immeasurably more

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." --ephesians 1:11

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by how often the Lord shows me something in my time with Him, only to have someone echo it right back to me in the days to follow. Ephesians has been blowing my mind and I could pull a lot of truths out of it but I'm humbled today by this verse and this thought from a very dear friend.

Tuesday night a friend of mine shared the story of all the Lord has brought him through in the past few years and my heart was overjoyed to hear him speak about the sovereignty of God and how He works all things according to His plan. Those of you who know me well likely know the story from two summers ago of nearly losing a friend to a tragic car crash. You know that it shook me, that it was a huge growing point in my faith, and that I've never seen the Gospel of Christ lived out so clearly. I won't share the whole story today, but I find beauty in the fact that someone who was once pronounced dead on the side of a road today is living, laughing, and being a force that spreads a story of joy throughout the country. Tuesday night I watched two of the boys involved in the accident worshiping the Lord alongside their fiancees, families, and friends, whole and grateful. We prayed long for this day to come... and it's here. I was humbled as Jacob led worship to be able to sing with him the same songs we sang together in the ICU waiting room years ago, crying out to the same God, but this time everyone got to be a part of it. No more hospital beds, no more paralysis, no more halos and collapsed lungs and no more long afternoons on our knees simply begging that people would walk again, speak again, be able to return to life as we knew it. I'm just now beginning to figure out why God called me to be there in that time, but that's another story. Tuesday was a great day of coming full circle for a multitude of reasons. The Lord is our Deliverer and He is good indeed.

All that actually wasn't the point of what I was going to write though... but I do remember in the days of the accident crying out to the Lord that these boys faith would be strengthened, not broken. God knew they could handle it and hearing them speak about the Lord's provision the other night made my heart soar. One thing that's sticking with me this week is this thought, based off of Ephesians 1:11: whatever it is you're going through right now, good or bad, God has specifically equipped you to be able to handle it. I can see that in my own life right now. Things are great, but they are great because of every step of the journey that Christ has brought me on to be at this point. Last night I shared some of my fears with my sweet friend Allison and was reaffirmed with the truth that some of the hardships I've been through have equipped me to tackle those fears. I couldn't walk in the truth I walk in today had it not been for each thing that has happened along the way. I shared this thought with Karen the other day: In situations of hardship, we hold on to the hope that Christ has a plan for our good even though we cannot see it. It's reaffirming and rewarding to come to the end of those times and see how He has answered our prayers and how He really has used those plans to bring Him glory. His word is credible. Easy or difficult, He has equipped each of us specifically to walk hand in hand with Him at this time in our lives. I'm grateful for that.

He is the One who is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (eph. 3:20), the one "who fills everything in every way" (eph. 1:23). He fills every need, every desire, every longing, every promise. The story of the boys accident is clear evidence to me that He has done immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. When our prayers were small enough to pray just for breath in their lungs, He was faithful to send us nearly full restoration. God has given me immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine in my own life today. I've seen Him take the mediocrity of my prayers and my desires and in His own time replace them with big, wonderful things that I never even could have thought to pray for... I saw that with Dnow, I see that in the day to day life with the blessings and the people that make me smile. I think that's just a picture of who He really is... immeasurably more than all we can even imagine.

I leave you with this picture of the painting hanging in my bathroom. A sweet friend made me this on my birthday last year and I'm daily grateful for its constant reminder and its picture of love in my life.

 "We're depending on God, He's everything we need. What's more, our hears brim with joy since we've taken for our own His holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got-- that's what we're depending on." -psalm 33:22