With a God vision and a God plan I had carefully mapped out my 2015-2016. My 2014 ended with working on my vision book for 2015. Yes Lord! Let’s steamroll right ahead into the New Year and into my next level of success.
And for once, I was giving myself permission to dream big. Yes, big God-sized dreams. A few months into 2015 and I was working the plan. One of my goals was to be in the best physical condition to date. As a result I bought in 2015 with a 3-day green smoothie cleanse followed by 7 days of eating only raw foods. My exercise regime was great and I was dedicated and focused working out at least 5 days a week. And as always I continued to research new recipes, foods and findings that would support my efforts to maintain a nourishing kitchen.
Spiritually I was right where I wanted to be. Then in March I attended a retreat and had several supernatural encounters with God that absolutely blew my mind. Essentially He elevated me, calling me to a higher station and level of responsibility in the Kingdom. I was thanking Him, praising Him and experiencing worship in fresh new ways.
I researched pre-schools for my 2 year old with plans to enroll him in school 2 days a week in the fall. I would use those 2 days as office hours, continuing to establish the Inspired Life brand and enlarge my speaking platform. My 4 year old was slated to start kindergarten too, thus creating time and space to work my business.
After years of mastering smoothies in my kitchen, I finally decided to write a 30-day smoothie book. Even though I was making a different smoothie almost everyday, I never wrote any of the recipes down. But repeated promptings from friends and one conversation in particular, it finally hit me, yes you must do this project. That first day I sat down to write the recipes the Lord gave me 17 complete recipes in one sitting. Then a few months later, the Lord prompted a photographer to offer to bless me by doing the photo shoot as a deposit into my ministry. First book nearly there. Indeed it was a time to rejoice.
Yup, I had it all lined up only to find that the Lord was preparing me for something else entirely.
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens
Ecclesiastes 3:1
My husband started a new job and was inundated in getting acclimated to that new environment rendering him unavailable to assist in several ways he normally would. That additional work was to be physically and mentally absorbed by me.
The seat that I thought my kindergartener would secure at the same school as his 3 school-aged siblings wasn’t secured after all. In fact, quite the opposite happened. He was denied by the school, denied by the appeals office then subsequently denied by the school board itself. As it stood, he’d be separated from his siblings, forced to attend our boundary school.
My brother in law became ill and the fight for his life ensued. My sweet husband spent countless hours by his beside. My father was having a major crisis hundreds of miles away. After hearing the agony in his voice for months on end, I packed up the children to take an emergency intervention trip to visit him.
Nonetheless with all the added pressure, I was hopeful that the many God sized dreams in my vision book would come to pass as a few of them were already underway; my spiritual growth and my physical health, yes Lord thank you for faithfully bringing the vision to pass.
Then I began a 40 days fast completely surrendering all. Easy to say, but much harder to live out real time. Nonetheless, I surrendered control and my prayer for the 40 days was YOUR WILL YOUR WAY. Yes Lord, together let’s keep the vision moving forward. Little did I know He’d give ample opportunity for me to practice this declaration.
The school year began and my son still did not have a seat in the school with his siblings. While I continue to fight and pray, he was enrolled for home school. My pre-schooler was sign up and ready to begin his 2 days a week. My brother in law succumbed to his battle for life.
And in his departure, I conceived. In fact, in my brother in law’s passing, I specifically told the Lord, “A baby cannot replace him so don’t get an ideas.”
But since God has known each of us from the beginning of time, he knew exactly when this baby would be conceived. And conceiving a baby was ONE thing that absolutely was NOT in my vision book for 2015. Trade my four-pack for a fat pack? Umm…no thank you. I’ve been working diligently for you Lord to honor this temple and this is how you repay me? All day, everyday sickness and a swollen belly?
Really God?!
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
New life. What a blessing and a joy.
Extra time with my kindergartener before he had to leave for school.
Extra time with my husband to comfort him as he grieved.
Indeed He does make everything beautiful in its time. But in order to embrace that, we have to SEE through eyes of faith. We have to be able to see “In Time”. Seeing in time is begin able to embrace the now moment, not living in the past nor pining for the future but being “in time” for IN TIME is where God is.
