Prepare for Your Blessings!
Welcome to the 52nd post of The Aim and Soar Life, a weekly Christian personal growth and lifestyle newsletter that provides actionable, relatable, and biblically rooted content to help you live abundantly and GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
Hey Fam!
It’s March and spring is just around the corner! Yaay! The theme for this month is “Embracing Your BLESSINGS!”
I don’t know about you, but for me, spring stirs my hope. When I see snow give way to plush green grass and look at all the brilliant flowers that begin to bloom, I know God can do something extraordinary in me too! I embrace new beginnings and look forward to what God will do in my life. I get warm fuzzies just imagining the blessings large and small.
Have you been in a season of waiting? Have you been praying to God for something?
Well, one of the things you can do in your waiting season (besides waiting patiently) is to prepare for your blessings!
Seven years ago, I was ready for a change. I had been living in a condo for some years and after a few difficult issues with the property owners I was renting from, I felt it was time to buy a home of my own.
You might think buying a home is no big deal, but to me, it was the biggest deal in the world. You see, the last time I had purchased a home was with my ex-husband. We divorced 5 years later. The dissolution of my marriage coupled with some unwise financial decisions on my part caused a domino effect of financial problems that ultimately led to foreclosure. You know the drill. Yep. That’s a whole other post!😂
I had terrible memories of homeownership due to the problems I experienced when I was married. On top of that, my subsequent divorce caused me to have what I call homeowner PTSD. I had “snow trauma” from shoveling the snow all by myself and additional trauma from things that had gone wrong in my last home like the furnace going out, crumbling porches, and all sorts of “normal” homeowner issues that were magnified by my divorce. I had been left alone to do everything on my own. So, I had sworn off ever buying a home again.
But the Lord had healed me from all of that and I was ready to venture into homeownership again.
In my preparation to be a second-time homeowner, I took great care of what I already had. I took care of the condo I was renting like I was buying it. I took pride in what the Lord had allowed me to have even though I was a renter. I knew what it was like to own a home, to care for a home, and that’s the way I cared for my condo. The Lord had blessed me to have a place that was nice, safe, and close to the things that were important to me.
In the same way, when we are waiting for God to bless us with something or answer a prayer, we must take care of everything He has already entrusted to us. Everything we have belongs to God and He has chosen us to be stewards of these resources.
I urge you to manage what you have now. This means managing your relationships, your job, your time, and all other resources under your care. One of my favorite scriptures is Luke 16: 10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10, NIV
We’ve got to show God that we are ready to handle “more” in our lives by managing the “least” in our lives! Often times we want to go from zero to one hundred when God wants us to take baby steps! He doesn’t waste our experiences, they all are a part of our “training program.”
The next thing I did in preparation for owning a home was to evaluate my credit. I made sure my credit report was accurate, and when I found inaccurate or outdated information, I took steps to remove that information.
When preparing for a blessing or for the next season of your life, you also must focus on anything that you need to “fix” in your life. It’s like taking a self-inventory. You need to evaluate yourself to see where you are spiritually and work to correct anything that may need correcting, like a particular sin, or a grudge you may be holding against someone.
The last and most important thing I did when preparing to own a home was to pray and ask God for direction throughout the process. If you have ever purchased a home, you know the underwriter can feel like an enemy. I definitely needed daily prayer and guidance to deal with all the hiccups that come with making such a large purchase! The Lord guided me through all of the home-buying rollercoasters and I have been happy in my humble abode for the last seven years.😍
Likewise, if you are in a season of preparation, daily prayer is a necessity. You must ask for God’s guidance. We can come up with some great-sounding plans for our lives, but they may be far from the plans God has for us.
The only way to ensure that you are on the right track is to ask for guidance day by day and listen to His directives. Hearing from God is paramount when you are preparing for your blessings. And remember, blessings are not always tangible. A blessing can be as simple as having peace of mind. God knows what you need. This is your season of hope. Embrace your blessings by preparing for your blessings!
Peace and Love to You!
Until Next Time,
GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
Sherrhonda😍
P.S.
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