Author: lainamunoz

It’s More Of A Prayer

Posted on by lainamunoz

Sometimes I miss my Merge team… sometimes I miss my band.

Please enjoy this simple #ThinkBackThursday

It’s more of a prayer

Let me be apart of something beautiful.

You have people that you surround yourself with that you just feel better being around. Cherish the moments with them because somewhere inside you know that 1- They won’t be in your life forever (at least physically there) and 2- You have a deep pride when you think about them because you see what they will be.

They are world shakers.

They are the ones who when faced with impossible tasks show you that they have more to them. They are the people who if you think about long enough you just want to give more time, energy, investments and attention. They are creative and challenging they make mistakes and figure out how to keep going. They inspire you and many around them and most of the time they don’t see it.

They are the creators of precious moments that you wish would last a lifetime. They are sunset personalities and when their season in your life is over you are upset, but realize something new is coming.

They are just there for a season, for a day, for a moment and then gone. But you never forget them. You never belittle their impact on your life. They are friends and family, they are people you encounter in the workplace and school and driving, they are artists and the homeless they are travelers and hippies. They are your mom, your dad, your brother and sister; and in those moments, those beautiful moments, you see clearly that it’s not about you. It’s nothing you can do on your own – it’s life and it is meant to be shared with someone, with many someone’s; to experience pain and victory together.

Life is a beautiful thing even when it’s not.

G-d, bless the painfully surreal moments in my life.

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T // Do You Know What That Means?

Posted on by lainamunoz

The more I wake up the more I need Jesus. The closer I am to Him the more I need Him closer still. I’ve chatted with my roommate a few times about this and maybe even mentioned it in my writing that occasionally (and for no valid reason) I feel like a bad Christian, or a bad college student, or like I’m somehow doing life wrong. Know that I’ve identified them as my mental battle and I know that those things aren’t true or how G-d sees me but I’m still aware daily of how much grace I require to be alive.

I’ve grown up for the most part with an independent spirit, which can absolutely kill the church.

I’m not blessing anyone by being alone and standoffish towards my community and friends. It is for this reason that I am learning how to live in constant communication and calling out to G-d to teach me how to live with people and give to people with all of me. Honestly, the less it’s about me or I think about me or rely on me the better my life gets. Sometimes it can seem a little scarier but the reward of having a group of people to do life with is proving to be the greatest journey I’ve been on. I actually ENJOY learning how to communicate, have conflict, resolve things, have differing opinions and still treasure the human to their core. But I can’t do this community thing or love with out grace.

I can’t learn how to bless people without realizing how much I need Jesus to do it; all because He blesses me.

Lately the phrase that has been echoing in my heart and both terrifying me and encouraging me is “Grow Your Capacity” to which my heart responds with a firm “how the cheese do I do that?” At some point this last week while thinking of all the logical ways I could grow my capacity and abilities I realize the only thing I can really do to grow is increase my dependency. I have a LOT of goals – I’m a task driven person, which can also drive me crazy. There is more to fit in a day than allotted hours and I still have to function as a relational human being with real college homework. I wonder sometimes if I have what it takes for the long haul and all conclusions I’ve come to is: no. I’m crazy and overthink and over plan and yet somehow when I wake up, love Jesus and do my best: He blesses the rest of it. I accomplish so much more when I’m not dependent on me.

G-d has been challenging me lately to kill my independence and live in dependence on everything that He is.

#HitUmWitDatScriptureTalk-
“You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.
 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-18 MSG)

We all have our separate parts and functions but WE live inside of a body that SHOULD be encouraging one another and crying when WE feel loss. WE should be operating in our own personalities and callings TO BETTER ONE ANOTHER NOT BE BETTER THAN ONE ANOTHER. WE should be growing our capacities as to grow the Church.

So, I hope we begin to live fully and love deeply. I hope we begin to grow in dependence on each other and desperate for Christ. I hope you go with me towards this community of the Body and calling on the Savior in the daily.

Grow your capacity. Grow your dependency.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Posted on by lainamunoz

It’s just so good to remember HOW good G-d is. The beauty of who He is can be revealed in his many gifts that He blesses us with. I’m so thankful for His grace everyday.