But I wasn’t in time with God. I was on the sidelines of my life, having a temper tantrum. I pouted and whined as I saw the death of my vision book. I threw myself on the floor replete with kicking and flailing as I mourned the death of my God vision.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Habakkuk 2:3
But God is faithful. He sheds light, speaks truth, heals broken hearts and hugs you even mid tantrum. I thank Him that He’s not like me because I probably would have left me there kicking and screaming to flounder on my own. But he picked me up, wiped my tears and reassured me of His truth.
He whispered:
~Your prayer was MY WILL, MY WAY. I heard your prayer and I answered.
~This delay is not a denial.
~This is not the death of your vision but a pause for character development
~The appointed time for all I am working on will come to pass better than you can imagine or think
~I love you so much I made an in person visitation to touch your womb
For a moment my vision was blurry (read more on that HERE). I thought what I put in that book had died. But the truth is, He is working overtime on my behalf, behind the scenes to align the hearts (mine included), the people and the resources to bring the vision to fruition. The vision WILL manifest at its appointed time.
And in the interim, I will embrace the process. Oftentimes we want to circumvent the process and take shortcuts but in this there are no shortcuts, just the sure true steps of following paths of righteousness for his namesake.
[bctt tweet=”Circumvent the PROCESS and you circumvent your BLESSING.”]
What season are you in?
How do you behave when a season change catches you off guard?
Do you react with tantrums, rebellion or fear?
Or do you respond with a yes in your spirit and a yes on your lips?
It is my prayer that you delightfully obey Him and embrace the now moment as you have not seen, nor have you heard nor has it entered your heart the things the Lord has prepared for you. His thinking is SO vast, deep and wide that we cannot comprehend it. But we do know that His plans are to give us a future and a hope. Be hopeful and find delight in whatever season you find yourself.
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News LifeGivingLinkup, Mommy Moments, Purposeful Faith
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Story of my life, sort of. And I am definitely in a later season of life than you. This kind of upheaval can happen at any point in our well-planned lives, and what God takes us to instead seems a hard-to-fathom detour, or even a sidetrack where we just have to wait to do the “important” things we had in mind. But reading this post of yours has helped bring me back to the truth that I repeatedly have to be reminded of: What seems small to us may be very great in God’s eyes, and vice versa. It’s the loving Him with all our hearts and souls and our neighbors (including in family) as ourselves that pleases–and glorifies Him more than the big accomplishments we were hoping toward, and that is really the epitome of His will His way. May He keep increasing your joy while in the “small things” on the seeming “side tracks!
I’m still at the planting season, but God’s timetable is different from ours. I’ve just listened to Joel Osteen this morning. His talk about Accelerate. What humans can do in 20 years, God can in an instant. So that’s pretty encouraging. This too. 🙂
Lux,
The planting season is so critical. Conditions have to be just right. And this stage is the foundation for without it there would be NO reaping season. Praying for you sweet Sister and you sow into good, fertile soil.
What an encouragement this is for me today Tyra, as I feel myself in a difficult season of life trying to navigate the unknown and every time I think I see the way, a door shuts in front of me. But that is why I must have eyes of faith and believe that His will is be doing in this situation. So glad to have found you here today. I loved reading your story and I too love green smoothie’s! A couple weeks ago I finished JJ Smith’s 10 Day Green Smoothie Detox, it has worked wonders for my health.
Crystal,
A turning of the tide indeed as we navigate and chart different territory. In those times we stand firm though rooted in the TRUTH that he has neither left nor forsaken us and that all will work together for the good. It is moments like those that truly give us an opportunity TO LIVE THE GOOD NEWS 🙂
Also Crystal pls pray for me as I intend to publish a smoothie book this year. I’d love to be able to put additional resources in your hands to equip the body of Christ to honor HIM in their temples.
what a post! Wow! Yes, I try to hold my goals loosely..letting the will of God be my main focus..All the years of learning the hard way! What a wonderful blog in such lessons..I love your diligence, though, and God will use your dreams but mold them in His own way. Blessings to you! I love green smoothies, too! Visiting today from #raralinkup
Kathy,
Yes friend learning along the way. While we can maintain our focus on HIM he can still shift the tide without us seeing it coming and it can cause motion sickness. I pray we have the resolve to rejoice even in the places of unknowing. Thanks for visiting friend.
