Unlike everything else around me that IS overflowing, somehow my words and thoughts haven't been lately. I'm going through a dry spell. God is definitely working in me and blessing me but in the last two months it has been with a very internal purpose. Things that others wouldn't necessarily understand or receive a blessing from hearing or reading.
God IS good. His love DOES endure forever. I'm having to learn about love, growth, change and lots of other hard stuff recently. We were so bless to have Barry Steed from Little Chapel Church (my home church) come and minister to us last night. My heart is overflowing from what was felt in the house of God last night, but I can't put it into words. It comes out in tears or in a smile wider than I've smiled in a long time. I'm sure that seed will bear fruit soon and I'll have something to say but right now all I can say is for everything there is a season and God's timing is perfect. And I'm perfected in Him. And so are you so just hang in there.
I do want to share something from James McDonald that comes at an appropriate time. As Barry said last night, the earth is shaking. All these disasters and all the hardship is painful to even watch, let alone experience. McDonald's "Weekly Walk" article this week was titled, "Will I Get Through This?" I know so many are asking themselves that question today and so many don't have the faith and hope in a savior to give them the comfort that they will. That is what makes me saddest today. So many are lost just beyond our doorstep and our church parking lot. How do we bring them in? How do we love them enough to get out of our recliners and bring the gospel? I'm still searching for these answers. But in the meantime I want to share this article with you at http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/ministries/walk-in-the-word/broadcast/will-i-get-through-this/#divAudioPlaylist-tab . This happens to be the audio version but you can sign-up on his site to receive the weekly email too. I download his podcast to my phone and often listen when I'm exercising. He has some good teaching. Be blessed.
Showing posts with label waiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waiting. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, July 12, 2010
Speed
My daughter loves to watch the movie Cars where a little race car learns the lesson that people are more important than fame and that sometimes you must slow down to enjoy the good things in life. The first word spoken in the movie is, "Speed."
I'm reading a book now called "In Praise of Slowness." It isn't necessarily a Christian book but it does offer many ideas that appeal to the life of a Christian. The author is french, I believe. He says he got the idea for this book when he was waiting for a bus. He is the father of a toddler and writes that he was locked in the nightly tug-of-war over the reading of bedtime stories. His son wanted stories read at a meandering pace with attention to detail. Honore' (the author) would try to stear his son towards the shortest books and read them at a lightening pace in order to get this process finished up so he could return to email and other pressing things on his agenda.
Honore' was delighted to run across an article while waiting for the bus advertising a book called, "The One Minute Bedtime Story." A collection of traditional themes condensed to a 60 second format seemed like the perfect solution. He was about to hit the purchase button on Amazon when he says revelation hit, "Am I completely insane?"
It is this kind of reality that I'm beginning to find in my own life. My days have begun to resemble choreographed sets where if even one event or task is off by 5 minutes the entire schedule must be adjusted. Multiple changes of clothes must be packed in the car in the morning to accomodate the days events without a "wasted" trip home. Lunch hours are not spent as a break but as an opportunity to get one more thing done. Honore' sums it up well in his book when he describes:
"Tempted and titillated at every turn, we seek to cram in as much consumption and as many experiences as possible. As well as glittering careers, we want to take art courses, work out at the gym, read the newspaper and every book on the bestseller list, eat out with friends, go clubbing, play sports, watch hours of television, listen to music, spend time with the family, buy all the newest fashions and gadgets, go to the cinema, enjoy intimacy and great sex with our partners, holiday in far-flung locations and maybe even do some meaningful volunteer work. The result is a gnawing disconnect between what we want from life and what we can realistically have, which feeds the sense that there is never enough time."
Wow! That pretty much sums it up for me. And probably a lot of people I know. I could even take out some things like vacations, clubbing, sports, cinema and television and still feel like there isn't enough time. Speed is becoming an adiction for our society I think. I'll admit I've had a euphoric feeling of victory when I've conquered a hellish weekend full of activities that would make most cry without dropping the ball. There is a feeling of accomplishment, but at what cost?
At this break-neck speed what is being left behind? I'm not lazy. I'm not tired or burned-out. I'm not complaining about all the wonderful opportunities I have in my life. But I might be crazy. I might be deluding myself that just because I can do all things before me that I really should. Or that it really is a good thing for me or the ones I'm serving.
