“24 doesn’t mean much... it’s not a milestone…this year
isn’t one I’d like to really remember anyway…no reason to draw it out even
further…celebrating only stops time…everyone is done with Christmas and now
fixated on ringing in the New Year… I don’t want to be a burden…woe is me.
[[wah wah, Charlie Brown]]
I mean, really Kalynn Smith… that is just depressing, but
these thoughts have plagued me especially in my teenage-adult years when
concerning my December 29th birthday. I listened to outsiders who’d
say: “that must really be the pits;” “I bet you hardly get gifts on your
birthday and instead have a combined celebration on Christmas…” (things of that
nature). I necessarily didn’t find the latter true, since Mom and Dad were
always good about making my special day worthy of celebrating just as if it
were in June. As I got older, I started to believe the first statement and
began resenting the timing in which I was born. (Believe me, this sounds
pathetic to me too, and I’m the one writing it. I must lay my immature,
pessimistic, and twisted former way of thinking first. Yes, because there IS
good news! God gave me His perspective! He took what I could choose to keep
festering on and continue to be bitter towards and He totally turned it into
something I couldn’t have thought of for myself! I pray this brings you some
hope as well, because *you* being born was planned meticulously by your
Creator, your Heavenly Father.
This year, as you know (if you’ve read my previous posts),
was heartbreaking. I knew it was going to be for the glory of God, but my faith was probably one-tenth the size of a
mustard seed. Heartbreak for the Kingdom: becoming totally vulnerable with God
Almighty. Fully surrendering to the will
of God. Allowing Him His time of demolition on my weak heart. Breaking.
Stripping. Ripping. On my knees, cracked
to pieces, “I need a healer, I need Jesus.” Heartbreak for all the RIGHT
reasons. I was able to SEE and BELIEVE that I am not able, but with Jesus… with
Jesus, I am saved. Not only am I saved for eternity’s sake, He is blessing me
on earth, PRESENTly (pun intended). He blesses me with His Holy Spirit. He
lives in me. He fills and satisfies the emptiness my soul longs
for…the voids I bandaged throughout my previous years of self destruction and
hurt by others. He forgives me of my trespasses and restores my hurting heart and
mends me into a new creation!
“Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things
are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us ministry of reconciliation, that
is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” -2
Cor. 5:17-19 Amen.
Before I saw the Light (Jesus) at the end of the tunnel, I
made those pitiful conclusions…”It’s been a hard year.” Well, I should’ve put
my foot in mouth because I definitely spoke too soon. I was walking faithfully,
yes, but I was no saint; I was negative on countless accounts. But thankfully
Jesus loved me too much to keep me in the cares of this world. He cared about a
relationship with me. It matters to Him when we turn to seek temporary
“lovers…idols” instead of seeking His face. It matters because He selflessly
died for us. And the more and more I say that, the more and more real it becomes for me. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. With
that said, all the breakage was WORTH every bit. Every single bit. So this
birthday, I turn 24, but I feel (and act on some occasions..) one year old. In
the sense that I am new in Christ. “A
year of reversal.” Who woulda thunk it!?
I grasped the true meaning of Christmas this year.
Jesus. The Babe, wrapped in swaddling cloths.
God in the flesh to live, die, and resurrect into the
heavenlies.
THE ONLY atonement for my sins.
Praise God!
And one day, He will return.
It was Jesus who turned my year around! The most absolute
best year yet!
And now I can celebrate my life with GLADness instead of
madness. I can celebrate 24 and all the years to come (God willing) with great
JOY because I have a Creator who thought of me before I was formed in the womb.
I have a Creator who loved me and still gave me life knowing I would betray
Him. And because He knew this, My Creator sent His only begotten Son to die for
me, so that I could be saved for eternity!
God’s perspective on His daughter’s December 29th
birthday:
“I knew the day of your birth. I knew you were entering into
sin, because of Adam and Eve, so I’m sending my Son, Jesus, to die for you so
that you might be saved. I’m sending Him first as my gift to you. You will be
born after the fact. You can accept Him as your Lord and Savior. I will be with
You, and I will be waiting to partner with you.” At 23 I accepted His gift. I
accepted His Amazing Grace. And I can celebrate this gift on my 24th birthday
and forevermore. I will bring Him into the New Year, now seeking the will of God.
-His perspective on my birthday is not exclusive to December
babies. It’s a truth for every birth date. Advent truly marks the beginning of
the year. So His children come after, even the ones who were born on His day.
He did the work on the Cross at Calvary many many years ago.
“"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my
mother's womb. I will praise You, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my
soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in
secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw
my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the
days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." -Psalm
139:13-16
(That’s a heck of a reason to celebrate! YEAH!)
He knows the very number of hairs on your head. (Read Matt.