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

14.08.2012

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G-d – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2.8-9

Birthday gifts are funny things; we receive them in a celebration of the day we were born. They aren’t given to return favors but almost as a, “congratulations, you didn’t die this year!”. We didn’t earn them nor do we by any means deserve them. This is the case with most any gifts we received.

Our salvation is a gift from G-d. Of all things to be ill-deserving of, He chose to give us eternal life and in that life all of our mistakes (the accidents and purposely rebellious things) are covered by grace. I don’t understand a LOT of things – “I don’t know” comes out of my mouth and is written by my pen more times than I could recall.

But how I understand grace is this: I’m alive today.

Despite going from a devotion yesterday morning straight to driving and bickering at all the morons who drive with less skill than I do, despite forgetting what I even read yesterday or sleeping through my alarm and missing Sunday school – I’m here and I’m given this moment to praise my King. I’m given this gift of salvation and (dare I say) “insight” into the kingdom that I might know the hope to which G-d has called me, the riches of His glory and His great power (Eph. 1.18-19)

If you take Christ and His sacrifice out of the equation, it’s likely that ink would have never filled this page. I’d never have been born, and my parents might not have met. Me alone without G-d leaves me dead in sin (Eph. 2.1) – a useless bag of gross that people should light on fire and leave on a porch somewhere.

Thinking of my life without G-d is awful.

LORD, Thank You for Salvation and Grace. Help me to fully realize how dependent I am on You and remind me daily of where I’d be without You. Your grace is a beautiful thing and though I don’t see or understand fully I am so grateful for this gift. Forgive me for all the time I waste and for how sinfully forgetful I am. Help me remember to reflect on and praise Your name and blessings.

I don’t understand why He chose a sinful man to pour all of this out on but He did; probably because He is just THAT wise. He not only handles our shortcomings but He can make them look like they were always in “The Plan”. He teaches us through our trials not around them.

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”

Ephesians 1.11

Who has two mighty hands and can work out EVERYTHING in conformity with the purpose of His will?!
G-d. That guy.

Everything. G-d, Creator of the Heavens and Earth picked us all first before any other creature offered on the little league team to be apart of His great plan. Not only were we chosen but we are given this Author who has the creativity that is beyond our favorite writers, painters, inventors and kindergarten teachers meshed together. We have a G-d who can move us into something of worth – even after our days filled with mistakes –  ALL for His will. And He actually KNOWS what He is doing.

Shewt.

Jesus, Your Word is true. I was dead in my sin and have been offered this salvation and grace and forgiveness and I want it. I’m going to hold You to Your word. Use my life and cover my shortcomings to allow me to fit into Your will. Help me to understand the hope You’ve called me to – in that give me rest. G-d, I’m not the brightest… can You remind me how much I need You? How much others need You and let my life be of some use for Your kingdom. Cause I know it’s ONLY by You that it could.

            I love you, talk to You soon.

OklaHomeSick: Mind, Body, Soul

Posted on by lainamunoz

About four weeks ago I specifically remember telling my friend Maggie, “No it’s ok I don’t really ever get sick I have a great immune system”. One week later I began showing signs of a cold or maybe a flu, I’m not sure but I was in fact sick. Loads of college students were sick so I didn’t think much of it other than the common cold was going around and sucks to suck now I’m sick too. I had a day of being in my bed wondering why the sun was shining if I felt so terrible followed by a few days of forcing myself to school with a bag full of cough drops to keep handy. I got better after 5 days or so but still had a cough and couldn’t breathe all that well. I believe it was about 2 days later when I got sick again.

I wasn’t able to serve or go to class without feeling light headed and I had to give up a pretty cool opportunity that I was excited about. I wasn’t able to do my normal routine of mornings at the coffee shop with Krysia or going to the gym or doing any extra activities. I finally went to the doctor after my lovely friend Maggie was diagnosed with Whooping Cough. I just had a sinus infection but I knew chances of it getting better on it’s own were slim to none with how Christmas-toned my mucus was. I’m feeling much better now and with the advice of my teacher purchased some nasal spray and antihistamines to take every day.

