Soulful Sunday: You Crown The Year

 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. (‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭11‬ NLT)

Yesterday I was listening to Hillsong's Glorious Ruins. There is a song on there that really spoke to me in a new way called You Crown The Year (Psalm 65:11).  I looked up the verse and it spoke straight to the depths of my heart. Even though I may find myself in a difficult place, God has not forgotten me. As the verse says, the hard pathways will overflow with His abundance. I started to really meditate on this verse and I could look back on my life and see God's faithfulness and provision.  For example, my last year working in OKC Public schools was very hard. I had a child who was crying out for help but his parents thought the answer was to move him to another school. I had two students that destroyed my books and desks to be mean to the rest of the class. Not to mention all the testing pressure to get the class ready for third grade. It was definitely a hard pathway. But God provided. I was able to form relationships with those hard students and the parents. My class improved greatly in their math and reading skills. God kept me safe from any violence at the school. These are just a few of the blessings that come to mind.

Right now, I know so many people struggling. Life is on a hard pathway for so many I know. For me, my hard pathway is not letting my feelings dictate my situation. I know that by still praising God, still looking to Him, He will crown this hard time with blessing. It may not be to change the situation to what we want. Maybe it is to change our hearts. Maybe He will do something we didn't expect and it will be a bigger blessing than we thought. Maybe it is to take us deeper with Him.

Hold on right now. Give Him praise. Follow Him and watch Him work in your life.  I saw a great quote from a Christian pastor which went something like this:  "Even in your waiting, God is still working."  Keep your eyes fixed upon Him during your hard pathway.  Just because you cannot see it yet, does not mean that God has abandoned you.  Right now He is covering you with His abundant love and grace.  And hopefully, soon for you, the pathway will become smooth.