Three Years Backwards Pt. 2 | Personal

Although the blog has been a little quiet lately, let me tell you our lives have been anything but! (More of that to come soon! Stay tuned!)

After a hectic past three weeks (most of what I remember is a crazy blur of working, fixing meals, laundry, traveling, packing, unpacking, more laundry, more cooking, and of course little sleep) thank goodness for a cherished day off work! This morning was a sweet little blessing. Getting to sleep in, process, lay low. I thought, “What a perfect day to catch back up on some blogging!” So I’m sprawled out across our couch, window shades open, taking in the gorgeous 50 degree weather!

The last few weeks have held lots of clinging to God’s word. Lots of reciting God’s promises. Lots of trusting and waiting. As I was thinking about the last few lessons I’ve learned as I’ve looked back on the three years we’ve been in Saint Louis, I think they’ll match perfectly to what God’s been teaching me. So, here we go.


The truth of God’s word always holds. 

This may seem like a “duh Lacey” point, but it’s been a rock for me these last few years and especially these last few weeks. I’ve been reading through the Psalms (I love how the Psalmists heart is so real!) My attention caught at Psalm 63:5, 8 “My soul, wait silently for God alone. For my expectation (hope) is from Him…trust in the Lord at ALL TIMES, pour out your heart before Him, for He is a refuge for us.” I began meditating, pondering what the Spirit was trying to tell me.

The passage gives three commands. 1) Wait silently for God alone 2) Trust in the Lord at all times and 3) Pour out your heart before Him. As we wait in every season of life, we don’t wait for men to work or act but we are to wait on the Lord. We are to wait and watch His plan unfold–friends, His timing is perfect and His plan better than anything we could imagine! Then He says, “Lacey, trust in Me at all times!” He is trustworthy, good, loving God who only has our best and His glory in mind! As we wait, as we trust, then He says to pour out our hearts before Him. To lay our desires, our passions, our fears, our failures at His feet. Then this is where it gets beautiful. His promise.

“God is a refuge for us!” He is our safe spot. He is our stronghold, sanctuary, our fortress. This is His promise to us! (And God’s promises always hold true!!!)

After that, an amazing passage followed. Psalm 28:6-7 “Blessed be the Lord because HE HAS HEARD the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield, MY HEART TRUSTED IN HIM AND I AM HELPED, therefore my heart GREATLY REJOICES, with my song I will praise Him!” After waiting, after trusting, after pouring out our hearts before Him this is what happens…He has heard my cries!!! He has become my strength! My heart trusted and I am helped!!! Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices!!! In so many personal, beautiful ways God has made these passages come to life for us over the last few years & last few weeks! And let me tell you–these truths, these glorious, magnificent truths hold firm! Praise God!

Remember to look back on God’s past faithfulness–it will renew hope for the future! 

I don’t care if it’s cool or not cool, I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m a journaler. It has become one of the sweetest ways to remember what God has done. For years I’ve journaled my heart, written prayers of heartache, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of requests and petitions the Lord….and in amazing (and most of the time unimaginable) ways God answered those prayers! I love looking back. I love reading my entries. Remembering the struggles (as hard as they may be). Focusing on the heartache (as painful as it is). But as I lifted up my burdens to the Lord throughout those pages, there are hundreds of sheets filled with praise for the countless ways He’s answered them.

My prayer–not only as I think about the last few years in Saint Louis, but also as we look towards our upcoming journey–is that I would “Declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night” (Psalm 92:2). God is faithful. And as I look back (and challenge you to do the same), our hope is renewed for the future.