Something happened though in these last three weeks of being sick. I got homesick as well. There is nothing I want more when I don’t feel well than my big queen sized bed and a mommy who will bend over backwards to make sure I have all the soup, Cheez-its, Poweraid and Ice cream I need when I’m sick. My friends here did an incredible job and shout out to Krysia for making me some bomb soup to help me along the way. I just felt weak and wanted to be home.

It seems to always happen that way actually, when my physical body isn’t doing so well neither is my spirit person and in turn neither is my heart. I begin to break down when I’m sick and can’t fight the mental battles on my own. When I have no physical strength in my body it is very difficult to fight the spiritual battles as well. I began fighting feeling overwhelmed and not enough for what I was called to, I began to believe the lies that I didn’t fit in or look pretty enough or thin enough or strong enough to be who I know I am able to be. I’m not at all surprised that when I feel weak I mentally retreat back home. I retreat to the need for my bloodline and the strength in my family. I was sick and just wanted my mommy.

Maybe this is the reason we are commanded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) G-d knew (because He created) how connected we were in our body, heart, soul, strength so much so that He knew if we were loving Him fully with one of these we’d be loving Him fully with all of these. We are intricate beings that are connected at every level within us. I can’t explain all of the science but I know that when its sunny out I’m typically happier and when I’m happier I’m more productive and feel better about what I accomplished that day. When I’m sick and its storming outside I’m proud of myself for getting out of bed. When I have the chance to work out consistently I feel a little bolder about who I am and the way I was created and when I’m taking care of myself I’m a little less insecure.

((When I’m sick it’s hard to fight.

I think this is also why we’re commanded to take care of our bodies, we aren’t loving Jesus well with them if we aren’t and if we aren’t loving well with our bodies, our spirit people suffer. We are so beautifully and wonderfully made. G-d knows what He is doing when He tells us to love and serve Him with all of us. We can’t serve with half or we really aren’t serving at all.

Attitude Check

Posted on by lainamunoz

I reckon I still deal with this is many ways and in some other ones I just look back and laugh at myself. I have for sure had plenty of opportunity in these last 5 or so years to practice patience and see growth in that area of my life. I think I’m just finding that there is no ‘fix all’. It’s just a matter of waking up and needing Jesus.

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

I’ve found out something about myself tonight: I am not patient.

I’m in Georgia for Christmas and my cousin has been on a crocheting kick. I’ve known for a while how to do a simple chain stitch (for those who aren’t over 40 or weren’t homeschooled and don’t know what that is – it’s the simplest and most basic stitch you can crochet). For a short time I thought it was super interesting that one piece of yarn could end up making a full hat, scarf, or even blanket. I decided to expand my knowledge on this old-woman hobby and learn how to make a scarf. Except, my patience over break is low and I lost interest and ended up making a ring instead of sitting there for hours making a scarf.

Renee made a scarf. It looks nice.

I don’t like crocheting because while you’re in the process it doesn’t look like you’re accomplishing anything. I hate projects that don’t look like what they’re supposed to look like for a long time. Over this break I have also taken up the art or craft or need to make friendship bracelets (some of you will be getting these for Christmas… act surprised). While you’re in the process of making them they look NOTHING like what they are supposed to. I hate it. I didn’t like sitting there working on something that took forever and hardly looked the way it needed to in the end. In an expressive fit of exhaustion from not understanding how to make the dumb things I told my mom, “I hate things that don’t look right till they’re done!”

There is magic in hearing things out loud, or even paying attention to yourself.

I’ve been fighting this season in my life for a long time now. It’s been going on since probably around April, it got hard in June, and close to unbearable in September. I don’t like sitting in this place where I don’t feel I’m the person I’m supposed to be. I’m NOT good at enjoying the process of letting G-d take strand by strand; hook by hook; trial by trial; glory to glory and making me into something. And I have to be honest about this, at 20 years old that makes me sad.

I’m not sure why I didn’t just come out loving that part of life – the part where you are being built but I didn’t.

I do know that I am the only person who can change myself; more that I’m the only one who can let myself change. G-d does the changing. But sometimes He can’t change you if you don’t realize you need it. Somehow in the moment of wanting to quit on the bracelets and realizing that I had something wrong with me, deeply wrong with me I needed change.

((PFT, this was like an hour ago I NEED CHANGE G-D.))

