I’m a little late on getting this post out. In all honesty, it’s been a bit of a wild season. So this post might be a little shorter and simpler, but hopefully an encouragement all the same. I think in the midst of uncertainty and change your focus changes slightly. And that’s okay. I feel a little bit like I’ve been ‘walking on the water’ - stepping out into the unknown, following the lead of the Father and having to trust him completely. I mean, that’s the way it should be all the time. But I’d say this has definitely been an intensified season of stepping out in faith. I think it’s John Wimber who said “Faith is spelled R - I - S - K”. That resonates.
Back in February I packed up all my belongings and put them into storage. I handed over the keys to the flat I was renting and jumped on a last-minute flight to the USA to attend a sold-out conference (which we didn’t have tickets to). We rocked up, trusting that the Lord had led us there so He would make a way for us. He did. Miraculously, we were GIVEN tickets to the event. The Lord continued to profoundly open doors for us (there are sooo many testimonies that I hope to share at some point). But to sum it up, a 10 day trip turned into 10 weeks and counting. I’ll admit, I still feel very much like I’m walking on the water. Maybe even more so now.
It makes me think of the passage where Jesus sends out the 72 and instructs them to take nothing with them. No money, no bag, and even no sandals… (Luke 10) (John 10). Okay, so I did bring some money, a bag and sandals with me. But those things are somewhat limited. I’ve had to trust the Lord to lead, to provide, to open doors and bring us to ‘people of peace’. He has done exactly that.
Let me share another testimony. A couple of weeks ago my accommodation arrangement was coming to an end and I needed somewhere to stay (again, that accommodation was a miraculous gift from the Lord too). As I had been praying earlier in the week I just felt like I needed to declare ‘Lord, open the door’. I didn’t really know what it was meant to look like, I just knew I had to partner in faith and declare the word of the Lord. Friday morning came along and I had to pack up all my stuff and leave, not knowing where I would stay that night. I must admit, I actually felt such peace and assurance that the Lord had a good plan. That morning, about 8:30am, I felt like I was supposed to go to a place called ‘Kairos Coffee’ which was connected to the YWAM base. I’ve been a ywamer, so thought maybe I could ask if I could stay there. But I specifically felt I needed to go to the cafe first. So I go in and start talking to the lady behind the till, explaining that I needed somewhere to stay and wondered if I could stay at YWAM. I’ll skip a few details here, but as we were talking we quickly realised that we’d met before. In fact, she was a friend of my old flat mate and we’d hosted her when she came through London last year! It was one of those wild and crazy moments, but the Lord was all over it. She said to me later that she is never usually on the till or front of house, it was only because the fridges had broken that morning! I think the Lord had a plan. She kindly offered for me to stay with her for a few nights, which (again, profoundly) opened the door for me to stay for several weeks until we had planned to move on! The Lord literally opened the door as He said He would.
Honestly, time and time again I’ve seen the faithfulness of God. As I’ve stepped out to follow His lead, He has shown up. But I’m also aware that I am sharing some of the highlights. I must admit, not always knowing where you are going to sleep the next night isn’t an easy path. I’ve said it before, being led by the spirit is journey of humility, surrender and submission. I’ve found it’s a really great way to reveal what’s really going on in your heart too!!
The Lord might not be asking you to do what I am doing, but there probably are areas of your life where you feel like you’re stepping out of the boat and walking on the water. Whether he asks you to sell all, move to a different country, speak to someone in the street or take a particular job, the most important thing is being obedient to what he has asked you to do. But I want to add something that I’ve found to be so key to walking this journey of faith - knowing just how much He loves you. It sounds so simple, but I’ve realised that in the midst of stepping out of the boat we can forget that He is a good, good Father. He is cheering us on. He is for us. He is with us. He loves us.
I had a moment recently where I was talking to the Lord, struggling with the uncertainty of the moment. And the Lord, in his kindness, whispered so clearly ‘Katie, I am your stability. I am your rock. Hide yourself in my love.’ Everything around might be changing, feel uncertain or be chaotic, but His love remains. It is a firm foundation. It’s a truth and reality that I know I need to understand in a greater measure, not as mere words but as heart revelation. I pray that you too would know just how high, deep and long His love is. His love for you is fierce, it is strong and it is everlasting.
“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3 vs 17-19
I haven’t been very active with posting prints, so I have lots of designs ready to go that haven’t yet been published. Click on the image to see a few designs that are available as digital downloads, or if you’d like to see more or would like a personal design/verse made please just drop me a message!
Much love,
Katie