I guess what I'm looking at is quality. Or as Jesus would put it, fruit. John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." The fruit of a half-listening, over-stimulated, under-rested, overbooked, clock-watching Christian is probably not what He had in mind when He said, "fruit that will last." So how do we know what to do and what to leave? Seek God. Read Jesus' words. Pray to the Holy Spirit for direction. Wait. He will show us where the fruit needs to grow and He will cut out the things that bear no fruit.
My prayer lately has been, "Lord, shine a light in me. Find my dark places. Those things that I want that mean nothing to you." He will do this. He will show us the branches that bear no fruit. What freedom comes in the cutting off of dead wood! How much more room there is in our little clay pot (2 Corinth 4:7) for the filling of the Spirit when the dead fruit is removed.
I'll quit with one last thought from Honore's book, if you think you don't have enough hours in the day, check this out http://www.sleeplearning.com/
More info on Slowness at Honore's website http://www.carlhonore.com/?page_id=6
I'm reading a book now called "In Praise of Slowness." It isn't necessarily a Christian book but it does offer many ideas that appeal to the life of a Christian. The author is french, I believe. He says he got the idea for this book when he was waiting for a bus. He is the father of a toddler and writes that he was locked in the nightly tug-of-war over the reading of bedtime stories. His son wanted stories read at a meandering pace with attention to detail. Honore' (the author) would try to stear his son towards the shortest books and read them at a lightening pace in order to get this process finished up so he could return to email and other pressing things on his agenda.
Honore' was delighted to run across an article while waiting for the bus advertising a book called, "The One Minute Bedtime Story." A collection of traditional themes condensed to a 60 second format seemed like the perfect solution. He was about to hit the purchase button on Amazon when he says revelation hit, "Am I completely insane?"
It is this kind of reality that I'm beginning to find in my own life. My days have begun to resemble choreographed sets where if even one event or task is off by 5 minutes the entire schedule must be adjusted. Multiple changes of clothes must be packed in the car in the morning to accomodate the days events without a "wasted" trip home. Lunch hours are not spent as a break but as an opportunity to get one more thing done. Honore' sums it up well in his book when he describes:
"Tempted and titillated at every turn, we seek to cram in as much consumption and as many experiences as possible. As well as glittering careers, we want to take art courses, work out at the gym, read the newspaper and every book on the bestseller list, eat out with friends, go clubbing, play sports, watch hours of television, listen to music, spend time with the family, buy all the newest fashions and gadgets, go to the cinema, enjoy intimacy and great sex with our partners, holiday in far-flung locations and maybe even do some meaningful volunteer work. The result is a gnawing disconnect between what we want from life and what we can realistically have, which feeds the sense that there is never enough time."
Wow! That pretty much sums it up for me. And probably a lot of people I know. I could even take out some things like vacations, clubbing, sports, cinema and television and still feel like there isn't enough time. Speed is becoming an adiction for our society I think. I'll admit I've had a euphoric feeling of victory when I've conquered a hellish weekend full of activities that would make most cry without dropping the ball. There is a feeling of accomplishment, but at what cost?
At this break-neck speed what is being left behind? I'm not lazy. I'm not tired or burned-out. I'm not complaining about all the wonderful opportunities I have in my life. But I might be crazy. I might be deluding myself that just because I can do all things before me that I really should. Or that it really is a good thing for me or the ones I'm serving.
I guess what I'm looking at is quality. Or as Jesus would put it, fruit. John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." The fruit of a half-listening, over-stimulated, under-rested, overbooked, clock-watching Christian is probably not what He had in mind when He said, "fruit that will last." So how do we know what to do and what to leave? Seek God. Read Jesus' words. Pray to the Holy Spirit for direction. Wait. He will show us where the fruit needs to grow and He will cut out the things that bear no fruit.
My prayer lately has been, "Lord, shine a light in me. Find my dark places. Those things that I want that mean nothing to you." He will do this. He will show us the branches that bear no fruit. What freedom comes in the cutting off of dead wood! How much more room there is in our little clay pot (2 Corinth 4:7) for the filling of the Spirit when the dead fruit is removed.
I'll quit with one last thought from Honore's book, if you think you don't have enough hours in the day, check this out http://www.sleeplearning.com/
More info on Slowness at Honore's website http://www.carlhonore.com/?page_id=6
Monday, June 28, 2010
Waiting for the picture to clear up...
