[“…there will also be some who are the visionaries, who can see new possibilities and who call for change.” --- Martin Luther King Jr.]
Yesterday, my business lunch date, an editor from a nearby city newspaper and author of several books, excused himself to go to the restroom. I watched him walk from the table and when I turned back to my soup bowl, I was shocked to find a young lady kneeling beside my chair.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt,” she stammered. “But I couldn’t help but overhear the words you were saying, ‘writing, God, India, orphans.’ Who are you and what do you do? These are not words I usually hear around here.”
We talked fast as I tried to give a brief explanation of what she had heard: who I am and what I do. She was totally overwhelmed because her God had been leading her to believe she is to go to India for at least a year and work in an orphanage.
“We have so much here and they have nothing. I can afford to go. I want my life to count for something. But my friends don’t understand and they think I’m crazy. I really don’t know anyone in India and I’m just starting my search for connections.”
I was more than happy to give her my business card, along with a few serious warnings about being very careful as to whom she goes to work for. There are plenty of horror stories of USA college-age girls being taken advantage of when they go to work for some of the orphan businesses (unfortunately many are in it for the money you can bring them).
I could hear the wistfulness in her voice. I saw the excitement and yearning in her body language. I felt her heart motivation to help the poorest of the poor. I am looking forward to getting together with Tracey soon and learning more about her heart-call to India.
As Charles Ringma said in “Let My People Go With Martin Luther King Jr.”: “Discontent may be the first glimmer of light. It may lead to a growing hope that things could be different. And hope may lead to an emerging vision of what is possible. To say to the oppressed that they should not be discontent is to condemn them to the dark night of subexistence. Rather, discontent is the harbinger of hope.”
I also heard clearly that still, small voice saying, “Elaine, this is what I mean by being salt and light. How can I use you in my harvest field right here in your hometown if you are always stuck in your office at your computer? I need you to be a witness here on your island. I need you to bloom right where I’ve placed you – and then I can bless you in all the traveling you want to do.”
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts” (Amos 5:14-15 NIV).
Showing posts with label guidance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guidance. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Don't Look Back
DON’T LOOK BACK
By all means, Jesus cautions us: Don’t look back. It will only make the journey harder.
If we are going to follow him, our lives are going to keep moving and things and people keep changing around on us. Why?
Why must we keep saying good-bye to people we love?
Why must we keep growing and changing and maturing?
Why do we have to keep losing things along the way—our health, our families, and our dreams?
One of the greatest temptations to look back comes from all the hurt we have left behind, hurt that still screams for our attention. Maybe it is hurt we caused; perhaps it is hurt someone else caused. Or it may be a hurt caused simply by the volatility of life.
No one ever continues to learn without recalling the past to some extent. Jesus is not taking the past away from us—but he is making it painfully clear that LIFE always takes us down the road. We must keep moving in order to get there, and allow him to hold the past for us in his loving hands.
There is a reason why we bury our dead. It is, after all, a way of placing them into the arms of God so he can carry them and we can move on. It can be hard to leave behind the life we have enjoyed and to keep moving—unless we really can see Jesus along the way.
The New Jerusalem comes at the end of the story. So, for now, we will always be clearer about what Jesus is asking us to give up than about where he is taking us. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus may take us places where we would rather not go. He may bring gifts into our lives we would rather not have.
Each year of our lives, he will invite us to drop some of the things we are carrying, because these things are becoming too heavy. They weigh us down, and we’re holding them too tightly. Jesus does all of this simply to get us into the new holy Jerusalem, where our salvation becomes clear and perfect.
This is why we put our hands to the plow and do the work we’ve been given to do today. It’s all a way of seeing Jesus. And we’ve got to keep our eyes on him, or we’ll never make it to the Holy City.
Christians equipped for right living are prepared for losses, crosses, changes, and conflicts. They bow low, walk tall, and fight hard all the time. No matter how dark the days we face, we must make it our continual practice to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our world.
Let’s tell Him regularly how grateful we are that He has the final word.
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
By all means, Jesus cautions us: Don’t look back. It will only make the journey harder.
If we are going to follow him, our lives are going to keep moving and things and people keep changing around on us. Why?
Why must we keep saying good-bye to people we love?
Why must we keep growing and changing and maturing?
