for the family

everyday wisdom for everyday families

Following God You

Follow the Yellow Lines {Launch Week Giveaway #5}

Follow the Yellow LinesI live on a rural road.  The kind of road where there are absolutely no street lights.  The road is black.  Headlights are great but bright lights are even better.

One night as I drove home, well after the sun had gone down, I realized that even with my brights on, I could only see about five to seven of those yellow lines.

You know.

The lines that keep you on your side of the street and that give you guidance as you drive. As I approached a curve, I realized that those five to seven yellow lines gave just enough warning for me to know that I needed to bend my wheel slightly to the right to stay on the asphalt.   That small shift in the yellow lines was clearly marked.  But I only saw it because my eyes were on the road.

Hearing from God and knowing which moves to make is a lot like driving down my rural road.  Many times, he only gives us just enough guidance to get us a few hundred feet further.  No more. No less. And if we want to clearly know when we need to bend or turn, we have to be paying attention. We have to keep our eyes on his road for us.


Follow the Yellow Lines…

We have to keep our eyes on Him.

And if we take our eyes off of Him for just one second, it is totally possible to miss the signal that he is offering to us as we journey along.

It would be great if God gave us the WHOLE plan for our lives up front, right?  I wish sometimes this was the case.  I wish that he would tell me exactly what turns were coming and how long the curves would last.  Sometimes I hope that he will give me a sign. Scream my name if he has to or jump in front of me and make me stop, turn, or reverse in response to his roadblock.

But I’ve learned that while God won’t force Himself on us, He does absolutely speak and give us guidance.  He won’t reach down from heaven with a holy stick and “whack” us until we choose to stay in line.  In contrast, He speaks gently and encourages us to follow His way if we so choose.

So let me encourage you today to choose.

Choose to pay attention. Choose to sing even when you are frustrated with the lack of light you have on your road. Choose to be grateful for whatever little yellow lines God has placed on your path to give you signals, guidance, or direction as you walk, run, or even crawl along in your journey.

And rest assured that God will absolutely give you all of the information you need…

… Just when you need it.

Blessings,

Chrystal, ChrystalEvansHurst.com

Photo Credit:  via Shinealight on Flickr.com

Launch Week Giveaway Day #5

Enter to win our launch week giveaways with rafflecopter below!!

Kingdom Woman by Chrystal Evans Hurst and Tony Evans (5 Copies)

Kingdom Woman by Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About Chrystal Evans Hurst

Chrystal Hurst is a writer, speaker, and worship leader in addition to serving as the chief executive operating officer in her home as a wife and mother of five. She is a self-proclaimed "geek" and bibliovore, who is actively seeking help for her addiction to Starbucks, sweet tea, and chocolate chip cookies.

Chrystal is co-author of the recent release, Kingdom Woman. She also blogs regularly at Chrystal’s Chronicles where she poignantly reflects her thoughts about her faith and day-to-day experiences. Chrystal firmly believes God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans that I have for you…” and she desires to help others believe and apply that truth to their lives.

Comments

  1. mandyponderingsofasimpleheart says

    We don’t often take the time to pay attention to the world through a faith lens. What a great reminder to always be looking for His guidance and to be thankful when we find it.

  3. Sarah Shore Leonard says

    Thank you for the reminder to be still and listen for God. It’s easy to lose perspective in the noise and busyness of life.

  4. Rochele Porpora says

    Thank you for including the link for choosing to sing and thank you for the helpful hints on how to keep our eyes focused on him during good and bad times.

  11. Amanda Lewis says

    What an awesome first week! Thank you for all of the posts. I enjoyed reading each one and look forward to the next. Great job!

  12. Becky Jones says

    I am glad the Lord doesn’t show us the whole of the plan for our lives as we start out, for I fear I would head for the hills 🙂 One day at a time is quite enough for this old gal to can handle..blessings to you all!

  15. Krista Ritskes says

    Fabulous illustration! Keeping our eyes on God, all the time. We may miss some great and important signs if we don’t. Such a good reminder.

  16. Steph says

    Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly the plans He has for us..BUT if we knew, would we still seek Him? Would we still press in and listen.. praise in the good times and the bad times.. I don’t know! 🙂 Love the post and all the content this week! Blessings!

  21. Melissa says

    What a great reminder God will show us just what we need. We just need to look for Him and trust!

  25. Kelly says

    Thank You! The message of this post was just what my weary heart needed. I am choosing to sing and be grateful!

  26. Melanie Lonsway says

    Thanks for the encouragement! I do sometimes wish that God would give me a roadmap instead of a flashlight 😉

  31. Megan H. says

    This was great! Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely the message I needed today. Keeping my eyes on the Lord!

  34. Crystal Manteuffel says

    Keeping my eyes focused on Jesus is something I have been thinking and praying about lately. This post was perfect timing as confirmation on doing just that. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

  36. Nicole Beard says

    That’s very encouraging, thank you. I feel like I am on a gravel road with no yellow lines. It’s been a very confusing summer to say the least – I took a leap of faith after thinking it’s what God wanted and who knows. I’m hoping to enter asphalt soon so I can get a few little yellow lines!!

    Blessings,
    Nicole @ WKH

  38. Christy says

    Wish I had read this yesterday morning instead of this morning. Definitely would have helped with yesterday’s challenges but at least now I can apply it to today’s. Thank you!

  42. Julie Reynolds says

    Would love this book – will probably use it with our ladies for a group study this winter

  44. cokabo says

    Sometimes I wish I could see the whole picture … so hard to trust when you don’t know how things will turn out! Thanks for this post.

  45. Missy says

    Sometimes it is hard to keep our eyes on the Lord and to always know he is there as well as to be “thankful” for all that God sends our way. Especially if the road has a lot of turbulence. However, that turbulence is for a reason to make us stronger and prepared for what is ahead. There is a few words that will help us and guide us more gently along the way and that is prayer, faith, love, and smiles! We need to always remember to always pray, have faith, love, and smile.. even when we don’t feel like we can. If we do all of these things we will feel much better and create a better world around us.
    Thanks for the great inspiration!! 🙂

  46. Jodi says

    Such a great reminder! Sometimes it can be difficult to wait on God, but it sure is worth it in the end!