It Grows Back | Crossroads Daily

Hey, I'm Caleb. I'm Mish. I'm Miko. I'm Jamie. We're in Isaiah chapter 35 today, so we're kind of hopping back and forth, New Testament, Old Testament. Back in Isaiah, Isaiah's a prophet in ancient Israel, lived about 700 years before Jesus, so just get that in your mind, right? This is a significant amount of time before Jesus is born, and Isaiah's prophecy, though, points to Jesus. We've talked about Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, and this prophecy actually mentions Jesus as the way, and this prophecy is all about hope and restoration in a time when that's hard to see, right? The nation of Israel's having a very difficult time in exile, waiting for the Messiah to come, and they don't know when he's gonna come. They didn't know it was gonna be 700 years. If they did, they probably would have lost all hope, right? Do you think about a time in your life that you would be willing to share? Where have you seen restoration or new growth after a difficult season, and you got there just because you kept holding on? How much time do we have? I'd say for me that there's a significant chunk of time between 2019 until 2022, I'd say, and for me that was like right after my release from prison, and then coming home, trying to put life together, you know, my son living in four or five hundred miles away from me at the time, trying to find work and just navigate life, and also dealing with my youngest brother's mental health diagnosis that just grew crazy, you know, in that time, and just, you know, that was during COVID, and it was just like a very, very trying time. I remember questioning God, like, what is this? Like, what is this season about, you know? I call it my season of ambiguity because I'm like, I don't understand, like, what's going on, and today, looking back at what that produced in me, just that long-suffering resilience, character, like this unwavering faith, like, no matter what comes, like, I can't say that I clung to that perfectly, but, like, I clung to that. I clung to God, you know, in that season, and His grace covered my missteps along the way, but yeah, I can attribute so much of the man I am today to what He produced in me in that season. That's fantastic. I love that. That is beautiful. Yeah, for me, a lot of it had to do with my relationship with my now-wife, but my girlfriend at the time,

like, I made so many mistakes just in relationships in general, but with her and someone who is now, like, on this earth, the most important person who I, like, my partner, and recognizing that, one, me hurting her and repenting for that is okay and necessary, but then, two, not hiding from the fact that, like, if you hurt someone, go talk to them. You can still be in it. I think that's kind of what I hear in, like, the staying in, like, the place that you are. Like, if you do something that's wrong, you can still be in it. That is what grace is, and repentance is that offering that you, that gives you that path towards grace if you and your heart turn away from what you did. I did that with my wife, and I'm thankful we're married now, but yeah, that was really hard at the time. Yeah, totally. Do I have to give a therefore example, or could it be something I'm in right now? I mean, please, in process right now? I love it. Great. For those of you who don't know, I'm single, and two of my sisters, I have two sisters, I was gonna say two of, but I have two sisters, and they're both getting married this year. Oh, wow. And so, like, the singleness journey, that's, it's a whole different podcast, but, like, you, I feel like God has gotten me through different seasons where that's been really, really hard, and one gets married really, really soon, and I feel like, I feel like I'm there a little bit right now, just because I'm the oldest sister, I'm the second oldest child, never been married, been single for a while, and it feels like this place of, like, I don't want to give up because I know God has something for this in me, and not necessarily a relationship, but just, like, the fullness of who he made me to be and the dreams that he's given me, but right now it just feels so, like, tender and tangible of, like, I'm gonna stand up with both of my sisters when they get married, and then, like... like question mark, question mark for what's for me. So it just feels like, I feel like God's forming me and I know that he's present, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy. Yeah, you're still in process.

You're still in the waiting for the new life to bloom up. Yes. Oh my goodness. Like my mind goes to the woman with the two mites because it's like in those seasons where we feel like we lack and it's like God requiring of you in those moments, right? Stand and support your sisters, encourage this, bless this marriage, right? From this posture. It hits different when it's from this posture as opposed to a posture of abundance. I'm married and now I'm... But it's like, no, in this season, do you trust me? Yeah. I want you to bless this marriage from this posture and I'm just reminded of the woman with the two mites right now. You've been sharing that. I can laugh about it now, but like quite literally I was at dinner with my parents and we were at a Chinese buffet and not me just sobbing. And my dad looks at me and he means it in the best way possible. He's like, you're sowing in tears right now. And I was like, that might be the case, but I think we are actively sowing as the tears are falling, but I'm like, that may be not what I need when you're coming alongside me in this moment,