Why do we have to keep losing things along the way—our health, our families, and our dreams?
One of the greatest temptations to look back comes from all the hurt we have left behind, hurt that still screams for our attention. Maybe it is hurt we caused; perhaps it is hurt someone else caused. Or it may be a hurt caused simply by the volatility of life.
No one ever continues to learn without recalling the past to some extent. Jesus is not taking the past away from us—but he is making it painfully clear that LIFE always takes us down the road. We must keep moving in order to get there, and allow him to hold the past for us in his loving hands.
There is a reason why we bury our dead. It is, after all, a way of placing them into the arms of God so he can carry them and we can move on. It can be hard to leave behind the life we have enjoyed and to keep moving—unless we really can see Jesus along the way.
The New Jerusalem comes at the end of the story. So, for now, we will always be clearer about what Jesus is asking us to give up than about where he is taking us. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus may take us places where we would rather not go. He may bring gifts into our lives we would rather not have.
Each year of our lives, he will invite us to drop some of the things we are carrying, because these things are becoming too heavy. They weigh us down, and we’re holding them too tightly. Jesus does all of this simply to get us into the new holy Jerusalem, where our salvation becomes clear and perfect.
This is why we put our hands to the plow and do the work we’ve been given to do today. It’s all a way of seeing Jesus. And we’ve got to keep our eyes on him, or we’ll never make it to the Holy City.
Christians equipped for right living are prepared for losses, crosses, changes, and conflicts. They bow low, walk tall, and fight hard all the time. No matter how dark the days we face, we must make it our continual practice to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our world.
Let’s tell Him regularly how grateful we are that He has the final word.
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A New Self Can Emerge
"We too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4 TNIV).
"In the midst of change, where previous certainties and securities slip away, a new self can emerge. While we may grieve over what we have lost, we can also rejoice in the new things that we are discovering about ourselves." -- Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan may not take you in the direction you were expecting. It may not "fit" the dream you've seen of your life. But when you trust him and take the next step of obedience according to his will, you can be assured he is working out the plans for your life.
God has said, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16 TNIV).
"There are many events in our lives over which we have no control. However, we do have a choice either to endure trying times and press on or to give up. The secret of survival, whether or not we question God's presence or His ability to help us, is remembering that our hope is in the fairness, goodness, and justice of God. When we put our trust in the character of a God who cannot fail us, we will remain faithful. Our trust and faithfulness produce the endurance that sees us through the "tough stuff" we all face in this life." -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasure of God's Virtues)
God, you're leading me.
With confidence I face my day,
Every duty and interruption
are appointments
you've sent my way.
--Elaine Wright Colvin
"In the midst of change, where previous certainties and securities slip away, a new self can emerge. While we may grieve over what we have lost, we can also rejoice in the new things that we are discovering about ourselves." -- Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan may not take you in the direction you were expecting. It may not "fit" the dream you've seen of your life. But when you trust him and take the next step of obedience according to his will, you can be assured he is working out the plans for your life.
God has said, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16 TNIV).
"There are many events in our lives over which we have no control. However, we do have a choice either to endure trying times and press on or to give up. The secret of survival, whether or not we question God's presence or His ability to help us, is remembering that our hope is in the fairness, goodness, and justice of God. When we put our trust in the character of a God who cannot fail us, we will remain faithful. Our trust and faithfulness produce the endurance that sees us through the "tough stuff" we all face in this life." -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasure of God's Virtues)
God, you're leading me.
With confidence I face my day,
Every duty and interruption
are appointments
you've sent my way.
--Elaine Wright Colvin
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Being In The Place To Find New Direction
"We cannot become what we need to be by remaining where we are." -- Max DePree (Leadership Is An Art)
Where can we go that we will not hear the old and familiar call to do more, to give more, to be more? Where can we hear God's voice and know what he thinks about our life's direction, priorities, and endless activities?
Where can we go that we will be able to hear what our heart is saying? What are the heart changes God is bringing into your life--into my life?
Learning to listen carefully to the inner movements of the spirit and struggling with the question: How do I follow Jesus all the way? -- is a prerequisite to change.
"This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is groping toward an openness that may cause our life to be turned around. Yet hear new things we must! For we cannnot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities that are no longer part of God's direction for our lives and that no longer express our creativity and our central concerns," says Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen).
