Fall is becoming a distant memory. The chill in the air reminds me to search for my gloves, scarf, and earmuffs. The leaves hang on in places, but barrenness stretches across the landscape. A silent chant begins to crescendo each morning as I reluctantly crawl out of the warmth of my blankets.
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
Holiday madness is in full swing but I find myself pushing back against the tide of busyness. I begin the chant again.
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
I press pause on my to-do list and pull out my Bible. As I turn to the Gospels searching for the familiar words, I sit down ready to read and exhale the stress I’ve been holding inside.
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation. Luke 3:4-6
John the Baptist preached these words, first spoken by Isaiah the prophet, to the people in the countryside of Jordan. The foreshadowing proclaimed in them fill me with hope and a new understanding of how perfectly God fits the pieces of our history and future together.
Our lives reflect the seasons. We journey through times of busyness, barrenness, waiting or ones producing much fruit. The beauty is how God faithfully takes each season and uses it for His good.
John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord. His timing and preparation paved the way for Jesus. John’s work took place in the wilderness. His dreaming and preaching began in an unlikely place, but his part of God’s story was essential. Whether we are the main character in God’s story or a member of the crowd, we are needed and essential.
I read the words of Luke again. I whisper, “Prepare ye the way” and prayed for wisdom. How can I move forward amidst all the distractions? What can I do to keep my focus during the upcoming season? Will I allow God to prepare my heart when I’m in a wilderness season of waiting?
My life the last few years looked like a season of transitions. The time crept slowly until I began to allow myself to dream in earnest. I prayed and dreamt some more. God showed me glimpses of what my future looked like. I prayed again, but this time for patience in the waiting. Piece by piece the dream became my reality. My heart opened to receive the gift that God extended in the process of embracing the next step. But first, I gifted myself with the chance to dream.
In my dreaming, God showed me…
That waiting is not only a time of preparation but a time for God to work behind the scenes putting the pieces together.
How hope plays out when our faith is engaged and becomes hope-fulfilled.
An unexpected time of transition is God’s gift to us when we allow the slow down to become a time of rest and renewal.
That praying for dreams to come true prepares our hearts for all God is going to do.
No matter what the season, He cherishes our dreams and weaves them into our story as He is able.
It began with one chant….
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
It ended with named dreams and a promising future. God carefully held my longing in His hands and set it free as I prayed for His will to be done.
The blessing of dreams is a gift we give ourselves. The prayer we pray for our dreams to come true is our invitation to God to unfold our heart’s deepest desires.
Blessings in the wilderness! May all your God-driven dreams come true!
Shared by Mary Geisen
Photo by Eric Andrikaitis on Unsplash
Becky Hastings says
November 20, 2017 at 6:49 amI love the reminder today to go to God. I hope that my heart cries “prepare ye the way” throughout the season!
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:33 pmThank you! It sounds easy to surrender to God to prepare the way but in the middle of any transition, it has proved to be difficult. May we all let go in all seasons, keep dreaming knowing God will prepare the way. Blessings!
Patricia Krank says
November 20, 2017 at 7:18 am“God held my dreams in His hands and set them free as I prayed for His will to be done.” This is key to seeing our dreams come to fruition isn’t it? His will – Yes! Beautifully written Mary.
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:56 pmThank you, Patti! I’m blessed to have you join me here. I pray we all dream and then pray for God to show us His will in the process. Love you friend!
Michele Morin says
November 20, 2017 at 8:28 amThank you for these encouraging and hopeful words – and I have to tell you that I went back and looked once again at your beautiful images with well-chosen words to carry forward into my day.
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:34 pmYou’re welcome! God blesses us in so many ways and words can be a powerful reminder as well as a blessing. Praying we all look to God to prepare the way as we enter this busy holiday season.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
November 20, 2017 at 10:40 amMary,
So good to be reading you here this am!! I wonder what this says about me….that God has to literally knock me off my feet to get me to rest, be still, stop moving so that I can really meditate on His Word and prepare my heart for His coming? I’m getting better at self discipline to do this because the more time I spend with God in His Word, the more I crave it!! May we ALL stop all the doing and running in many directions and prepare the way of the Lord’s coming for ourselves and for others. Good food for thought here this am!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:39 pmIt says you’re human and imperfect. It is so easy to get swept up in the busyness. It happens to me too. The last few years I have worked to be intentional during this season but even still, I spent too much time doing an Advent study, devotionals and other things like that. This year I am not choosing a study and will instead choose quiet stillness with God.
I am learning that seasons of transition require me to lean in and listen well. I can only do that if I turn off the outside noise. During this time, God wants to hear my heart and desires for dreams of growing deeper with Him to surface. It is not easy but a beautiful blessing when we take the time to with God. Thank you for joining me here and for your sweet encouragement.
messymarriage says
November 20, 2017 at 10:49 amI’ve been a waiting season regarding a particular situation in my life for probably at least a decade now or more. It’s been so hard to sit tight and know that God is doing more in the in-between than in the destination that I hope to reach someday, but I know it is true! So I thank you, Mary, for bringing this truth into focus for us today. And thanks for leading me to a new linkup! I didn’t know about this one and am happy to have another place to “land!” 😉
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:42 pmA decade of waiting. I can’t imagine what that process has been like for you. I thought six months of waiting to move into my new house was long!
