Crystal Stine

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Five Minute Friday: Present

Everyday faith

I have been given a gift. A brief glimpse into the incredibly kind, generous, loving heart of the Father. A time so precious it’s hard to believe it could ever have come from such challenging circumstances. A month ago. Just one month ago. My life felt like it had been destroyed. And now I sit here, today, changed. By the grace of God. 
He has made beauty from ashes. 
He has wiped away every tear.
He has taken heart ache and turned into celebration.
When I look at the door that was closed, I realize that God knew. He knew I needed to live in the present. To be fully here with my family. To enjoy rest, to have time to savor and relax and cherish. God knew that I was stuck, and He released me. 
He released me and He heard the cries of my heart. When I think about the ways that God has answered prayer for my family in 4 weeks. 4 short weeks? It seems like too much. Too many gifts, too many blessings. Immeasurably more than we could have ever asked for or imagined. 
Whatever the new day holds, I want to walk firmly into the present with my hands held open to the gift of the Father – the One who knows my past, my today, my tomorrow, and exactly what I need. I want to walk forward in confidence, carrying with me this legacy of redemption. 

Five Minute Friday


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Comments

  2. Kelly says

    Don’t you just love when God just lets you see glimpses into his fingerprints on your life!! Love God moments! So happy for you!

  3. Grace Biskie says

    stoppin’ in from fmfparty. love your words here. Am actually just making the connection that I read about you in How They Blog newsletter. Nice to put those 2 together!

  4. Stephanie Spencer says

    “Whatever the new day holds, I want to walk firmly into the present with
    my hands held open to the gift of the Father – the One who knows my
    past, my today, my tomorrow, and exactly what I need” Yes. So beautiful. Glad you were able to feel that in your present circumstances.

  5. Tonya says

    Oh tears here for you friend. Weeping tears of joy. I will never forget that day! I am so grateful, over the moon grateful with such rejoicing for you. That right there in the middle of your “ugly” you found beautiful… the grace of the cross. And I am so happy that you have been able to see God’s provisions through all of it. Still praying, hard kneeling prayers for you friend… that God would continue to show you immeasurably more. Love you more than you can know! {hugs}

  6. bluecottonmemory says

    Just 4 weeks – surrounded by your family, saved by God – He is indeed our Knight in Shining Armor – rejoicing for your deliverance – rejoicing your strength in Him:)

  7. Crystal says

    He closes doors because He loves us – and I’ve discovered doors He held wide open for me that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise!

  19. Crystal says

    I could not walk this road without my biggest cheerleaders. You keep my feet pointed in the right direction, offering life-sustaining sweet words and kindness.

  27. Lori Harris says

    I love this post Crystal~ I had the same feeling yesterday, about how when a door closes I tend to feel unloved by God, not remembering that the closed door is closed because He loves me. Thanks for the beautiful reminder!

  28. Mia says

    Dear Crystal
    It is just amazing how our Pappa God answers our prayers! Even when it is a no, or quite another solution than what we thought best, He always works everything for our good!
    Blessings XX
    Mia

  31. Natalie Hart says

    Thank you for these thoughts on “present” as gift — whatever it was that happened 4 weeks ago, I’m glad you could accept the gift of rest; that can be one of the toughest to take.

  32. Shannon Wheeler says

    Praise God for His faithfulness and His way of seeing your circumstances, meeting you there and bringing you out of the stuck spots and into the freedom of right now!!!! Thank you for sharing this and glorifying God through your writing. I’m smiling as I read this (and I haven’t even had coffee, so that’s really something). Have a blessed day, girl!

  35. Jenny/Alisa says

    Crystal, “God knew that I was stuck, and He released me.” There is so much truth to that…so often we try to solve things on our own forgetting that the day to day HE is with us. He is ready to catch us when we are weak, mend us, and make us whole. Have a great day friend! ~Jenny

  36. Barbie says

    “Whatever the new day holds, I want to walk firmly into the present with my hands held open to the gift of the Father – the One who knows my past, my today, my tomorrow, and exactly what I need. I want to walk forward in confidence, carrying with me this legacy of redemption.” And that, my friend, is enough! Wow, so powerful!

  37. Holly Solomon Barrett says

    Lovely thoughts, Crystal! I love God’s work of redemption that he does in all of us.

  39. Karrilee Aggett says

    I love that He has shifted your perspective in such a short amount of time – and that you have let us come along on the journey with you! Praising Him with you, sweet friend! This is so good!

  40. Kelly says

    He is so good, isn’t He? You can never be wrong if you trust that His ways are better that yours.

  42. Positively Alene says

    Oh that I might remember moment by moment that I’ve been given such a gift — a present in the present! YOur words bless and stir, as always girl! I’ll walk firmly into the present with you — side by side if you’d like. Have I told you I”m kind of a scaredy cat.