I believe we can all hear God speak, we can be aware of his still small voice, and we can recognize Holy Spirit nudges. He is more anxious for us to know his will for our lives than we are ready to listen. He is more anxious for us to understand our gifts, calling, and place than we are to change, leave our nets, and follow him.
In that day when we hear "the call to the new" may we answer with the words of Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9 TNIV).
God is not looking for us in a certain place, position, or posture to receive guidance and direction. But he is looking for hearts that long to hear his voice and are truly open when he bids us to "come and do my will." And often we will hear that "still small voice" when we least deserve or expect it. It is God's surprise confirming that he is here for us when we so urgently need him.
"...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13 TNIV).
Where can we go that we will not hear the old and familiar call to do more, to give more, to be more? Where can we hear God's voice and know what he thinks about our life's direction, priorities, and endless activities?
Where can we go that we will be able to hear what our heart is saying? What are the heart changes God is bringing into your life--into my life?
Learning to listen carefully to the inner movements of the spirit and struggling with the question: How do I follow Jesus all the way? -- is a prerequisite to change.
"This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is groping toward an openness that may cause our life to be turned around. Yet hear new things we must! For we cannnot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities that are no longer part of God's direction for our lives and that no longer express our creativity and our central concerns," says Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen).
I believe we can all hear God speak, we can be aware of his still small voice, and we can recognize Holy Spirit nudges. He is more anxious for us to know his will for our lives than we are ready to listen. He is more anxious for us to understand our gifts, calling, and place than we are to change, leave our nets, and follow him.
In that day when we hear "the call to the new" may we answer with the words of Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9 TNIV).
God is not looking for us in a certain place, position, or posture to receive guidance and direction. But he is looking for hearts that long to hear his voice and are truly open when he bids us to "come and do my will." And often we will hear that "still small voice" when we least deserve or expect it. It is God's surprise confirming that he is here for us when we so urgently need him.
"...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13 TNIV).
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Becoming Who We Are To Be
We are becoming who God created us to be.
I believe that my life is more likely to be assessed in the long run by the relationships I invested in than by the success of the organizations and writers conferences I have led, books I have written or edited, or money and things I have accumulated.
I believe you and I have more to do in our lifetime. If God was through with us working for him here on earth, he would call us home.
God is calling us--perhaps to go into new unknown territory this year. And with fear and some anxiety we wonder: Am I ready? Am I prepared for this? Am I walking into deep water that will be way over my head?
We may feel like Moses and need to remember: God's mighty hand will be holding onto us on each step of our winding path on our new journey.
Moses and God had a conversation about the new journey Moses was to take:
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people." And the Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will be fine for you." Then Moses said, "If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place"(Exodus 33:12-15 NLT).
This year we will learn new things and have new opportunities we've never experienced before. God has many ways of leading and guiding us into his perfect will.
Our growth in Christian character and service for him will likely include: new relationships, new places of ministry, new ability to pray, new avenues of praise, new adventures of faith, new steps of obedience, and new ways of expressing his love to others.
May we in all our ways submit to him--and then he has promised to direct and make straight our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
I believe that my life is more likely to be assessed in the long run by the relationships I invested in than by the success of the organizations and writers conferences I have led, books I have written or edited, or money and things I have accumulated.
I believe you and I have more to do in our lifetime. If God was through with us working for him here on earth, he would call us home.
God is calling us--perhaps to go into new unknown territory this year. And with fear and some anxiety we wonder: Am I ready? Am I prepared for this? Am I walking into deep water that will be way over my head?
We may feel like Moses and need to remember: God's mighty hand will be holding onto us on each step of our winding path on our new journey.
Moses and God had a conversation about the new journey Moses was to take:
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people." And the Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will be fine for you." Then Moses said, "If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place"(Exodus 33:12-15 NLT).
This year we will learn new things and have new opportunities we've never experienced before. God has many ways of leading and guiding us into his perfect will.
Our growth in Christian character and service for him will likely include: new relationships, new places of ministry, new ability to pray, new avenues of praise, new adventures of faith, new steps of obedience, and new ways of expressing his love to others.
May we in all our ways submit to him--and then he has promised to direct and make straight our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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