So while I had full intentions of making this blog more of a travel blog focusing on the culture and charm of small towns in the South(and it WILL be a place for that), time has not proven to be on my side for that endeavor as of late. The reasons for this have been multi-faceted but primarily have boiled down to acknowledging the stirring of the Holy Spirit in my heart to step completely out of my comfort zone in faith to embrace a totally different path from the one I have been walking. It’s been messy, scary, frustrating, uneasy, terrifying, and I’ve lost MANY hours of sleep not being able to turn my brain off with the what-ifs. To add insult to injury, my adversary has been prowling around my camp pretty vigilantly seeking to devour my faith and to usurp the beauty in the ashes that the Lord is creating. I know he’s not finished with his attempts to de-rail and my guard is ever-high anticipating his other tactics.
All that to say and even with all of those things considered, the process is so overwhelmingly exciting that it has breathed new life into my lungs. To paint a vague picture and to quote one of my favorite influencers of the faith: Corrie Ten Boom– her poem “The Tapestry” says it all.
Life is but a Weaving” (the Tapestry Poem)
“My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.”
If you’ve made it this far in this rambling post (in which it helps my mind to get it out and write it out), I’ve decided not to sign a teaching contract for this next year and am entertaining different opportunities. Briarwood has been such a valuable chapter in my life and I’ve loved every moment of being employed in such a special place where our faith fuels us and we encourage one another through the peaks and valleys. I’m grateful for the many years I’ve been able to serve there and will miss my friends and family that my co-workers have become as well as those precious faces of ones that have called me Ms. Robinson for so long. I’ll miss the hugs and sweet notes of love and encouragement and those ever-hilarious third gradeisms. While things are not set in stone about my next endeavor, I’ve never been more sure of the One who’s got my back. I know He’s weaving a beautiful tapestry and all I see is the messy underside but what’s so funny is I can see the beauty in the mess. What would normally make me breathe in a bag because I don’t have control has me sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation as to what His next move will be. This is foreign territory for me but I’m loving it. I know it’s #growth and that’s the word He gave me as I did my goal-setting in December. There’s much growth to take place and I pray that you’ll join me in seeking your heart to see how He’s moving in you.
This song is one of my favorites and inspired the topic of this post. Poignant at best– Changes
A Paige From the South 