You’re full of life now
And full of passion
It’s how He made you
Just let it happen
And He calls each one of us
By our names to come away
And He whispers to your heart
To let it go and be alive…
I remember exactly where I was when He spoke it to me…seated on the floor – (always my spot of choice) – leaned back against the couch, in a living room worship kind of setting – (always my favorite). Crouched on the floor, knees to chest, eyes closed, hands open, heart postured, ready to receive (and admittedly feeling a little dry that evening)…and then He walked into the room…and sat down right next to me…pulled back my hair, tucked it behind my right ear and whispered tenderly to my heart…and the tears started flowing…
At that moment, I experienced such a personal and intimate form of communication with My Maker – *He whispers*.
What a gentle, kind, compassionate God, full of Love and humility that He stoops down low…down to the floor…to take a seat right next to me…to meet me right where I am…
This experience has been in the forefront of my mind for the last several months. I felt compelled to share it in the context of opening up about just a very few of the ways the Lord has been speaking to and confirming His call on my life to be used as a carrier of His Love to the broken, far before I decided to go on the World Race.
I’m admittedly a “recovering perfectionist” as I like to say – I get caught up thinking I need to have the perfect words in just the perfect way to try and express even a fraction of how He’s moved in my life to lead me where I am…but that’s a lie – I’m never gonna be perfect, I’m just me 🙂 All I really want to do is open up and share…even just a taste…
“For God does speak – now one way, now another – …” Job 33:14
The longer I walk with the Lord, the more convinced I am that the sound of His voice can change in the transition of a new season – almost like He speaks the same language, but a different dialect depending on the season of life I’m in. The character and message of His heart is always the same – the closer I am to His heart, the more readily I’ll recognize His voice. The more I listen, the more I’ll hear. I also believe He speaks to each of His children differently, based on the ways He’s specifically fashioned each one of us. He knows how we hear best, the things that delight our heart and just how to get our attention.
The ways that I’ve heard His voice over the years have changed, though I don’t think I’ve lost any of the old ways, I’m just gaining more along the way. One way He’s spoken for many years now is through others in prayer. The following example is one such prayer that I had recorded from about 9 years back. I remember exactly how I felt when I received it – the overwhelming “YES!” in my heart as it was being spoken. The Lord knows us so fully, so well – He knows who we are, and He knows the person that He truly made us to be. And this was the word that was spoken from someone who I had just met…
“For most of your life, you’ve lived with a strong caution in wanting to be sure that things are ‘just right’ before you take a step. You just don’t want to make any mistakes and waste time in your life. You want the things to be right when you step forward. ‘The Lord’s saying, “Come on ahead. You can walk on water. Take the attempt. I’m there. I will reach out, I will take ahold of you.” I see you stepping out on the water and saying, “Oh God, I don’t mind following other people who are stepping out already…” but the Lord is saying, “I want YOU to step out first. I want YOU to take a step out on the water. And even though you would sink at first attempt, keep your eyes on Me and not on the storm, and not on the earthly things and the human wisdom, the things that you relied on in the past. But come! Take a step into the unknown, into what I have for you. Take a step of faith. I have adventure ahead of you Amanda. I have called you by name.”
This word could not be more accurate about who I’ve been in the past and how the Lord has been changing, transforming, and calling me out of my comfort zone to step into the unknown, into adventure with Him.
Another word I received on the same day really resonated with me…
“There’s a tenderness in you; your heart’s very tender, and He just loves that about you. I believe you hear His sighs too – that there’s a gift of compassion, there’s a gift of mercy in you. That you hear the deepest sighs of the Lord …and I believe when you intercede you can literally hear the cries of the orphan and the cries of the persecuted and the cries of the sick. It’s like you can hear those groanings in the spirit for people, and I believe that it wrecks you sometimes. And I believe that it’s a heart in you that says, “Here am I Lord! Send ME!” I don’t know if you’ve been to a third world nation but I saw the Lord taking you someplace and you just holding people, whether that’s kids or orphans, just letting the Lord’s compassion flow through you. And even those sighs, just letting those groanings flow through you and just letting Him minister to people in that way. Bless you!”
These words felt like the Lord was shining light on seeds buried deep my heart that I knew were there but had yet to be developed.
I’ll share just one more recent word I received from a former World Racer. She got back from the Race in August 2017, found my blog on the organization’s website and contacted me, a perfect stranger. Before meeting me, she prayed and asked the Lord what He might want to share from His heart for me about the Race I’m getting ready to embark on. This is what He said…
“Listening prayer – to Amanda” 12/5/17
“You’re walking with the Lord – it is a country road with corn fields on both sides…you’re holding hands.
The scene dramatically changes and you’re in the middle of an Asian jungle (looks like Malaysia to me).
You’re still holding hands, childrenpeak out of the bushes and you play with them.
You both laugh and you feel joy. The song “We Dance” by Bethel starts playing. All the sudden people from every walk of life start to worship in different languages and dances.
You feel intimidated and out of place.
The Lord takes you and starts to slow dance with you like a bride and groom, close and personal. He says, “I’m bringing you on this Journey to bring you even closer to Me, because that’s what it’s about – it’s only about this and our intimacy.”
John 15:4
Abide in Me!
Meet Kori, the World Racer who gave me the word I just shared with you. This pic was taken the first time we met 🙂
One of the things I’m most excited to grow in on the Race is learning a new dialect with the Lord. He’s so creative in the way that He communicates and reveals Himself by speaking through others who don’t know me but who carry and share His heart. I look forward to hearing His voice more clearly and to being used as His mouthpiece to proclaim His Love to others. The Race is just the next step in the journey He started me on years ago, and I can’t wait to keep walking with Him, hand in hand, dancing close, His voice whispering in my ear, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice…saying, This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
…So take me back
Back to the beginning
When I was young
Running through the fields with You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75b0TuNkRk
