Guest post by Author Cassie Downs
Staring out at the ocean, I can’t help being in awe of this splendid masterpiece God painted so long ago. The strength and the force he drew within the tide. With each stroke of His hand, God painted strength and beauty right into every drop of water. God is truly a creator, a masterpiece maker, a story writer, and He craves to create something extraordinary with your life and mine.
In my private time with the Lord, He carried this question to my mind, “How did I get here?” I stewed and mulled over this question, seeking meaning to it, delving into the answer for a question I’m unsure I understand. So, how did I get here? Where is here? As I sought God’s answers to these questions, He was faithful to shed some light and reveal to me what He means. He showed me all the incredible ways he’s been moving in my life. Here, is the place I am in. Here, is my life. So how did I get here writing this devotion, raising these kids, married to this man, serving in this church, publishing this book, speaking to those women, hosting that retreat?
It’s been 16 years since I gave my life to Jesus, and if I had to describe to someone what that looked like in one word, I would say journey. Following Jesus has been a journey, and like every adventure, it’s been full of difficulties and delights, highs and lows, good times and bad times. This faith journey we are walking isn’t one full of rainbows and butterflies, although I promise we will catch a glimpse of them along the way. Our faith journey is often full of tough choices, sacrifice, and being comfortable feeling uncomfortable. Following Jesus is usually a paradox. If you want to be strong, you must first become weak. You must serve to be served, and you must surrender to become blessed.
It’s so easy for us to stand outside looking into someone’s picture-perfect life and wish that were our story. But sister, this life isn’t about our story, it’s His-story and God longs to take our life and create something beautiful and unimaginable with it. He wants to paint you a masterpiece. You may look at some and see picture-perfect. Your neighbor seems to have God’s brushstrokes all over her life. Financially, she is doing well and all her kids’ teeth are straight. Daddy appears super involved, and Mom is always baking new dishes. It’s great that we see the beauty God is painting in others. But the book God writes with your life, with her life, will not always be simple. When God writes His-story, He does so with the knowledge of the future, the future we cannot see. I am where I am because with each mark of His pen or stroke of His brush I said, “Yes, Lord.” And with each “yes Lord,” has come a wrestling of the Spirit, mind, and flesh. I have argued, wept, yelled, and all but given up on the things God’s been writing in my life. There are things that you may never know about my journey to here. There are brushstrokes in my painting that you will never see, and words in my story you will never read, but they are there. They are part of my adventure, part of the story God is writing with my life.
I don’t know what story He’s writing for you, but I know this; it’s a best seller. The things God is lining up for you are extraordinary.
When I take a moment to look around and soak up the life God’s writing for me, I’m in reverence of Him. I never imagined this is where I would be: writing this devotion, mothering these kids, married to this man, publishing this book, speaking to these women, or serving in this church.
Friend, You may feel like your life is a mess, like it can never be beautiful, or like your life has no purpose. But praise God that He sees the beauty in the broken, a message in our mess, and He can take our history and turn it into His-Story. No one’s life is perfect, but when we let the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) write our story, life will have a perfect purpose, a perfect ending, and be full of wonderful miracles.
“God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.” (Psalm 18:24 MSG).
Prayer: Lord, as I look around, I am in awe of you. You are so kind and so creative when painting the world. Just as you painted a masterpiece of the earth, I know you’ll want to create a masterpiece with my life. Lord, paint my picture and write my pages just as you would have them to be. Write a bestseller with my life, paint a masterpiece. I realize I may not feel like my life involves much beauty, but I trust that when the book is complete, and the painting is a portrait, it will be the most magnificent work I’ve ever seen. You are good and so faithful. I thank you for choosing my life to create something incredible. I love you, Lord. Open my heart to your story for my life. Walk with me through these next days. Keep me focused and pliable. Mold me and make me the woman you have made me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Cassie Downs is a lover of Jesus and her family. She is the author of two books, Chasing Jesus and Unrivaled, both 60-day devotionals. Cassie is also the founder of Everyday Jesus Ministry, is a homeschool mom, and furniture flipper. She resides in Stockton, Mo., with her high school sweetheart and husband, Dustin and their three teenagers.
Instagram @downs.partyof5