Pruned and Shaped

I am linking up for the Five Minute Friday. The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung over at our Five Minute Friday website. Today’s word prompt is “return.” We would love to have you join us. 

Books taken off shelves. Boxes piled up. Sorting through papers–what do you keep, what do you throw away. Soon an empty chair and a closed door. An unexpected change.

I walk out the door wondering what is next. Praying that God will put a new path in my view. I can’t look back now. There is no return. I must turn down a different road. And as I walk out the door, I turn back around and look up at the steeple. A silent prayer is spoken in my heart and soul.

A single tear falls from my eyes.

I walk back to my home.

I feel lost; alone.

Wondering where God is calling me next.

A few weeks pass and I return to one of my favorite places in the world; Rocky Mountain National Park (Only 6 more days and I will be heading there again). It is here that I visibly can feel God’s presence; through friends who listen and embrace me in my own grief.

Near the top of the mountain, more tears fall. As I look to the future and leave the past behind; a season of no return. A season of changing and growing and being molded by the Father’s love! “For God so loved the world, God sent God’s one and only Son whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God did not send God’s Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that we might be saved through it.”

Sometimes life is full of unexpected seasons; seasons that cause us to wander and feel lost. Yet God always shows up again and again. God always returns and holds our hands in the midst of our trials. And it is here during these seasons that we change.

I leave you with these words from Mary Geisen’s Tell His Story post today: “Life experience teaches us that throughout our lives we find times when the old bumps into the new. It becomes beautiful, but not without growing pains. Tell His Story has been given a second chance. We can expect growing pains, but in the midst we will see such beauty as we never imagined.”

In other words, we must continually be pruned and shaped into who God calls us to be!

Also linked up with Kelly and the Ra Ra linkup, Mary and Tell His Story, Holley and Coffee for your Heart, and Kristin and Porch Stories!

 

10 thoughts on “Pruned and Shaped

  1. You have been through so much in the last year but I bet you can see the fruit from all the pruning.

    Thank you for sharing my words. I’m honored but I know from my own experience how true they are. Love you friend!

  2. i’m sorry you are moving on. i gather you don’t know what the next step is. i’m sorry for the sadness you are feeling. but mary’s words are true. as i prayed on sunday, and i believe to be true…even when i don’t like it, our times of being poor and needy are good in that they push us to Jesus.
    yes, they are painful, but He meets us in those places in wonderful ways. in fact, i wrote a little about it in my most recent post along with some encouraging Scripture. praying for you today girl. i know GOD is doing a great work in you as He continues to make His masterpiece.

  3. We wrote on a similar theme this week: transitions. Although my post took a different angle, it could have easily been similar to yours. Returning to your favorite place regardless of the circumstances points to it’s sacred nature. It’s a tabernacle. God meets you there and reminds you that you are never out of sight. Great post!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.