constantly in a battle against the evil that can not see us succeed. Unity Dance Troupe is a miraculous group of people. I have never been so involved with such a mighty cause. The pure passion and joy for ministry that we as brothers and sisters share, has greatly impacted my life. Through Unity I have grown so much as a person, a student, a Christian, and a dancer. But most of all, my favorite experience with Unity has been our production of The Veil. The Veil has given me so much. It has given me a tangible taste of the Lord's heart for his children, and It is such an overwhelming emotion; words can not describe.
In the next two weeks, all of us involved in Unity will begin a period of prayer and reflection as we prepare to audition dancers for our revamped performance of The Veil. With this period of change and renovation comes a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Peoples roles are changing, and we are adding more dancers along with more dances to the overall production. This has created a lot of uneasy dancers who are eagerly awaiting the day when they learn what part they play in this team, both metaphorically and physically. One thing this past year has given all of us is a desire to do more. Passions have been intensified, hearts have been set on fire, and lives have been changed. I don't think any of us were quite ready for the impact of The Veil. God was so present in our dancing and in our midst. I know this to be true because our troupe has completely submitted this production to the Lord, and he will have his way with it. He has already blessed it so much, and it has become such a beautiful ministry. I thank God everyday that I have played a part in this wonderful testimony to his grace.
A desire to do more; this has so greatly been instilled within us. It is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because what a wonderful life to live, a life filled with passion and desire to further God's kingdom by using the talents he has given us to make an impact. A curse because if not treated properly, unmet desire can become harmful. An deep seeded unmet desire can cause conflict and inner turmoil. Questions like "Why am I never good enough to achieve the things I want?" or "What am I doing? I'm not even being utilized with my talents or passions." all seem like feasible things to ask ourselves when our deepest desire go unmet. So much confusion and hurt can arise, especially when we know in our hearts that our desires are for goodness and purpose. These unmet desires can cause us to question ourselves in ways that should never even be considered.
Not good enough. Unworthy. Useless.
I have but one thing to save about these desires. They are God given.
God gives us those desires, and he gives us the passion to carry them. God does not give us these desires to burden us with a sense of uselessness, he gives us these desires to use as a tool. Desires are powerful. Whether they be God given glorious desires, or earthly sinful desires, desires have power. God has more power.
When we are instilled with God given desires, we are given a gift, a tool, and a purpose. A reason to strive, to work, and to grow. Desire gives us an incentive to do whatever it takes to see those desire fulfilled. Despite our new found incentive, discouragement still comes easy. Situations can cause us to be discouraged, and without patience we can become hopeless towards our desires.
My friends, be encouraged. In the words of Kari Jobe, "I know that you are for me." God is for us. He gives us our desires as gifts. And he longs to see those desires grow and to flourish. Romans 8:32 says, "God did not spare his own son. He gave him up for us all. Then won't he also freely give us everything us?" God wants to give us the deepest desires of our hearts. He loves us! He misses us. He wants to spend every minute with us. His beautiful children, whom he's made clean once more. Praise the Lord! The most high God! He has made us clean once more!
Rejoice in that.
God has not given us a spirit of fear or anxiety. He says in his word to worry about nothing but instead pray about everything.
Desires can be overwhelming and scary. If we are anxious or scared that God might forsake our desires, then stop! Stop whatever you are doing and pray. Speak with him. Embrace his love for you. He so longs for you to know these things. He would never leave nor forsake you. He loves you. He will give you the desires of your heart; submit them to him, and see what happens.
