Susan Gillespie
Hello Emmaus Community,
Happy New Year! Let me introduce myself. I am Susan Gillispie and I have the blessing of serving you this year as the Chrysalis LD. I have been married to Joe for 29 years and we have 3 sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and the cutest granddaughter on the planet! We own a landscaping/lawn business here in Lubbock and that keeps me on my toes most days.
As I sit here at my desk on this January 1st I am reflecting on this past year and looking forward to this New Year. I hesitate to make the typical list of resolutions as I have done in the past. You know the typical lose 30 pounds and get healthy, read the Bible in a year, declutter my drawers, etc. Why you might ask….because I always seem to fail at them before February 1st. But I do want change this year…I want change but what should that look like and how do I make those changes? What is it really that needs to change in my life?
That’s a hard question but no doubt one that God has already answered for me. It’s really neat to see how God will speak to you; maybe it’s through a sermon; through prayer; through a silly Facebook quiz you know the one from Dayspring asking what your 2018 word will be; and of course, through his Word. Over the past few days all of that has led me to this phrase of change for me; Simple Humility.
I hear God telling me simplify. It’s more than a to do list to check off. The answer is so simple I have missed it. I was reminded yesterday from my pastor that the best way to embrace the New Year is to grasp the One Thing…Psalms 27:4 says One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. Simply behold and gaze on the beauty of the Lord. How? Simply by seeking Him, abiding in Him, beholding Him, and believing Him. Why? So that I may see Jesus as He is and see everything else through Him.
So where does the humility part come in…I haven’t always been a huge fan of that word then I looked up the biblical definition of the word. Oy! The biblical definition of humility is living in total submission to God. Simply, I need to get myself out of the way. Everything we want or ever need is in Him. All our answers to our problems are in Him. Simple humility. He is the answer to every resolution I could try to commit to.
So what change does Susan need to make this 2018? Simple Humility. Simply live each moment in the submission and awe of my God and his beauty. My pastor is beginning a new sermon series next week and I am super excited about it. It’s titled Soul-tending. And when I read the scripture reference for the series I got ultra-excited. Maybe it’s because of the landscaping reference and that being my profession but really it’s simply because I am excited about walking this 2018 in simple humility and ready to see the growth God has for me and for you. James 1:21 (Msg) In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.
Join us in praying over the Young Women’s Chrysalis #42 that starts this Thursday evening. Join us for sendoff, Community meeting, and Saturday for Candlelight. I am excited to see the soul tending that God is going to produce in each of these team members and caterpillars.
Fly with Christ,
Susan Gillispie