Visiting from #RaRaLinkup today and so glad I did not miss this post. God’s timing so often does NOT align with our personal vision and, in our humanness, we screech and wine and wallow. Love your prayer “Your will, Your way” – the best way, always!
Karlene,
Indeed HIS WILL HIS WAY is truly the best. For a while is was living His will but asking him to do it my way. I thank him for the heart change to be in perfect alignment with his plans for my life. I pray you too friend embrace HIS WILL HIS WAY
Wow! What a year, my friend. Did I miss the pregnancy announcement or is this the first time you shared it? I took a lot of time off last year so maybe I did, but anyway, that is wonderful! It is so difficult when things don’t move along as we would like. He always has bigger and better plans though. I love how you turned your difficulties into positives, like spending more time with your hubby and kindergartner. You always inspire me, Tyra :).
Candace, I did first mention it about a month ago. Even though I am almost 6 months it took me a while to work through it and I sandwiched the announcement in the middle of a post. I’m working on sharing the FULL story. Indeed his plans for us are more vast than we can imagine. It is my prayer we embrace the journey as opposed to treading it begrudgingly.
My dear dear sister, don’t you love it when God gives you a vision and you can see it so clearly and you have figured out how it’s all going to work out BUT God suddenly turns left when you (thought you) were supposed to turn right? That had happened so many times that I just stopped trying to figure it out. For his ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isai 55:8-9).
Two years ago I had something very close to the picture perfect life. I was living the life of my dreams. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere it felt like I was losing everything I spent the last 13 years working for. We were deep in a winter season of our lives. But I had to tell the devil, “No, I don’t accept this. I know that God did not bring my through trial after trial to get me to this point for it all to amount to nothing?!! No, devil. You are a liar.” I had to declare the word of the Lord of my life. I had to learn what it means to give thanks in EVERYTHING.” Even though everything seemed dark and I couldn’t see a way out. I claimed victory by faith. I thanked him, in advance, for my testimony.
If you had asked me two years ago if I had ever imagined that I would be in Rhode Island (a state that is 99.99999% white and cold), away from my family, I would have asked you what you were smoking.
But Tyra let me tell you that I have seen the hand of God thru this whole situation. I have lived ABUNDANTLY. DESPITE the fact that I literally make one SIXTH of what I used to make. God has blessed me over and over and over again. It would take me all day to list all the ways!
Now we are in the Spring season of our life and again everything seemed to be coming together and I could just see the light at the end of the Tunnel. Last Wednesday when I woke up I did a victory dance because of a manifested victory, it reminded me of the many days I had done victory dances by faith. I was so happy to be celebrating something I could actually see! I was so happy to be done with winter!
Then Wednesday I went to work and my husbands send me a text saying that he has “devastating ” news. He was going to be laid off, his company had decided to eliminate his entire division. Really God? Really? Talk about a curveball! I thought we were done with this rough time chapter. I have to say that I felt defeated, like someone had punched the air out of me. Then I remembered that I was to give thanks in everything. And so I thanked Him. Probably not the most convincing thanks, definitely half hearted but I thanked him because he is STILL on the throne. I prayed for endurance and faith. I went to bed feeling down but something happened when I was asleep, he restored my soul. When I woke up I had joy and peace. I was able to do my victory again.
Some of the songs on my playlist were: my name is victory by Jonathan Nelson; we are victorious by Donnie Mclurkin; Victory by Tye Tribett
You can find the playlist here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzO3S0_xNaGbhuODBasPfyADSjQu_AwaD
God has been faithful and he is still faithful and he will ALWAYS be faithful. Our job is to trust, obey and believe. He WILL bring to finish what he has started.
I love making smoothies when it is warm outside. I look forward to buying an autographed copy of your book Tyra. Stay encouraged. Give thanks. For with God we are promised victory.
Oh sweet Thandi, this walk of discipleship has many twists and turns some of them abrupt and sudden. But praise be to God for the Holy Spirit living within that allows us to navigate these changes with agility. While it may seem jarring to us, the moves aren’t sudden to God.