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
I've known this scripture for years and I've heard it preached on for many years but I don't think I really understood what it means until now. (Actually, I probably still don't fully understand what it means. You'll see why in a minute).
As I've thought about how we wait on God and look for His plans, His direction, I realize that it is a difficult thing. I think we are used to a model that goes like this...I have a need. I pray for an answer. Then one of two things happens, I either don't recieve a quick answer and move on to other needs and stop praying for that one or I latch on to the first thing that comes along that might resemble an answer and I consider the case closed. Sounds about right, doesn't it.
Here is where I feel like the picture begins to get fuzzy. Recently in my own life I've seen some opportunities come along that looked very much like an answer to my prayer. They would have fulfilled the need I had at the time and they seem like very reasonable, good opportunities. So what is the problem, you might ask.
Well, even though my normal instinct would have been to jump on these opportunities like an ant on a cheese cracker, I felt something deep down that said, "Wait". I'm thinking to myself, are you crazy? Here is your answer. Here is your way out of this struggle. But I still felt that voice saying, "Wait." So I let that opportunity go by. This has happened 3 times now for the same need. I've seen a possible answer but it hasn't been God's answer. This is the first time in my life I have been presented with possible answers to prayers that I realized weren't God's answers. They were my answers. Man's answers.
I'm reminded of this scripture in Isaiah 30:19 & 21:
How gracious he will be when you cry for help!...Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
This gives me a promise to hang on to when I'm unsure about God's plan or His path. He will be like a voice behind me saying, "This is the way: walk in it."
Of course, now I'm really wondering how many times in the past I've gone down a path that wasn't really provided by God. I probably even gave Him credit for it and He's saying, "You came up with that one. You didn't wait on me. I had something even better planned for you. I had nothing to do with that."
So, where does the fuzzy picture play into all of this? Have you ever seen one of those optical illusions where in the middle of the page there is a small image, but as you widen your gaze you actually see that it is just a part of a larger image. Maybe you see a lion and then when you back out it is really a portrait of an old man? I tried to find one somewhere to illustrate but I didn't have any luck.
I think this is us as we are waiting. We finally get wised up and prayed up enough that we can see the smaller image. We see the lion and we think, "That is it. I've figured it out. I know God's plan." We accept that answer, good or bad, and then move on to other things. We are totally oblivious to the bigger picture - the bigger plan. Sometimes we need to wait a little longer. Pray a little longer. Be a little more sensative to hearing that voice from behind us telling us which way to go. We may never see the bigger picture.
The opening scripture said, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror." We may not ever see the whole picture clearly until we are in the heavenlies with the Father. And I think that is why we have to try harder to wait on His plan. If we go off on our merry way with only the vision of the smaller picture to guide us, we may take the wrong opportunities. Only by waiting on that voice behind us can we know we are taking the right opportunities. Staying on God's plan.
I've known this scripture for years and I've heard it preached on for many years but I don't think I really understood what it means until now. (Actually, I probably still don't fully understand what it means. You'll see why in a minute).
As I've thought about how we wait on God and look for His plans, His direction, I realize that it is a difficult thing. I think we are used to a model that goes like this...I have a need. I pray for an answer. Then one of two things happens, I either don't recieve a quick answer and move on to other needs and stop praying for that one or I latch on to the first thing that comes along that might resemble an answer and I consider the case closed. Sounds about right, doesn't it.
Here is where I feel like the picture begins to get fuzzy. Recently in my own life I've seen some opportunities come along that looked very much like an answer to my prayer. They would have fulfilled the need I had at the time and they seem like very reasonable, good opportunities. So what is the problem, you might ask.
Well, even though my normal instinct would have been to jump on these opportunities like an ant on a cheese cracker, I felt something deep down that said, "Wait". I'm thinking to myself, are you crazy? Here is your answer. Here is your way out of this struggle. But I still felt that voice saying, "Wait." So I let that opportunity go by. This has happened 3 times now for the same need. I've seen a possible answer but it hasn't been God's answer. This is the first time in my life I have been presented with possible answers to prayers that I realized weren't God's answers. They were my answers. Man's answers.