but also like just genuinely that like, okay, I'm sitting in this posture and I'm in this space. Okay, God, I'm holding on to whatever you have for me. Yeah, so that's a reference to the Psalms, right? Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Jamie's not to that yet, right? Yeah, we're not shouting with joy. I mean, I'll shout with joy for them, but. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But for you, you're not there, Miko has seen his come around, Mish has seen his come around, married, married his girlfriend. Whether you're through it or still in it, what are the things that keep you holding on, right? Like what build your endurance in the middle of that? Because you got the hard stuff happening. And for two of you guys, you see what God did in it. He grew this thing, but what's happening in the middle? Like there's some people out there who were definitely in the middle, right? What do they need to hear from you? So another, I'm gonna be vague about this story because it's about a person who I care about, but dealing with stuff who, his stuff doesn't need to be out there. Him and his family are dealing with some issues where like people who totally have control of their family situation are controlling it in a bad way. And they just have to eat it currently.

And it could easily just be a different way. And as their friend, someone who loves them and cares for them, I've been wrestling with God, like what is my place in this? Why do I do it? What's this? To answer your question, I think that love for people, that Jesus' love for people is what keeps you in it. It's what keeps you like recognizing how to take steps forward when you feel like all hope is lost. And again, I know I'm being very vague about the situation, but like there's hopelessness in this current situation. And I could easily just be like, man, I mean like, just take a step back and try to not care for them as much because it hurts less. But I don't think that's what Jesus would do. Yeah, you're choosing to see them the way that Jesus does and respond in love. I hope so. No matter what the outcome turns out to be. Yeah. That's great. What about you, Jimmy? I think two things. One, I had to practice gratitude in those moments. Like in some of my lowest moments, I just have to like force my mind to just practice gratitude. Being present were three things. Being present, like just choosing joy in this moment.

I would think about like, okay, God, this idea of how I'm picturing my life to be, what of that can I endure, like can I experience now? And then I'm just going to choose to do that. And I'm just going to be present in that and find joy in that. And then remembering. Remembering how God has shown up in other seasons and how the season may have been clunky or whatever, but I'm looking back on it, I know he was doing something in it or I can now see what he was doing in it. That helps me to hang on to the fact where I'm like, God, you know what? I may not fully understand what this is about. If I'm allowed, can I have your perspective in this? I'm asking you, Lord, over my perspective, give me your perspective to see this the way you see this so that it doesn't just suck. But it's really just shaped my prayer life in that, like help me to see this from your perspective, Lord, over my emotions, like these prayers, which helps gives me a sense of comfort. But yeah, I guess those three things, remembering what he's done, practicing gratitude and remembering what he's done. Also, like I said, letting that shape my prayer life, but then in choosing joy in the moments, whatever I'm clinging to, whatever I'm hoping. for in the future, what can I experience now

and choosing that to kind of like root myself in joy in it now. That's great, man. Throughout the process. Yeah, that's great. I'm not an expert on this, okay, but I feel like I have heard and read somewhere that gratitude and fear kind of operate in the same area in your brain. So you can't hold both of them at the same time, right? Like fear and anxiety will literally get pushed out when you choose to just be grateful, focus on the things that you have. And it's super powerful. Right, that's great. Jamie, what's keeping you holding on? Yeah, I mean, that is a great question. What's keeping me holding on? I think focusing on others and focusing on like my sisters in this time of I genuinely don't want to get to the other side of their weddings and they'd be like, oh, everything was super happy. And then this dark spot on their experience is me and my like, woe is me. So I do think like having an outward focus, I think if I turn it completely inward, I will go down a really dark hole. And so I think having the perspective and having the ability to keep my sisters in mind,

I don't know if they'll watch this, it might be awkward, but keeping my sisters in mind. And then also gratitude. I think to that spot of like, I'm confident I could be in a really bad relationship. Like I believe that that I have like, my skills are good enough to be in a bad relationship. And I don't want that. Like I don't want to trade my desires for God's will or what God would have in store if that's a part of my future. And so being thankful for the things that God has given me, I live an incredibly blessed life. It's abundant in different ways and just not in this area. So how do I like be more focused on that than this place that feels like a place of lack? Fantastic. All right, so we're gonna do a little gratitude challenge together to finish up the day. We've already talked about how gratitude changes your perspective. It puts you on a higher plane, right? Where you're not the center of the universe. And that changes things for the better. So as soon as this video is over, shut the app down, get a piece of paper, pull out your phone, look at a clock for 60 seconds. I want you just to jot down, what are you thankful for? It can be big things, it can be little things, hot cup of coffee, or just sun shining in my window.

Anything that's gonna help, I think, put you on a better path for the day to encounter all that God has for you. We'll see you next time. Bye.