The New Beginning: The Path Unfolds

Excerpt from I Corinthians 8:1 – 9:27 originally written on March 20, 2013:

Jane's story—the story about God's faithfulness during these last six years. I haven't written much about what I know God is asking me to do lately, but that isn't because I no longer believe I am supposed to write or tell His story. Quite the contrary. It is not my choice—it is my duty. On my own I would have no desire to write, but it is not my story—it is His—and I have no right to refuse to tell it. It is my duty. So, LORD, I am available. I will accept my duty. I will wait for your guidance and direction. When you are ready, we will start. It will be "we," your words and my pencil. This isn't a path I would have chosen, but I accept the path and will walk in it. And I will give you my best.

Reading what I wrote in 2013 brings tears to my eyes. I just had NO idea! NO idea at all of God's future plans for my journals. I'm actually grateful I didn't know. I had no plans, agenda, or aspirations, so I wasn't writing for any purpose or motive. I was just reading the Bible and writing my personal thoughts. NEVER did I imagine it was anything more than that.

What a journey it has been:   

• Knowing—I was to begin keeping a journal in late 2009
• Starting—the process of obedience feeling so unsure and timid
• Innocently—thinking my journey of reading through the Bible and writing about what I was learning was private and personal
• Fearful—when I learned my private thoughts from Genesis to II Chronicles 11:17 would have to be given to the very people who were seeking our ruin
• Thankful—when I realized what I feared was actually a gift from God to give me a voice
• Grateful—for God extending His grace to my sister and brother-in-law and putting HIS words directly into their hands
• Cautious—as I began to write again after taking a break while my journals were being copied and prepared to be sent
• Choosing—to listen to and believe God's promises
• Refusing—to cave in to "what-if" fears
• Deciding—to continue to follow His path; no matter what
• Surprised—when we began to feel we should be praying about a NEW BEGINNING
• Confused—what did a NEW BEGINNING mean?
• Astounded—to look back and see HIS Hand working as HE slowly began to reveal what the NEW BEGINNING meant and to see the progression of the steps HE was leading us on.  

We were walking on the NEW BEGINNING path without even realizing it. The path didn't begin to become clear until I began to record my untitled journal entries into this blog.

None of the following entries had a title in my journal. They were just my thoughts written over a seven month period of time beginning in July of 2012 to February 2013. They were not part of my normal Bible reading or writings about specific chapters. Since they didn't fit within a scripture reference I wasn't quite sure what to do with them when I began to enter them into Blogger three years after they were written.

The entries needed to have a title, so as I recorded them, I would add a title. It was like pieces of a puzzle coming together when I realized the entries showed a pattern and progression of steps. My untitled journal entries were all part of the NEW BEGINNING! It was an "Oh.My.Goodness" moment. When I realized my newly titled entries were all part of the NEW BEGINNING path, I went back and added "The New Beginning" to each of the titles.

The New Beginning: Where and How it Began
The New Beginning: Out With the Old
The New Beginning: There Must Be a R.O.M.
The New Beginning: A Role to Play
The New Beginning: Just Do It!
The New Beginning: Don't Look Back
The New Beginning: We Are Crossing the Jordan
The New Beginning: Keep Moving Forward
The New Beginning: Tell His Story
The New Beginning: No Matter What—Follow Me
The New Beginning: Momentum is Building
The New Beginning: We Are Being Prepared to be Sent Out!
The New Beginning: Go—Serve

We were randomly "pressed in the Spirit" to begin praying about a NEW BEGINNING. We didn't have a clue what that meant. But now we understand God was guiding us down a path without us even knowing it.

Between when the NEW BEGINNING journal entries were handwritten in 2012 and when they were entered into Blogger in 2016, a lot more of the path was revealed.         

• Discovering—the path we are on is not a "trial," it is a trail. The Journey: Part One 
• Amazed—by the relevance and importance of the missed chapters in II Chronicles that I didn't write about until completing Revelations. The Lost Chapters: Preview 
• Stunned—by how God chose to end my journey through the entire Bible. The Lost Chapters: Review
• Shaken—when I started to question what I was to do with my journals
• Driven— to my knees seeking to understand HIS will
• Praying—for wisdom LORD – What Am I to Do? 
• Recognizing—that Time Is of NO Importance, it is the journey that matters
• Discerning—where the journey was leading. The LORD Answers! 
• Willing—to do whatever HE wants me to do
• Understanding it is ALL about Him. I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!
• Believing—His promises are true
• Praising—HIS Holy Name!  

We have been on quite the journey. God's hand has guided us the entire way. It will be interesting to see what else we uncover in His plans as I continue recording the rest of my journals.

It is ALL about Him. I am willing. I will follow Him wherever He leads.

Addendum:  9/19/16 ~ The New Beginning: Wait For His Justice  


Next Entry: I Corinthians 10:1 – 11:1