Working from the inside out!

Nighty Night folks! What can I say? It's past midnight and it's been such a beautiful day here in Colorado! Sunny but not toasty and then it cooled off throughout the night with a nice breeze and almost wanting to rain!
As I'm listening to worship and letting the words flow to post this blog, I am also listening to the quietness, it's quite odd because it's not completely quiet you might say! Yet this is the first time I think in a very long time that I'm able to differentiate between the two. I am at peace both in my soul and in my heart and I could definitely give the credit to a list of things that have contributed to that. For instance the fact that I'm not going to school this summer, only working one job 2-3 days a week after spending 15 days in Africa and coming back to another whole week off and the house practically to myself, I could also give credit to friends and loved ones who have made my days happy and meaningful, or how about much simpler moments like a nice shower, your dog happy to see you, or driving having no worries and just enjoying the ride? Now let me refocus, I mentioned that I COULD give credit to these things, but certainly they're not the MAIN reason why I'm such at peace!
Now I only mentioned the awesome stuff that has happened, but there are things that haven't quite gone so well in some areas yet I am still rejoicing! A few familial, personal and emotional situations that God is taking care of, He always does!!! And even so, I am not fretting or sweating a tad bit about it.
Today during my devotional time with my significant other today, we read a chapter on how to have a quiet soul in a loud world, and one thing that struck me the most was the following: "We equate external control by inner tranquility" that if we could only have control of everything in our lives then it should brings us immediate peace.
But the truth is that, it doesn't. First of all, you can't play god! God is the God of your life so He is the one that needs to be in control of everything, even the things that you are in control of! And second, it might bring peace in the moment, after finishing a task, after seeing a result, etc. but what's gonna happen if you don't get those answers you were expecting? Or seeing a dream of yours get crushed?
At that point, only the supernatural peace of Jesus will hold you through! So then our souls will have quietness even if you're not seeing what you wanted to see or hear what you wanted to hear! Problems are just another reason to see Him work it out and teach you how to be victorious to succeed and proceed to the next step!
Right now I could definitely be worried about things that will never happen, or things that can keep me up till 5 in the morning. But what for? I don't want to live my life that way and more so I don't want to die that way!
And of course it's easier said than done, but please just remember: Jesus got this, let's have an attitude of excellence towards every barrier! Ask Him how to face the next challenge that comes to your life, but also give yourself a break. When I was in Africa, one of my favorite things was the quietness in the mornings before we'd go to the villages, you could just enjoy a beautiful sunrise, animals, a good, authentic cup of coffee and simply breathe.
 Someone told me once: "Sometimes the best thing to do is to not do anything at all." Don't misunderstand me, don't stop paying bills or showing up to work but instead, work from the inside out! Check your heart with the Word of God, talk to Him, close your eyes and tell Him THANK YOU! Worship Him, ask Him for forgiveness, let Him renew you daily. Your inner being needs as much attention as your body and from there your responsibilities and tasks!

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5


Think about it, sometimes we have it all backwards! We are on the go, trying to do as much as we need to, we forget our physical bodies, we don't nourish it, we don't exercise, we don't sleep the hours we need so let alone the neglect of our souls, which is just as important but tends to be the last thing that we think of, if we even think about it! And we can apply this pattern to every area really, in your relationships, your dreams... the best picture of comparison that I can think of is if people tried putting their friends or in-laws before their relationship with their spouse! Tell me how that's gonna for you. So it's the same concept, you have to work from the inner circle, meaning you and your spouse come first, then your children, then y'alls family and friends.

I have certain life phrases just as life verses, mine lately has been something along the lines of "Pray, save and slay! It's silly, funny but speaks truth to my life as I'm always prepping for the next mission trip. I pray, if God opens the door then I save money, and if He says go then I go and serve Him and His people! But I can't slay if I don't pray, I won't be sharp!
That's a whole different bible study, but anyways I hope y'all have a great day tomorrow!
Stay tuned, God bless!

Kc

Lake Victoria, Tanzania