10:30, Luke 12:7)
If I have any piece of advice for our New Year’s Resolutions
it would be to seek God. We can make plans. We can set goals, and rightfully
so. But without God, it’s all for naught.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding
brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, but have
not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
(1 Cor. 13:1-3)
God is love. Why? Because of His Greatest Gift, Jesus. Without Jesus, I am nothing.
There are so many kind-hearted, good, genuine people. But
they do not have love… aka, Jesus. And their good works, and “good way of life”
will not bring them into heaven, and that makes me sad. But as long as I am
given life, I will remain passionate about lost souls. And with that, there is
always HOPE.
I’ve selfishly wasted away my years because I wasn’t seeking
God and the very purpose I was created for. I share with you my story to help
save you from any regret and years of missed blessings. I share with you
because I care about your soul. I share with you because I want you to
experience the fullness of God. Don’t burn daylight by walking your own path.
Don’t waste your days like me, like Moses, Abraham, David, and many more
examples. It took them many years to seek God’s will fully. Let it be a lesson
to us. We can only learn by getting in the Word. That is your starting point
and your focal point. I also encourage you to subtract something, or some thing(s)
that serve as a distraction from hearing from the Lord. (i.e. the cares of this
world)
So, you were wanting to know how to find the will of God? I do not have the answer
to your unique destiny, but I know where to start!
His Word says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.” –Romans 12:2
Remove the distractions. Remove the idols. Nothing else
matters if you don’t have Jesus. I promise you. Nothing.
Don’t worry about getting it all right, becoming whole right
away in the areas needing mending. Matthew 5:33 says “But seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
I don’t know how more clear it could be. The days on earth
pale in comparison to eternity. And we have a choice to make: either a life of
eternity spent in hell or eternity spent in heaven. "...Behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." -2 Corinthians 6:2
Dear sisters and brothers, we are not promised tomorrow.
Your day of salvation can be right here, right now behind the very screen of
your computer, or smart phone. It can be like me, on the floors of a client’s
bathroom. “The word is near you, in your
mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that
if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved.” –Romans 10:18-19
That’s it! It doesn’t come with any prerequisite. No
specific place of where you should be or what specific time. Just believe
and proclaim it!
Mark 4 is a great chapter to mention. In The Parable of the
Sower, Jesus explains 4 types of people. Don’t be the first, who hears the
Gospel, and lets it fall by the wayside. A heart so hardened. It’s ideal that
we would “hear His Word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some
sixty, and some hundred.” (v. 20) Some may at first be receptive like stony
ground, “immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves,
and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution
arises for the world’s sake, immediately they stumble.” (v.16-17) Others may
have thorny receptors: “they are the ones who hear the Word, and the cares of
this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things
entering in choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (v.18-19)
Why do some people lose their fire for God? They have no
roots.
In this upcoming year, I encourage you…
- Do the obvious pruning. Out with the old habits and old ways, no matter how addicting.
- Be still.
- Seek God.
- Wait on Jesus. Wait on the Holy Spirit. (TIME IS YOUR FRIEND)
- He will root you.
- He will water you.
- If you remain faithful, you WILL bear fruit.
Some of us need to forgive ourselves.
Some of us need to let
go of bitterness towards those we have been severely wounded by.
***This is important. Maybe you are “saved”, and this might
be the only thing you take away. Let it be this: “For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt.6:14-15)
If you believe you are saved, you know Jesus has forgiven
you and your brothers and sisters’ sins. Saying you can’t forgive, sets you on
a pedestal above God Almighty. Wow, and believe me, when I heard it that way,
my heart changed right quick like!
Some of us have been hurt by the “church” and other
“Christians,” and we call them hypocritical.
***Your faith was in man, not God. A real Christian is still
a sinner.
Some of us just need to be taken by the hand of God and let
Him pour out His love on us.
Let go. Let God.
Commit to Him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this opportunity
to share with others what You have given me. Thank You for allowing me to
rejoice with my sister and brothers in Christ who have heard of your Good News
and walk in Your ways. Bless them for their faithfulness. Let them bear the
fruit! For the ones who desire Your Son Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I pray
You would soften their hearts; let Your seed fall upon good ground, so that
they would accept Your word. I pray for those with stony and thorny receptors.
May their fire be lit for Jesus and may it never be extinguished by the cares
of this world. Reach the lost soul today who comes across Your message. Thank
You for another birthday, one in which I can celebrate with gladness, with Joy
in my heart. Thank you, Lord, in advance for 2K16! I trust You with my life. Continue
to show us what is Your good and perfect will. You are a good good Father and I
love you. Thank You for loving me first.
It’s in Jesus’ name I
pray, Amen.
With the love of Jesus & yours truly,
K-SMIZZLE … ……. …..
XO
:-)
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