I'm reminded of this scripture in Isaiah 30:19 & 21:
How gracious he will be when you cry for help!...Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
This gives me a promise to hang on to when I'm unsure about God's plan or His path. He will be like a voice behind me saying, "This is the way: walk in it."
Of course, now I'm really wondering how many times in the past I've gone down a path that wasn't really provided by God. I probably even gave Him credit for it and He's saying, "You came up with that one. You didn't wait on me. I had something even better planned for you. I had nothing to do with that."
So, where does the fuzzy picture play into all of this? Have you ever seen one of those optical illusions where in the middle of the page there is a small image, but as you widen your gaze you actually see that it is just a part of a larger image. Maybe you see a lion and then when you back out it is really a portrait of an old man? I tried to find one somewhere to illustrate but I didn't have any luck.
I think this is us as we are waiting. We finally get wised up and prayed up enough that we can see the smaller image. We see the lion and we think, "That is it. I've figured it out. I know God's plan." We accept that answer, good or bad, and then move on to other things. We are totally oblivious to the bigger picture - the bigger plan. Sometimes we need to wait a little longer. Pray a little longer. Be a little more sensative to hearing that voice from behind us telling us which way to go. We may never see the bigger picture.
The opening scripture said, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror." We may not ever see the whole picture clearly until we are in the heavenlies with the Father. And I think that is why we have to try harder to wait on His plan. If we go off on our merry way with only the vision of the smaller picture to guide us, we may take the wrong opportunities. Only by waiting on that voice behind us can we know we are taking the right opportunities. Staying on God's plan.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Waiting
For the bible study group this will be a preview and extension of tonight's lesson.
Wait. This is a word I've been hearing from Jesus the last few weeks loud and clear. We hear these phrases all the time, "I'm just waiting on God" or "I'm waiting on an answer." Even a commonly quoted verse is Isaiah 40:31:
31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
For a long time I would have said that I'm a person who "waits" on God. I pray about His plans for me. I try to discern through the Holy Spirit the right choices. I try to find His plan for me. Sometimes I've even followed the Holy Spirit into decisions I wouldn't have made on my own power or that maybe didn't seem logical to anyone else and I believe I was blessed for it. So why don't I feel like a seasoned "wait-er". Well, an assult on my thinking in the last few weeks has made me realize that I'm still missing a lot of what it means to wait. It is more than what we rationalize in our minds that waiting should be. So what does it mean to wait???
First, when I was exercising at the gym a couple of weeks ago I put on a podcast from James MacDonald. I love my smartphone btw. Having all these resources available when I have a little free time is very uplifting. But back to the topic, I started listening to a series called "Powered by the Holy Spirit" and it was a study of the chapter of Acts. In the first chapter, he was referencing verse 4 where Jesus tells the disciples to "wait" for the Holy Spirit (which they don't but that is another study).
Jesus says, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."
The gift He was talking about was the Holy Spirit.
In this study, James began to question what it means to wait. He gave the example that even though we are sitting at a red light in our car, we might not actually be waiting. One online definition of wait is To remain or rest in expectation.
I've been at a red light. I've seen others at red lights. How many of us, when the light changes, will give the car in front of us a little "honk" if they don't move within 6 seconds? Or maybe we are fussing and cussing to get moving because we are running late and the car in front of us isn't in the same hurry we are. Are we really "resting in expectation"? No way. We're planning, scheming, multi-tasking, fussing but we aren't really waiting.
So if we apply this to our time of "waiting on God" for answers, resources, directions, we probably aren't really waiting either. This is where my conviction began.
Maybe our lack of waiting doesn't look like the impatient driver at the red light but maybe it looks like this...
Scenerio: Your family is at the realization that you need or want a new vehicle. So you begin to look at cars online. You start driving through the parking lot looking. You ask all your friends and neighbors if they like their car. You decide what color you want. You decide what features you can't live without. You spend a lot of time on the car payment calculator. You decide how much you can pay. Now with all that decided you begin to pray, "Lord, if it be your will, please send me an '09 Ford Taurus with 20,000 miles in red or blue and it can't cost more than $250 per month. This is me. I've done this. Maybe not in so many words, but I've had all my plans laid out in my power and then asked God to bless it and say it is ok.
