Week 16: Waiting, Grateful, and Truth
Lord,
I'm grateful.
I'm grateful for everything You've done and will do in my life and everything You will do in the lives of my loved ones. I just want to pause in this moment and praise You — especially during Holy Week.
This week reminds me:
You didn’t place Your Son here for show.
You didn’t send Him for performance.
You sent Him for us.
He lived.
He died.
He rose.
And because of that, we all have proof that You are real, alive, and active.
Since choosing to live in Your will and not my own, I’ve felt a peace that the world cannot offer.
A peace that stills me, even when life is hard.
Even when emotions rise, even when the old patterns try to creep back in.
I don’t have to be ruled by feelings anymore.
I can acknowledge them.
I can lament without complaining.
And when I lament, I bring it all to You.
You are not a weapon to use against others.
You are not confusion.
You are not manipulation.
You are Father.
Protector.
Corrector.
Savior.
And even when You convict me, discipline me, or prune me, I still say: Thank You.
This week was a short work week because of Holy Week and PTO — and it was fitting, Lord, because I needed the space to breathe, to remember, to honor You.
Monday
A regular work day.
Same ole, same ole.
Tuesday
A little light in the tunnel.
One of my favorite coworkers (lowkey my cousin) returned from maternity leave!
We were so excited — donuts, hugs, laughter filled the room.
It reminded me how precious real friendships are, especially in hard places.
People who see you, apply pressure when you’re overwhelmed, and lift you back up.
Later that day, we stayed clocked in for PNO (Parents' Night Out).
My first time doing it — and it was filled with simple, sweet joy:
Pizza, Toy Story 3, Easter egg hunts, coloring with the kids.
The kind of joy that doesn't need noise — just presence.
Wednesday
All I could think about was the long weekend ahead.
I was ready.
Ready to get the day done and get out the door.
Simple. Focused.
Thursday
I used my PTO.
Mom’s car drop off
I had a job interview too.
And I prayed for clarity.
You answered.
The interview was confusing — wrong locations, miscommunications, no structure.
And I realized: You are not a God of confusion.
Even though it wasn’t the open door I hoped for, it was still an answer.
You whispered: This is not it, daughter.
And I listened.
Then, a car ride back home full of conversations.
Friday
It really was a good, quiet day.
I spent it resting, reflecting.
Thinking about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
I even thought about going to see The Chosen Last Supper movie, but decided to wait until I can experience it all at once.
I also stumbled across a comment online that struck me:
“We keep God's commandments not to be saved, but because He saved us.”
How true that is.
We don't keep Your commands to perform for You.
We keep them because You already saved us.
Keeping Your commandments is the bare minimum.
It’s the least we can do in gratitude for what You did for us.
Saturday
I came across a quote that stayed with me:
"You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." (John 16:20)
It made me pause.
Made me think about all the grief we experience here — from personal losses to daily heartbreaks.
It planted a seed in me, Lord — reminding me that even in sorrow, there is the promise of joy.
Sunday
I watched church service from Church 2819, and once again, Lord, You met me where I was.
Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell spoke, and everything I had been quietly feeling came alive in Your truth.
He reminded us:
“People are standing outside on what we call the line in community, outside in the parking lot before we open the doors for you to walk into God’s holy presence.”
“While people are waiting, there is anticipation to come in.”
“One thing we all share in common while we’re standing outside: we’re standing with an expectation to come into this holy gathering.”
“No one thinks the parking lot is the entirety of the experience.”
The connection to life—got to me.
How this life is not the gathering.
It’s just the parking lot.
It made me think deeper, Lord.
It made me think about grief — not just the grief I’ve seen, but the grief I’ve lived.
The grief I experienced earlier this year in January.
The grief of losing people and dreams in other ways, too.
Grief that sometimes feels endless, heavy.
But You showed me:
In this life, we will grieve.
We will experience glimpses of joy, yes.
But the true joy, the fullness, the gathering — that’s in Heaven.
We’re all standing in line right now.
Some people get tired and leave the line.
Some people complain the whole way through.
Some people find ways to encourage each other while they wait.
But the real blessing is not in the waiting.
It’s in the gathering that You have prepared.
“Although there are some things we enjoy while we're here — marriages, money, relationships, businesses, cars, trinkets and toys — they are all temporary experiences in the parking lot.”
“They do not compare to what God has prepared for us in glory.” (Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell)
And You reminded me again through the Apostle Paul's words:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Lord, thank You for letting my grief turn toward hope and joy.
Thank You for reminding me that what’s ahead is so much greater than what’s behind.
Thank You for preparing the real gathering.
And it opened my eyes, Lord.
Because so often we get caught up filming, documenting, obsessing over the parking lot — over the temporary.
But You remind us:
We were born for the gathering, not the line.
We were created for eternity with You.
What I’m Learning:
Keeping God’s commandments is gratitude, not performance.
Lamenting isn't complaining — it's worship when surrendered to God.
The parking lot (life on Earth) isn’t the finish line. It’s the start.
Confusion is not from God; clarity is a gift.
What Faith is Showing Me:
God's "No" is just as loving as His "Yes."
Heaven is not a myth — it's the gathering, the real home.
Every correction is preparation for something bigger than me.
My life now is shaping my future family and generations to come.
What I’m Working On:
Living life with the gathering in mind, not the parking lot.
Seeking God before getting attached to opportunities.
Preparing daily rhythms that make space for prayer, scripture, and reflection.
Re-centering every celebration on Christ.
What I’m Listening To / Consuming:
Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell sermons (Church 2819)
Lee Vasi - Teach Me
Israel & New Breed - Worthy
Israel & New Breed - Goodness of God
Naughty Boy ft Emeli Sande - Wonder
Maverick City Music
Alex Warren - Ordinary
What I’m Building:
A heart posture that waits well.
A home where Christ is centered in every holiday and every ordinary day.
A legacy of faith and truth for my future family.
A life aligned with Heaven’s promises, not Earth’s pressures.
What’s Coming Up:
Continuing to pray over job opportunities and wait for God's timing.
Setting up a daily journaling rhythm (starting Week 18).
Planting seeds of truth, peace, and surrender each day — even if it feels small.