I’m glad you joined the Dreamer community today. Praying that as you sit in the in-between you feel God’s presence and see the fruit of your waiting.
Lisa notes... says
November 20, 2017 at 12:37 pmThanks for sharing these truths, Mary. Every season comes with its own gifts and dreams. But we need to prepare the way for them! “The blessing of dreams is a gift we give ourselves. The prayer we pray for our dreams to come true is our invitation to God to unfold our heart’s deepest desires.”
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:43 pmYou’re welcome! I love seeing familiar and new faces here at God-Sized Dreams. I pray you see the fruit of your own dreams in the different seasons of your life.
lynnjsimpson says
November 20, 2017 at 1:26 pmThanks for these encouraging words Mary. I feel like my harvest is just draining me instead of producing fruit. But to see it as part of a season rather than the end itself creates a hopeful heart within me. Thanks!
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 1:47 pmI hope this season ends up on a note of producing fruit. I know your beautiful pictures soothe my soul so I hope they do the same for you. May we know that each season is blessed and led by God. He is our hope maker and dream catcher.
mareedee2016 says
November 20, 2017 at 7:03 pmThank you for the reminder that God prepares the way. I needed that today as we head into the holidays missing so many people. Maree
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 4:03 pmYou’re welcome! I understand what it feels like to be missing people. I pray that your heart feels God’s love as we move into the holiday season.
Rachel Lee says
November 20, 2017 at 9:46 pm“God takes our seasons and uses them for good.” Yes He does! <3
Convicting and encouraging at the same time. Thanks, Mary!
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 4:07 pmIt is an amazing gift to know that God works for good in all. We can be in a time of transition or waiting and feel lost until we remember we have God with us always. Thank you for being here and I pray you find God in all your seasons.
Alice Walters says
November 21, 2017 at 6:24 amThank you, Mary, for the reminder that sometimes we need to slow down to move forward.
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 4:11 pmYou’re welcome! As we begin this busy season leading toward Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pray we find God at our center and make time just to sit and be with Him. Share your deepest dreams and let Him work in and through you. Blessings!
Crystal Twaddell says
November 21, 2017 at 9:41 amLove this…he prayer we pray for our dreams to come true is our invitation to God to unfold our heart’s deepest desires. Preparing ye the way is so much about surrender and trusting God to do His very best for us. Such encouragement here!
Mary Geisen says
November 21, 2017 at 4:17 pmGod loves nothing more than meeting us in that place where we are dreaming and praying for both to join together. I can imagine how happy it makes God to know we desire Him as we reach for goals beyond ourselves. May we prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to go deeper and to reach for God in the process. I’m blessed by your sweet words. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lesley says
November 21, 2017 at 3:43 pmSo encouraging to remember that even when we are waiting and we don’t know how it is going to turn out, God is at work, preparing the way, and he has a better plan for us than we can imagine!
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:41 pmWaiting is not my favorite thing but when I remember God is part of that time, I find I do much better. The truth I need to remember and remind myself of is that God is always present. There is not a time he isn’t with us. This truth keeps me going forward during transitions as God lovingly prepares the way. Blessed to have you here.
Gayl says
November 21, 2017 at 6:42 pm“Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” What a good chant to remember! Our dreams do have a place, and I believe that God often puts those dreams and desires in our hearts. While we follow our dreams He can use them to bring glory to Himself while fulfilling our desires, too. 🙂 Blessings to you, Mary!
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:43 pmThank you for sharing great insight too. “While we follow our dreams He can use them to bring glory to himself while fulfilling our desires too.” Amen! God is a good, good Father and we are always on his mind. Thank you for stopping by!
bluecottonmemory says
November 21, 2017 at 8:43 pmIt is a beautiful thing when we realize that the most important stuff happens in the wait of a prayer sent out. It is in the wait that the way is prepared – oh, how I love this! I rejoice with you that God doesn’t just give us dreams – but prepares the way for them! Shalom,Mary, as you prepare the way during this special season!
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:53 pmYour sweet encouragement is a blessing today. I know without a doubt that there are no mistakes with God. This truth along with a season of waiting or transition points me to how God needs time at his end to prepare the way for what’s next. I hope you allow yourself to dream knowing how God would love to come alongside as you pray for his will in the process.
Stephanie says
November 21, 2017 at 9:00 pmMary, I really appreciate this perspective on waiting. There are so many scriptural angles to view it. Wrapping the context of John’s exhortation to prepare gives waiting a fresh perspective. My husband still does not have a permanent job after nearly a year of waiting. I will embrace your encouragement to rest in this time and think of it as preparation for the dream.
“An unexpected time of transition is God’s gift to us when we allow the slow down to become a time of rest and renewal.
That praying for dreams to come true prepares our hearts for all God is going to do.” Amen
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:47 pmI am sorry to hear your husband is still searching for a permanent job. A time of waiting in this circumstance seems more prolonged at times.
But God does prepare the way and never stops working for us even if we don’t see the results in our timing. I pray you are able to rest during this time in the peace that God provides. Please know I am praying for you and your husband.
Hopeful50 says
November 22, 2017 at 6:16 amMary, one of my favorite online friends and writer of words extraordinaire! Always good. xo
Mary Geisen says
November 25, 2017 at 2:48 pmYou are a beautiful encourager, Susan! Thank you for being here and cheering me on.