Wash, Rinse, Stretch, Repeat

Where to begin. I'm in one of those moments where my mind has more thoughts than my mouth could express or my fingers type into words. The past few weeks I've felt like a sponge that had been lost under the sink, dry and crusty and in desperate need of water - and last night and today I was poured into and drenched where my spirit is now full and heavy and completely overwhelmed in the best way possible.

Although that's completely an accurate representation, it also feels odd to say that considering how the past 4 months have unfolded and the ways that I've witnessed God tangibly moving in my life. But the reality is that as absolutely incredible as that has been, it's also been difficult. Transition is hard. New seasons are exciting and equally terrifying, unfamiliar and confusing. I absolutely love where God has brought me and at the same time I have no idea what I'm doing there. I know I'm exactly where he wants me, I'm just not sure what it's supposed to look like in the details.

Tonight Judah Smith spoke and seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to hear him, GO. He's absolutely hilarious and yet full of incredible depth and wisdom. At the beginning of his message I was laughing so hard I was almost crying, and by the end I was actually moved to tears. His message was titled "A Soul That Will Not Sink" based solely off of Psalm 130:

Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life!
    Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
    Listen to my cries for mercy.

If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
    who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
    and that’s why you’re worshiped.

I pray to God—my life a prayer—
    and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
    waiting and watching till morning,
    waiting and watching till morning.

O Israel, wait and watch for God—
    with God’s arrival comes love,
    with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,
    buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

 This is a passage that could easily be read and overlooked, but he peeled it apart layer by layer in such a beautiful way. It's eight verses that go from a state of desperation to rejoicing. It's a picture of the life that each of us lead in 4 basic steps:

1. This is where I am.

2. This is who You are.

3. This won't last.

4. I'm not the only one.

Or as I translated it in my own life: Wash, Rinse, Stretch, Repeat.

I feel like our lives are like the perfect pair of jeans. You find something that fits just right - hugs you in all the right places and forgives others. You wear those jeans and absolutely love them, but inevitably at some point you have a moment of clumsiness and spill something on them. You throw them in the wash, go through all of the cycles and although sometimes they need a good day or two of "stretching", they're back to being those same jeans that fit just right. But the reality is, they will get dirty again, they will need washing again, they will need to stretch a little...the cycle will need to be repeated many many times throughout the life of those jeans. 

That is how I relate to Judah's message tonight. Life will always be full of amazing seasons, but there will always be something - a worry, an uncertainty, a crisis - so many moments where the enemy will try to defeat you and tear you down. And instead of declaring defeat and giving up, you'll say Lord, here's how I feel...here's where I'm at, but I know that you are a God who is forgiving, a God who never stops working on me, a God who is constantly watching over me and leading and guiding every step of my life. I know this season is challenging, but it won't last forever because you have spoken promises over my life, you have incredible things in store that I cannot even begin to imagine. Thank you that I'm not the only one. Help me to help those who are also hurting or struggling. Let my story be an encouragement to those around me.

And just like that perfect pair of jeans, you'll go through the wash cycle, be stretched and be back to a season of rejoicing.  So no matter where you're at in the journey, just remember God is greater than anything you're facing, no matter how long the process might seem - it won't last forever, and you're not alone. 

Wash, Rinse, Stretch, Repeat.