Laura L. Smith
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blogs
  • Speaking
  • Contact Laura

I WILL FOLLOW

1/1/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
We spent New Year's Eve last year at Casa Del Mundo, Solola, Guatemala
We rang 2013 in playing board games and watching Rockin’ New Year’s Eve in a hotel room across the street from the Cleveland Clinic while my father-in-law received a liver transplant.

We rang in 2014 in Solala, Guatemala, which sounds like a town from a Dr. Seuss story and is equally as fantastical. We were in a hotel of only 10 rooms accessible only by boat, dining family style with strangers turned into new comrades from around the world.

Last night I almost forgot it was New Year’s Eve, I was in such a fluster counting pairs of socks, slipping hand sanitizers in string bags, stacking passports on the counter, packing for a trip to Ecuador we were supposed to take today. This morning we awoke to kids with sky-high fevers and pulled the plug a half hour before our estimated time of departure. 

Picture
"I Will Follow" by Chris Tomlin
At the beginning of each of those years I would have never guessed how I’d be spending New Year’s. But that’s the whole point of what God’s teaching me right now. It’s not my plans that matter most, but His. I need to follow Him wherever He leads me. As Chris Tomlin sings, “where You go I’ll go, where You stay I’ll stay. I will follow.” God wants me to let Him be the leader. For me to follow Him.

Each year comes with anticipation, what’s in store? Where will I go? Who will I meet? What am I supposed to write? Where will I speak? What does God want to teach me? And each year, I make goals, have plans, because plans are good, it’s how I get things done, as long as my plans are flexible enough to listen to God and turn them inside out when and if He calls me to.

I rang in 2014 with a lot of question marks in my head. So, my word last year was TRUST. I didn’t know what direction a lot of things would turn in my life, so I focused on trusting God and His plans. As usual, He amazed me with people and places and events I could have never dreamed up on my own. Although, I didn’t always know what was coming, I always knew it would be for my good. And it was. Very good.

This last month I feel like I’ve been in a blender. My husband had a major medical scare, our church is without a pastor, and now our trip to Ecuador, the one we’d planned for months isn’t happening. But it’s a beautiful place, this blender. Because as I whir and blur about, there’s not one thing I can control. And you know what happens, when I finally let go of the reins? God picks them up for me. He’s been willing to steer all along. I just hold on so tightly. How about you? How tight are you holding your reins today?

I have four kids who have lessons and practices and games and schoolwork. They need snacks and uniforms and binders and drop offs and pick ups for all of these things. Not to mention they’re a blast to play with, talk with, do life with. I have a marriage I treasure. I prioritize time invested in this beautiful relationship. I work out to try to stay physically and mentally healthy. I write. I speak. We have groceries to buy, daily, and laundry to wash, multiple times daily, and it’s all glorious. Just busy. And it takes planning and organization and intentionality to get it all done.

But this year, I’m focusing on getting it done Gods’ way. Not mine.

Remember that scene in Peter Pan, where the Lost Boys are marching through the woods? They sing, “I’m following the leader, the leader, the leader, I’m following the leader, wherever He may go.”

That’s what I plan on striving for this year. Following my leader, my God, my Savior, the Almighty.  My word for 2015 is FOLLOW, what’s yours?

6 Comments
Amber
1/1/2015 12:32:45 am

Love it!!! That's a movie reference I can get behind - ha! ;)

Reply
Laura Smith link
1/1/2015 01:55:08 am

I finally got you with a Disney :). I'll change out my beautiful chalkboard frame today, so I can focus on following and think of you throughout the year. What's your word????

Reply
Terri Tiffany
1/2/2015 05:53:42 am

Oh my, that's my word too. :)

Reply
Laura Smith link
1/2/2015 06:11:39 am

Well, Terri, we can be following together! Happy New Year!

Reply
Kasey Giard link
1/22/2015 08:14:22 am

I definitely identify with the whole whirlwind/blender situation. It's strange to be in the midst of that craziness and have that amazing peace - one of my favorite blessings about being a Christian and one of the things that I believe makes it such an attractive spiritual life.

Still seeking for my word for this year. :) I'll have to get back to you on that one. Thanks for your insightful post.

Reply
Laura Smith link
1/28/2015 02:10:26 am

Jesus is peace. He restores our souls. Thank goodness. Right? Yes, please, keep me posted on your "word". I love hearing how God is teaching others, because I always feel there's a lesson for me as well :)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Laura  L. Smith

    Subscribe

    * indicates required
    Email Format

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Adventures
    Allergies
    Apples
    Back Packing
    Baggage
    Basketball
    Batman
    Beauty
    Believe
    Bible
    Blogging
    Book Reviews
    Books
    Braces
    Brandi Chastain
    Breast Cancer Awareness
    Cafeterias
    Celebrating
    Change
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Coffee
    College
    Concert
    Contest
    Control
    Courage
    Created In God
    David And Golaith
    Disney
    Divergent
    Dreams
    Driving
    Easter
    Embracing Your Role
    Enjoying Life
    Europe
    Exercise
    Fall
    Family
    Farmer
    Fashion
    Fasting
    Fear
    Finding Your Place
    Fireworks
    Fishing
    Fixed By Force
    Fixer Upper
    Football
    Forgiveness
    Free Books
    Friendships
    Frozen
    George Clooney
    Getting Closer To God
    Getting Closer To God
    Gilmore Girls
    Goals
    God
    God\
    God Given Gifts
    God-given Gifts
    Golden Rule
    Good Friday
    Gospel
    Grace
    Graduation
    Grandma
    Growth
    Guys
    Hair
    Happiness
    Healing
    Health
    Heroes
    High School
    Holy Week
    Homecoming
    HOPE
    Hot Lunch
    Ides Of March
    Impact
    Inner Beauty
    Interviews
    Invisalines
    Isaiah 40
    It's Addicting
    Jason Bourne
    Jason Warne
    Jesus
    Journeys
    Joy
    Laughing
    Laundry
    Legos
    Lent
    Letting Go
    Life Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Listening To God
    Love
    Luggage
    Magi
    Magic
    Magic Kingdom
    Mental Health
    Metro
    Miracles
    Moms
    Moon
    Moses
    Movies
    Music
    New Year
    New Year\
    Obedience
    Oliver Twist
    Pansies
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Peter Walking On Water
    Pick Pockets
    Pink Bra
    Planning
    Playing By The Rules
    Playlist Fiction
    Popsicles
    Potential
    Praying
    Princess
    Princess Diaries
    Prize
    Promises
    Psalm 139
    Realigning Your Life
    Recipes
    Relationship
    Running
    Savor
    Seat Assignments
    Self Image
    Self-Image
    Self-image
    Sharing
    Shopping
    Snow Patrol
    Soccer
    Social Justice
    Social Media
    Sororities
    Spring
    Steroids
    Stories
    Straightening Out Your Life
    Strength
    Stretching To Hear God
    Subway
    Summer
    Summer Reading
    Superheroes
    Superman
    Swimsuits
    Tag
    Take Breaks
    Taking Time
    Teen Fiction
    Thankful
    Thessalonians
    The Thief Lord
    The Word
    Toads
    Tortoise
    Travel
    Trips
    True Reflection
    Trust
    Truth
    U2
    Unpacking
    Winter
    Wonder Woman
    Writing
    Yoga
    Zumba


Follow along with Laura:​

Photo used under Creative Commons from Narisa
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blogs
  • Speaking
  • Contact Laura