I learned something new last night. It was actually in regards to my name. In the past I’ve read the meaning of my name but just skimmed on by it and never pondered actually what it meant. According to world wide web the name Laura comes from the Laurel tree or sweet bay tree. These trees are symbols of honor and victory. I honestly never knew that my name actually signifies those two words. How encouraging is that? So when someone says, ‘don’t rest on your laurels’ they mean not to remain standing still in your past victories. Instead, keep pressing on to bigger and better things. Maybe you already knew that but it was a lesson for me.
Over the last couple of days God has been speaking to my heart. Until last weekend, I wasn’t even aware that He was. According to the Bible, God speaks in a still small voice. And yes He spoke something softly to my heart telling me I should not remain settled in my past successes but keep moving forward. For me that past success was publishing my first book in the year 2013. I sensed God uttering to my heart that yes it had been a big accomplishment for me to write a book in faith but it was just one thing He will do through me, not the only thing.
The Bible says in Genesis 12 that it was by faith Abraham was obedient to God. He packed up everything in his household, his belongings and his family, and moved to a new land, into a land he did not know. He followed God’s leading in faith. I’d stood in my kitchen two nights ago looking directly at a big frame hanging on my kitchen wall with word ‘faith’ written in it. I’d bought that picture a few years ago at a garage sale. It caught my eye as I thought about where faith had brought me. I figured the picture probably came from a girls room who’s name was Faith but I didn’t care. I bought it to put up on a wall somewhere so I’d be reminded of the word faith. I really had no idea why I stood there looking at that word, but it stopped me in my tracks and suddenly it flashed me back into a memory. It took me back to the night recently when the light came on in my heart and I’d sensed God had been trying to speak to me. I realized God had been speaking a verse to me over the last couple of weeks and I haven’t stopped to notice or even to look more into it. Until one Friday night I heard the verse quoted at a movie I went to see: A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26, AMPC, biblegateway.com).
I thought I hadn’t felt like I had a stony heart. Ya sure my life has been dry for awhile now. But everyone has dry seasons, right? And I have been seeking God on the next move while I’m waiting. I’m doing what is put before me. Doing a lot of praying and waiting. To take you back, in the past couple of years I changed the direction in which my life was going as I pursued schooling to learn a vocation in the medical field so I could get into a day job where I can make a decent living and would financially make it possible to promote my book for ministry opportunities. After finishing the schooling and testing to get certified in this field I have had a problem finding an entry level job. The more I’ve talked to people in this field the more I realize its almost impossible for me to do anything with this certificate.
I actually was hired to work in a medical office, hoping that it would lead into a job in the field of learning I’d done previously. After almost three months of working my hardest to learn that job I was fired. I have not been fired from a job in years. I am a dependable person. I never call in sick to work. I am always early to work. I am a dedicated person that can be counted on. After I had that experience, it put a really bad taste in my mouth and helped me to see that I cannot spend my life pursuing my plans to get where I want to be. Just this week, I realized I had been so focused on my plans that it got me off track to accomplish what I’d set out to do for the week.
With more time on my hands, I have recently taken on more opportunities to teach people how to learn the Word of God so they can find freedom from bondage in their lives. And I will also be frequently posting new writing on my blog after having put it down for a long season.
So as God is softening my heart I hope to be able to encourage those who read that even when God doesn’t seem present He always is. Just to remind you God is always speaking to us. Be listening for Him. Be persistent in pressing in to find Him. The Bible says in the book of James that the more we draw close to God the more He will come close to us. To end this blog I hope you’ll watch this short clip and be reminded its never too late to start again.
A Life Redone 