In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

Trusting God in a new place can differ greatly from trusting him in the last place. In the last place things were problematic but predictable…we were accustomed to everyday occurrence. It was what it was…life and love was manageable. Direct deposits afforded a sense of security, predictability forged a fluid routine and a comfortable existence. In the last place we’d learned how to maneuver, make do and the most of current situations. In the last place, showing up was enough, interactions were random, vague with an air of one day this or that…life and love teetered/flirted with possibility but failed to produce in actuality. So we trusted God from the solace of distance, the contemplation of desire and dreams for tomorrow. We believed God without actually seeing or experiencing what the heart evoked.

One of my heart contemplations (dream/desire) was to have an onsite gazebo. It was my thought process that it would serve as a safe place to discuss, disclose and decree resolutions without inviting the weight of emotions, growth opportunities and the complexities of compromise into my peaceful residence. In my minds view it would serve as reinforcement or safeguard home remaining my favorite place to be. Idealistic right? The point being is to plan and have a place to hash out or work through the not so welcomed/pleasant occurrences of life and love. The concept works/appeals to me…I’ve been thinking and saying this for years. That way, the wrestling or struggling would occur outside and the peaceful (agreeable) supportive oasis where we live out our truth remains on the inside. In the last place I trusted God to be my defense. I prayed and planned to that accord failing to consider the layers of God’s covering.

But in this new place, where there’s no penalty for being me, no competition for significance and no expectation besides my wanting to… (major kudos)… the gazebo in my front yard serves as a symbol of hope and instrument of discovery. It’s my reminder and answer to things I’ve prayed and believed God for over the years. A visible sign, indicator of yes you can have it. It’s my proof of what’s up and coming. (Spectacular!) My aww yay God delight. (Sentiment) I can’t even tell you how excited I was to discover this was apart of the landscape at my current residence. It’s so funny because the pools, hot tubs, theater and game room, gym, dog park, rose and community gardens within this gated community should be what catches my attention, be most impressive. Not for me, it’s this gazebo outside my front door that brings me joy. I so enjoy walking the dogs, sitting on the bench having my coffee in the morning, stilling away to pray, ponder and take in the surrounding mountains (they’re breath taking). It brings with it’s beauty the realization that my hearts desire is not that far off, is obtainable, possible (is for me). It even prompts the thought that we’ve entered the season of according to our faith be it unto us. T.I.’s “Whatever You Like” could very well be the sound track to this new chapter of life and love. It’s an internal woosah and an external exhale. Ok God I see you! The exclamation of WHAT??? When your hearts response resonates “I trust you” your capacity to love expands and you can fathom the more God always intended.

Imagine that, not only trusting God as your defense but settling under the canopy of His divine love and protection (see Isaiah 4:5). In this new place we’re coming to realize that God has us covered completely. He’s gifting us with what we need but also desire. It’s the glorious fulfillment of joy and happiness, His blessing adds to our quality of life and love. We serve a God that’s into the details…his promise covers the entirety of what’s before and beyond us. Sounds like the whole exceedingly above whatever we can ask or think of doesn’t it? It stirs up an excitement over our ladder days right? If this then what else jubilation. Maybe the gift of this new place is the opportunity to appreciate the comfort of amenities (what comes with the territory) as well as celebrating the extra’s, because it’ll make us smile, we dreamed or desired it and been talking to God about it for a long time. It’s wonderful when today addresses cares and concerns that troubled us yesterday. Desires and dreams pondered deep down and back shelved resurface in the perfection of due season. Or it could simply just be God’s heart towards us and the thoughts pondered were the workings of the Holy Spirit working the will to do what would please and glorify God in us. How refreshing to know God remembers and has not forgotten. Does trust in this new place really necessitate rhyme or reason? I think not…it’s better enjoyed as a welcomed adventure. It’s been a long time coming and now that we’re here…trust exponentially is our only option. Life and love as God desires we experience it is His gift to us. It touches and energizes my soul that this new place is inclusive of a whole lot of want to. Yeah I can trust Him, will trust him. How about you?

Feel free to join me. Shall we pray…

Brilliant and glorious God continue to light up, illuminate the darkness of life and love and grant us vivid pictures of what’s up and coming. Help us to trust you more. Strengthen our collective resolve. We’re coming to see and experience facets of your splendor and glory. Grace adorns this new day, we’re in a new place and things previously spoken/shown are beginning to materialize. Fruition is upon us. Continue to give us symbols of hope, markers or indicators that this is you and you’re with us. You do all things well. Your record and report proves you to be trust worthy. Thank you for showing up as our shade, refuge and shelter. Thank you for continuing to be our safe place, allowing us opportunities of respite, refreshing and renewal of purpose as we venture from our season of preparation to fulfillment. God you remember and your spirit is granting us supernatural recall of things desired, discussed and the discoveries in the present are wonderful. We’re so appreciative of the process(it got us to your providential after)…it was what it took to get us to your wonderful when. Your mercy toward us is astonishing. We are amazed by you. Today we celebrate what remains because you sustained and kept us. Your glory and brilliance continues to serve as a cloud, covering, and canopy of your divine love and protection and we are set apart for you. We appropriate the Word, likened to Zion, we decree and declare the blessings of the Remnant upon our life and love. Splendid, glorious, excellent and lovely fruit adorns, accentuates and are suitable adjectives for this new place God is ushering in. Keep trusting in a new place~AntTBri