Bethany is a beautiful blend of spontaneous and fun with wise and calm. She ushers in the peace of God because she truly rests in Him, and by her actions and her kindness, she gently reminds those around her do the same. I’m so glad that you all have the privilege of hearing from her today.
Hello! I’m Bethany and I don’t quite know how to describe myself… I’m a labor and delivery nurse, world traveler, lover of flowers and singing and sparkling water, who dreams of someday being a lighthouse keeper.
I guess I would describe this season as one of anticipation. I see changes coming on the horizon, but they haven’t become tangible, which leaves me in a place of excitement mixed with fear. I can see the potential for dreams to start becoming reality and yet the idea of big changes sometimes leaves me caught up in overwhelming thoughts of fear. Am I making the right decisions? Will I hate this choice? Will changing the life I currently love, mean a life of discontentment? Will all the hard work be worth it? I don’t have the best track record with handling big changes well and I have a real gift of melodramatic thinking and making up scary endings in my head before the beginning has even taken place. : ) Other times I get so caught up in imagining my future life that I lose focus of what’s happening around me right now. I don’t want to miss what God is doing in this present time, because I am so focused on what he might do in the future.
Something that motivates me in this season to get quiet with God (along with the fear of change) is living with two people who are actively seeking Him. It doesn’t feel weird or awkward to ask for prayer or to give it in our house. They make it natural to share what you’re learning and hearing from God.
On the flip side, since I currently have nothing “tying me down” (no husband, no kids, no pets) I get very caught up in making the absolute most of every day in this unique season and end up giving up quiet time with God for activity that appears to be more outwardly productive and useful. But time and time again this has proven to be a vain pursuit. Because there is only one guaranteed constant in my life and that is my Savior. And I want desperately to use this time to stay close to the one who never changes. To anchor my soul in His truth so that when the waves of life comes (be they fun or frightening), I’m not tossed around counting on my own strength.
As my roommates can attest to, I am not one to sit still well and I have to be very intentional in making it happen. Something that has really helped me this year is to not set lofty goals of spending x amount of time in the Word and prayer or making it to x page in my Bible study. While I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, for me as an accomplisher of things, it becomes a task to be completed. So instead, I try to stay mindful each day of time when I could grab my phone or turn on the TV and instead sit still before the Lord and learn from His word. Most the time it is just a few verses or a page or two from the current Bible study I am working through. Then I pray over these truths.
Something I would like to get back to that was once a more regular practice is praying through my day. Taking my anxious or scary thoughts and immediately turning them to the one who comforts. Taking my joyful and exciting thoughts and thanking God for the endless gifts he has given me. And when different friends come to mind, taking them to Jesus.
I would love prayer for me to use every day as an opportunity to grow closer to God and share Him with others. That I would rest in His grace for this moment.
This post is part of the Summer of Seasons that Darcee and I are hosting. Our hope is that as others share about seeking God in their particular season of life, we would all be encouraged to know and love and seek after the Lord more in our daily lives.