Lord, please help me, I’m a 20 year old girl who needs an attitude check. I don’t want to be blind to the process and maybe there is even something inside of me that wants to ENJOY the process. But I know I can’t change that about myself alone, I NEED YOU.

            Bleh.

I’m in love with G-d and G-d’s in love with me. This is who I am, He’ll change me to who I need to be.

My One Word Blog

Posted on by lainamunoz

If you were only allowed to give the world one more thing what would you have to offer?

Today’s challenge is to come up with something that you can leave because you can’t take any of it with you.

I’ve rambled on several other times about the importance of words and what power they hold so I will keep this short – if you can humor me and just think for a minute of what you feel is the best thing you can leave then I’d love to hear about it. I had previously thought of leaving you (those who read this) with the challenge to write a paragraph blog on what you’ve learned this week and if you feel like you want to do that as well you are more than welcomed to. This though is your one word. What is most important to you that you couldn’t keep just for yourself?

My One Word Blog:

Share

Leave a comment on Facebook or here on WordPress with your one word to leave the world.

Oh My Gosh, It’s September

Posted on by lainamunoz

2012 version of the day… This look back is brought to You by the simplest idea that what You did is enough for me. We spoke in class today about the attributes of G-d that we see the most and also the ones that are hardest for us to accept. For me, I think the one that I see the greatest is also the one that I can’t accept. What He did was enough. His grace is enough. It always has been.

Sometimes it’s hard to realize just how weak I really am; to look at my life and step away from mistakes and trust that His grace covers. Sometimes I allow my sins to look bigger than my G-d – Is the worst kind of sin idolizing sin? Who am I to think Jesus wasn’t enough? But I am a wretch so why should I let go? If I own my sin and repent then I’m covered but if that sin is all I think about and I am blinded to forgiveness then I’m allowing a fallen life to decide what my future looks like.

Repetitive.

There is so much pride in sin – holding on and thinking you can handle it or even worse, not thinking anything of it at all. Sin is delicate, it’s like removing cancer from the brain. Actually, that’s exactly it. Amateurs can’t attempt it because you risk more damage than good. Only the Savior can remove our cancer, our sin, and our human nature from our human self and help us heal. If we try ourselves we usually leave some, which will just come back multiplied.

Father bring me to the light. Walk through this fire with me, perfect Your love in me as I love and forgive others. Remove my pride, break every chain, and help me today to learn a little more of Your grace. Refresh my spirit and remind me of Your miracles, I am abundantly blessed and thankful.

What’s It To You?

Posted on by lainamunoz

Lately in college life and in my own thinky-thoughts we’ve gathered around the ‘D’ word;

The Topic of Discipline.

In class with Aran Puddle this last week we broke into the importance of keeping an organized and ordered life (and not using the ‘creative excuse’ of being built a certain way and unable to participate in such nonsense). The uncomfortable facts of growing up and doing ministry is that a portion of those you study ministry with will have nothing to do with Jesus by the time you’re finished learning about Him. At first this was a massive concern for me because I the only thing I could reckon was that this was a random school yard pick of who would make it and who would decide they can and will do whatever comes there way. Then the longer I’m in and around this I’m finding it’s absolutely the opposite; it isn’t a school yard pick of who will stay but rather a choice of nothing but the individual deciding to pick the path that will keep them.

            This comes from the discipline of reading the Word.

There is no magic pill. It is waking up and spending time with G-d, being in His word, and asking the Spirit to reveal what it means to you. I wonder sometimes if we treat our time reading as an afterthought instead of a need. I know for myself, sometimes I wake up and have little desire to get myself quiet and focused but then I realize that in daily time and the little progressions and the getting into the Word even when it may feel like I am learning little to nothing is what is going to ultimately change and keep me. No time with G-d returns void and for that I’m so thankful. I don’t have to work up my emotions or overthink in my Jesus time, I can simply be hanging out with Him and listening or just enjoying the fact that He is there.

I get really frustrated when I spend a few days in the same area of my Bible and realize I’m not catching anything that it’s putting down and then I remember a few things:

1) What I’m doing now is setting me up for the future I want of being an old 75 year old grandma who the entire family knows that I know the Lord.

