lessons
As you can see, we had an awesome time in Chicago. I learned a great deal about healing and friendships as well. Even though I was convinced I was going to take Chicago by storm, check out and just have fun, I still learned a few things. Learning and gleaning from Jesus seem to be everyday steps i am taking to be free lately. Whew! Sometimes, it's painful! I remember saying good bye, not long ago to a dear friend in the airport and I remember the pain of losing a loved one. The way God uses our heart to speak to us is amazing. He feels that pain. Jesus uses that pain to reach in to the very core of our being and speak. He goes after our heart and cares about the desires of our heart. It's that odd? That the God of the Universe would care about my little heart? He speaks to us through His holy spirit and desires a deeper relationship with us. A self reliant person will not be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. hmmm.... I am pretty self reliant, most of the time, unless a crisis evolves in my heart.

These thoughts are kinda random, but as I reflect back over the last week, it makes sense to me. My friends and I watched the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" on Thursday night, the first night we were in Chicago. Not only was the music amazing and most of the songs I knew, the story line was gut wrenching as well. Whew it was intense! The story of the "four seasons" was real and filled with heart break. They were void of the Holy spirit and couldn't hear the voice of Jesus. They had no hope. Frankie Valli was heart broken over the overdose of his daughter and the heartbreak of lost love. He had no hope... so incredibly lost. To be honest, i could relate a bit to that lost feeling. I am sure that is we were all honest with one another, we have all been there at one time or another in our lives.

HOPE? I am reminded of this hope today as I reflect over the last week. God is oh so good to give us hope. I was listening to a message a while back... "Waiting through Pain". Mary and Martha had hope that Jesus would come when their brother Lazarus died. They prayed and waited. They waited three days. When Jesus finally came. They were not angry. Their response was matter of fact. Jesus, Lazarus is dead. They had prayed... waited... they had hope. This Easter season, we too can have hope in Jesus. Am I letting the Holy Spirit be heard in my circumstances? Are you? Do you choose to have hope and wait patiently to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit through your pain and circumstances? Am I looking for Him?