Hey Everybody! It’s been a while! I’m officially in South Africa! I absolutely adore it here! It’s amazing! Here’s just something that’s been on my heart lately!
“Keep pouring out. Keep pouring out. Keep pouring out. Pour out even when it feels like there’s nothing left. Pour out when you’re hurting. Pour out when you’re tired. Pour out when all you want to do is give up. Keep on pouring, and keep letting the Lord fill you up. Keep on pouring in abundance because the Lord is always filling us up in abundance. Our pouring out isn’t dependent on another’s response or reaction. Our pouring out doesn’t result in getting something from the other person, but our pouring out results in obedience to Christ. Our pouring out results in walking completely in the Spirit, completely in dependence on the Lord. When we pour out all we feel like we have, we keep pouring because that’s when the Lord shows up and that’s when the Lord overflows out of us in abundance. Follow His example. Live out unconditional love. Live out love that doesn’t expect anything in return. Live out the love of Christ.”
This is something I wrote a while back, and this is something I’ve been learning. In order to keep pouring we must constantly be receiving from the Lord. Even when the things around us feel overwhelming and stressful, we have the beautiful opportunity to give them all over to the Lord, because it is only then that we can keep pouring and giving to those around us. I’ve been learning that it’s not my job to fix the hurt or problems of the people around me. The Lord simply asks that I release all the things I’m trying to carry on my own to Him and just love. Love Him and love the people around me. He simply asks that I let His love flow freely out of me. What an honor. It’s a joy and privilege to come alongside my friends in their struggles and hurt. It’s an honor to get to pour out His love, grace, and compassion. It’s an honor to sit with those around me in their tears and in their smiles. The Lord has blessed me abundantly, and it’s a joy to live so simply just listening to His voice and walking in obedience! The Lord has been teaching me a lot through visions and images lately, and this image is about surrendering and giving the Lord all the things I’m trying to carry on my own. Here’s how I wrote it in my journal:
“The Lord gave me this image the other day of me trying to walk forward. I was trying to get somewhere, but I had all of these people draped over my shoulders. They were weighing me down. I kept trying to walk and I just couldn’t. I was hunched over trying to take a step but every time I lifted my foot my whole leg started shaking and I just couldn’t move forward. While all of this is happening Jesus is standing next to me asking to help, but I won’t let him. Then, one day I finally started to let Him take off the people. He takes them down one by one and holds them all in one hand. With his other hand, He holds mine and we take a step, Him leading the way. No more weights. No more struggle. No more trying to walk when I’m carrying everyone else’s pain. He comforts me. He takes away all of that pain, and it’s beautiful that I can’t carry everyone else on my own. It’s beautiful that I get to give my hurt to Him. It’s beautiful that His faithful love endures. It’s beautiful that He creates us to carry one another’s burdens, but also expects us to give Him all of those things.”
That’s just a small piece of all the many things I’ve been learning lately, and also just encouragement that when life feels overwhelming we get to walk with a God who wants to take all of our burdens and carry them. We get to walk with a Lord who loves us and the people around us so much. It’s an honor to be receiving from the Lord so that we can give away to others. He freely gives to us, so we get to freely give to others! What a joy!
Praying you have a joy-filled day full of the Lord’s love.
In Christ,
Haley