2) “I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.” – William Carey, I can continue. I can do the little by little so I really need to stop beating myself up for the days I don’t get it. I know that the next day I’ll be there again ready to try.

((I’m not ever trying to be better than you, I’m trying to be better than the day before.))

But, this all makes me wonder, how do I really treat the Word of G-d? Is it negotiable in my life or is it the very lifeblood I’m leaning on to make it through the day? Do I hide it in my heart and meditate on it? Or do I let it sit on the side of the road getting destroyed in the storm?

While walking to the gym the other day I saw just that, a children’s bible, page by colorful page every few yards on the ground as I went along the road. I have a bit of an imaginative brain so I naturally write stories in my head of things and people that I see so I couldn’t help but wonder if the child ever had a chance to read their bible before they misplaced it. I wonder if it was left outside on purpose or if the parent tried to get rid of it? I wonder if it was a gift for someone hoping it would bring them a little closer to the savior. My brain always reels but the simple fact is that the bible I saw despite how it got there was simply not cared for. We see that as Christians and think, ‘huh that’s a shame’ but are we any better with our bibles sitting on the coffee table collecting dust? I don’t want to leave this. I don’t want to be one of the students who graduate and forget all they know about the body of Christ. I want to be solidly following and anchored into this spot. I was reading about anchors in preparation for this, I was reminded of our over quoted verse in Hebrews about hope being the anchor for the soul, but I’m not sure if I understand the context of that scripture and if it even really relates to Bible reading… So I’ll leave that verse there and instead tell you what I learned about anchors.

            Anchors are the connections that boats or watercraft rely on so that they can stay in one spot through wind, current, or storm. Anchors can be temporary or permanent. (oh – that’s awful)

While I’m not sure if that verse is relevant to this I do still agree that our relationship with G-d is absolutely our anchor in the storms of life. The terrifying part, back to the people you know now who love G-d who will slowly lose interest is that there ARE temporary and permanent anchors… Yeah, they might be solid now but they are using the correct anchor. Using Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday chapel as the anchor will only last the week; it’s temporary. Using Sunday services and mid-week services as an anchor will only last temporarily. It won’t hold. Of permanent anchors Wikipedia says – “These are used where the vessel is permanently or semi-permanently sited, for example in the case of light vessels or channel marker buoys. The anchor needs to hold the vessel in all weathers, including the most severe storm, but needs to be lifted only occasionally, at most – for example, only if the vessel is to be towed into port for maintenance. An alternative to using an anchor under these circumstances, especially if the anchor need never be lifted at all, may be to use a pile driver into the seabed.”

What anchor are you chucking out right now? Are you in this for the long haul only to be lifted for repair? And when you do need repair are you letting Jesus handle it? Dig deeper in your relationship with the Father and make yourself immovable you have things to learn and a position you need to stand it.

            So what’s the Bible to you?

Super reliable scholarly articles with information that I used:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor
The Bible

In Anything I Ask Of You Please Know That I Have Faith In You

Posted on by lainamunoz

Writings from when I’m 18 are my favourite… they crack me up and convict me. Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

Take this generation and make us rise.
G-d, burn a passion inside of us that will not be satisfied until we see you,
Until we see power, until we see the hurting come to be restored, until we see the weak given strength. G-d until we see you in ourselves. Let it be the uncontrollable need in our lives to see Your glory. To see you lifted high above OUR TEMPORARY PROBLEMS.
Let us place you as first in our lives and let your love be seen in all we do.

I am no longer satisfied
I can’t help but praise Him all of my life
I want to see you glorified

Be Lifted Up

I was talking to one of my best friends the other day about how Owasso doesn’t need to learn who Jesus is… They need to develop a raw, real relationship with the Creator. We live in the Bible belt of America! Everyone knows Jesus but, through their parents abusing them, through confusion and division in the church, through their ‘Christian’ friends inviting them to parties that they themselves don’t feel comfortable going to, their Jesus has been perverted and distorted to exactly what Satan had in mind.

Get up, G-d has called to you a higher standard of living!

