Anyway, as I was placing my peppermint plant in it's new home and giving it a bit of water, I was thinking about how symbolic plants are for life. The deeper the roots of a plant, the harder it will be to tear from it's spot. Reflecting on this brought up this question: where am I rooted? Am I founded in truth or in the world? Are weeds of sin choking me into spiritual death or am I living in righteous freedom?
Only with our roots deep in God can we grow the tree that bears good fruit. John 15 comes to mind:
'I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.'My life is a plant and God is the Gardener.
The Spirit gave me a word last night: freedom.
Have you ever had an idea that captivated your heart, mind, and soul? Someone presents a concept or you stumble upon an idea and suddenly you're passionate and centered upon said concept. My previous roommate recently told me that she is in a 'beloved' phase, meaning that her soul's eyes are fixated upon the idea of every person being a beloved son or daughter of God.
Similarly, as I travel through life I tend to take rest stops along the way to dwell in the midst of a concept that has captivated me from the inside out. I fall in love with ideas, and when I fall, I fall hard. Currently I am in love with the concept of dying to the self in every aspect for the sake of the Gospel.
This is the first time, however, that this phase is not simply a phase. The Spirit is moving me to make this a lifestyle, calling me into deeper waters to give my life for the sake of love.
It's a deep sort of cleansing, and at it's core is one word: freedom.
I am learning more about what it looks like for me personally to be a slave to righteousness.
To carry my cross.
To simplify my life so that I am valuing the heart of God rather than the heart of man.
Last night, God moved inside of me to partake in a sort of process in which I simplify various areas of my life. In a way, this can be seen as fasting, but I like to think of it more as cleansing. It's a way of entering into freedom in order to fix my eyes on the heart of the kingdom.
To be in the world but not of the world.
We are all called to die to our flesh to make room for the Spirit, and it looks different for different people. This is simply what it will begin to look like for me. This idea is not a new one. Jen Hatmaker has written a book about it (Seven) and my dear friend Ashlyn has blogged her way through a similar process (read about her journey here).
I am simply joining them in their mission-a mission to set one's eyes and heart on things above.
This week will be preparation. I'll spend much of it in prayer, allowing for God to reveal truth to me regarding this process. The plan as of now is to take the next ten weeks to simplify in various areas of my life, with each week being a different category. Tentatively, the categories will be the following:
Material Possessions
Appearance
Social Media (goodbye for a week, dear' ol blog)
Essence (explanation to come)
Noms (a.k.a. food)
Relationships
School
Stress
Schedule
Discipleship & Love
Each of these areas are significant to my life, and all of them are ones that the enemy can and does attack. By fasting, praying, and intentionally walking through each of them in an intense manner, I am giving each part of my life over to my Father, which allows for cleansing, simplification, and freedom. It allows me to remain in His love, and in doing this I am able to better love other people.
Heaven on earth.
If you feel so called, won't you join me?