So what is the problem with this? Maybe nothing? Maybe we're just being good stewards in considering what is practical (this was always my reasoning)? Except, maybe we are missing what God really had planned. Maybe He really wanted to give you a raise at work to pay for a bigger car so you could help pick up your neighbor kids and take them to church too or because He plans to bless your family with another child. Maybe His plan was for something bigger and better but because we already decided on what we thought was possible, acceptable or desireable, we totally cut off His ability to provide for us. We didn't wait. We planned, we schemed, we decided and then we asked God to get on board. What if we did wait and started with prayer first? Who knows. Only God knows.
This is really hard. This goes against everything that comes natural to us. I'm so overwhelmed by this. I have so many thoughts on this. Too much for one post or one bible study lesson. I have so much to learn. I plan to share more on this subject soon. Be blessed.
Listen to James MacDonald at: http://www.walkintheword.com/Broadcast.aspx
Wait. This is a word I've been hearing from Jesus the last few weeks loud and clear. We hear these phrases all the time, "I'm just waiting on God" or "I'm waiting on an answer." Even a commonly quoted verse is Isaiah 40:31:
31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
For a long time I would have said that I'm a person who "waits" on God. I pray about His plans for me. I try to discern through the Holy Spirit the right choices. I try to find His plan for me. Sometimes I've even followed the Holy Spirit into decisions I wouldn't have made on my own power or that maybe didn't seem logical to anyone else and I believe I was blessed for it. So why don't I feel like a seasoned "wait-er". Well, an assult on my thinking in the last few weeks has made me realize that I'm still missing a lot of what it means to wait. It is more than what we rationalize in our minds that waiting should be. So what does it mean to wait???
First, when I was exercising at the gym a couple of weeks ago I put on a podcast from James MacDonald. I love my smartphone btw. Having all these resources available when I have a little free time is very uplifting. But back to the topic, I started listening to a series called "Powered by the Holy Spirit" and it was a study of the chapter of Acts. In the first chapter, he was referencing verse 4 where Jesus tells the disciples to "wait" for the Holy Spirit (which they don't but that is another study).
Jesus says, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."
The gift He was talking about was the Holy Spirit.
In this study, James began to question what it means to wait. He gave the example that even though we are sitting at a red light in our car, we might not actually be waiting. One online definition of wait is To remain or rest in expectation.
I've been at a red light. I've seen others at red lights. How many of us, when the light changes, will give the car in front of us a little "honk" if they don't move within 6 seconds? Or maybe we are fussing and cussing to get moving because we are running late and the car in front of us isn't in the same hurry we are. Are we really "resting in expectation"? No way. We're planning, scheming, multi-tasking, fussing but we aren't really waiting.
So if we apply this to our time of "waiting on God" for answers, resources, directions, we probably aren't really waiting either. This is where my conviction began.
Maybe our lack of waiting doesn't look like the impatient driver at the red light but maybe it looks like this...
Scenerio: Your family is at the realization that you need or want a new vehicle. So you begin to look at cars online. You start driving through the parking lot looking. You ask all your friends and neighbors if they like their car. You decide what color you want. You decide what features you can't live without. You spend a lot of time on the car payment calculator. You decide how much you can pay. Now with all that decided you begin to pray, "Lord, if it be your will, please send me an '09 Ford Taurus with 20,000 miles in red or blue and it can't cost more than $250 per month. This is me. I've done this. Maybe not in so many words, but I've had all my plans laid out in my power and then asked God to bless it and say it is ok.
So what is the problem with this? Maybe nothing? Maybe we're just being good stewards in considering what is practical (this was always my reasoning)? Except, maybe we are missing what God really had planned. Maybe He really wanted to give you a raise at work to pay for a bigger car so you could help pick up your neighbor kids and take them to church too or because He plans to bless your family with another child. Maybe His plan was for something bigger and better but because we already decided on what we thought was possible, acceptable or desireable, we totally cut off His ability to provide for us. We didn't wait. We planned, we schemed, we decided and then we asked God to get on board. What if we did wait and started with prayer first? Who knows. Only God knows.
This is really hard. This goes against everything that comes natural to us. I'm so overwhelmed by this. I have so many thoughts on this. Too much for one post or one bible study lesson. I have so much to learn. I plan to share more on this subject soon. Be blessed.
Listen to James MacDonald at: http://www.walkintheword.com/Broadcast.aspx
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