The Lord Gives and The Lord Takes Away… But Always Love

This lifetime is full of relationships and opportunities for relationships… no matter how long or short they may be. I’ve been thinking about how many people I meet or come in contact with over my life… all the conversations, smiles, waves, or glances from perfect strangers, the relationships with my African hosts for the weeks of ministry, the relationships I have with the people on my team, and the past and current relationships with my friends, family, classmates, and coworkers back at home. Through my 21 years (well, 21 years on Tuesday… yay!! ) I have seen how God has put so many different people in my life… some people for a second, some for a season, and some for a lifetime.  

The future is something that I find myself thinking about a lot… especially this summer… especially when I meet new people or begin a new relationship or consider beginning a new relationship with someone. I ask the question “will I ever see this person again?” or “will this person still be in my life in a few days/months/years/etc?”. I’ve begun to notice what happens in my life when I think about these questions about the future, and how dangerous they can be when they affect how I encounter relationships in the present.

Have you ever made or had a connection with someone but you don’t know what that connection will look like- or if it will even still exist- in the future? I have definitely had many of these encounters and connections this summer… among people I encounter in ministry as well as people on my team. I have no idea what life is going to look like when I get back home, and if even one of the incredible people that I have grown close to will still be a part of my life. I think that God loves to bless us all with opportunities to give love and be loved. I think that people are often afraid to take advantage of the opportunities that God gives all of us to really love someone or be loved by someone, because we are afraid of what life will look like or feel like when that connection or that relationship or that friendship is gone, or that person is no longer a part of our life. We become afraid of the future, so we hesitate in the present. I don’t think this is how God wants us to live. This isn’t how I want to live. I want to be thankful for those people and opportunities to make connections that God blesses me with, no matter how long or short those connections may be. I want to go all out in love every opportunity that God gives me. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, but I trust Him enough that He knows what’s best for me, and if He puts a person in my life that I can really connect with- whether that’s someone on my team, our African hosts, or someone I meet in ministry or in passing or elsewhere- I want to dive into that head first and experience the fullness of what God has for me through that person or connection. God doesn’t want us to live in a spirit of fear… fear of loss, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of change… fear of anything. God doesn’t want us to fear anything EVER! We are given freedom from fear if we trust Christ and the plan that He has for us. Even when we don’t know what next week or next month or next year is going to look like… Jesus does. He knows the plans that He has for us. He tells us this in Jeremiah 29:11. His plan for us is to give us hope and a future. His plan is not to harm us. God wouldn’t put people in our life so that He can take them away just to hurt us. He may take them away… but it’s always for our good. He wants to grow us and bless us with the people He puts in our life- for the timing of His choice. None of us are even guaranteed tomorrow… no matter how much we get caught up in thinking that we are. I believe that the Lord wants us to take advantage of all the gifts and blessings that He gives us- to go ALL OUT in love every opportunity we’re given to show love and to receive love from everyone who has love to offer us. We were created to love. I choose to live a life filled with as much love as God chooses to give me- no matter what that looks like. I trust Him with my life and my future. Even though I have absolutely no idea what my future will look like even 2 weeks from now, God does. He knows. He is sovereign, and He is faithful! I have already learned and grown so much from the people I have encountered this summer… they have all been such a blessing. I encourage you to always love. Don’t ever hesitate to really connect with someone because you don’t know what the future holds. Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. I fully believe God when He says that He knows better than I what I need and what’s best for me. I encourage you to trust Him too, He desperately wants to bless you!

Love Love Love,

Lindsay