Daily Delight
Things were starting to get better. The darkness was feeling more like light, my anxiousness was subsiding, and it felt like a new season was finally on the horizon. While all that may be true, I didn't know what to do with the experiences and situations from the past five months. How was I supposed to process it all?I knew I needed to reflect on what I had learned through the pain so that I could acknowledge God's faithfulness to use even my hardest days for good. So, I decided to read Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller. One particular concept stood out to me. He mentioned how preparing our minds and preparing our hearts for hardship are two different things. I had the mind knowledge to get me through that hard season (ex. Knowing God's promises, theological truths, etc.), but I hadn't been working on letting those truths permeate my heart. When push came to shove, what my mind was telling me about God didn't match what I was feeling, and it caused doubts, questions, and fear.God used that book to reveal to me that the truth you store up in your mind won't be able to comfort you if you don't also have it growing in your heart. After Job endured great suffering he said, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6, ESV). When I read that, so much truth overwhelmed my soul. Everything that I had heard, learned, and retained in memory as a Christian couldn't be refined and firmed-up if I didn't go through hardships and trials. It has been through every season of difficulty that biblical truths have gone from words in my ears to sight in my eyes. My mind and heart have taken one step closer to being in-sync, and I know He'll continue to refine me through every trial that lies ahead.
About the Author
Oliveah Friesen
Oliveah is 21 years old and lives in Ontario, Canada. She loves her relatively small-town life but also has dreams to move to the big city (Toronto)! She recently graduated with her degree in Public Relations, and while she seeks out her next steps she is pursuing her love of writing and branding through various projects.Oliveah is wildly passionate about sharing her faith and journey through life in an authentic and tangibly real way. Her motto is "keepin' it real" and her desire is to encourage women to find freedom from comparison and instead, embrace their identity as Daughters of the King.In her free time, she loves to read, refinish furniture, dance around the house while making mac & cheese, adventure with friends, and of course, write out her heart in Starbucks while sipping a delicious London Fog.You can find her on Instagram here and read more of her heart here.