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Huh, Be HOLY, because I am holy
Not because you are worth it. Hum…. hope I don’t shatter anyone’s deep understanding of who they think they are, but then again, if it causes you to understand then fine, I’ll be the mouthy one.
YOU ARE TO BE HOLY BECAUSE G-D IS HOLY AND HE TOLD YOU TO.
You [ I ] don’t deserve the calling
You [ I ] don’t deserve the forgiveness
You [ I ] don’t deserve the love
You [ I ] don’t deserve the challenge

Why?

Because we all fail, we were born in a world with odds stacked against us, but I know that my G-d is big, I know that my G-d has given me all the power through the Holy Spirit and if He tells me to do something how am I supposed to ignore Him?
If you’re on board or not – G-d is moving, G-d has a generation of warriors ready to take the land promised to us and how dare you who know Him sit back and watch us carry out the commands of G-d. Join in, do something for the kingdom. Do something for your King. I’m done waiting, G-d, I want to see this change come to pass, I call an explosion of your love over your people and to flow THROUGH your people.

I call a Holy Reformation of your kids.
I call a Revival to take place in Owasso, in the schools, in our worship, in service to you and to the community, in our very hearts and beings. Make our hearts beat like yours. Let us take every opportunity to do good and not be surprised that it will be hard sometimes. But if we all panz’d out when it got hard than we would accomplish nothing. If you sent your son for us, and he went to the death for us, why can’t we follow him full out even through us being questioned?

In Joshua 1, G-d had already promised him and Moses land and it was finally time to take it.
But some of you guys still don’t feel ready. Guess what? It’s the breaking point, it’s time to decide fully who you are going to be.

“but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your G-d is giving them.”

Some of you guys aren’t ready… But ALL FIGHTING MEN (and WOMEN) of G-d, we are told to continue and help those who need it until they too get rest. But be careful to realize where you are with G-d, all it takes is dedication. Getting out of bed an extra half hour early, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE GIRL FIGHTING TEARS IN THE HALL, Offering to pay for someone’s lunch because you know they can’t afford it, sharing G-d’s love the same way he showed it through Jesus walking among people long ago. The fighting men are ready. A time is coming very soon that G-d wants to use us all, but if you are not willing then I promise, we’ll carry you.

Prepare the way for the Lord to enter in. We must become a people who value righteousness again. Now, we can only stand back and hope to see Him move, or we can be the willing hands of a mighty, living God. Make your choice. Now is the time. But, as for me, I call down fire. God, rain fire.

I believe that God will raise the dead, and He will use these hands to do it. I believe that God will heal the sick. And He has sent me forth to say: “He alone is God. Prepare for His victory.”
-For Today, Elijah

Driving Lessons With Laina

Posted on by lainamunoz

This is unapologetically a songwriter post. Lyrics have always gotten me right in the feelers – at least when they are done correctly they have. I have other friends in the songwriting stream who are absolutely convinced that the music is all that is important in a song, but to me a well constructed story with a beautiful melody is enough to provoke my thoughts for a while.

We were recently singing at a worship night in our lovely home when some lyrics from a very old song just hit me I was captivated.

“You, O Lord, are my strength, my shield

To You, O Lord, may my spirit yield”

I’m such a word-nerd anyway that as soon as the phrase got stuck in my spirit I had to know more about what it actually meant. To Yield: is to give way to. While driving when you yield I get the picture of merging onto a highway – I stop or slow down and look back to see if someone is coming and give them the first go on the path and then I follow suit. You, O Lord, are my strength my shield. You go before me and it’s up to me to stop my spirit, slow down and look to see You coming. I want to live a life where I’m ready to stop or slow down and let you lead the path and guide me. How often do you stop and look back to see if G-d is headed the direction you are trying to go? Is it possible that you can’t yield to what He is doing if you aren’t even headed down the same road? I actually don’t know all the answers but I pray that my heart learns to look for the Saviour and follow after Him.

“You alone are my hearts desire

and I long to worship You”

This is a little on the shorter side but it is something I wanted to share… I feel like I could try to expand on it but all the other words would be filler and less sincere. So I might just leave this as it is. I get in reflective moods and don’t feel like word vomiting. But I hope this finds you as it found me, and leaves you the same as it left me. Realizing the need to be still and know who G-d is and what He is doing. He has good in store for us and if we just look back and see that He is coming the direction that we are headed in becomes a little bit clearer.