Saturdays are for the boys.
(God and me)
I sit in a hammock, shaded by bamboo armed with thorns like an army of spears as the birds hop from twig to twig through the sharpness, singing their gentle songs that glorify the Father.
Today is void of much obligation, hours lay ahead to rest. My only responsibility is giving a sermon tonight at chapel. These hours will be spent with God, in thanks, and questions, and conversation.
The past few days I have been sitting in the wind and rain of a storm in my mind and heart, in my spirit. As the lightning struck and the thunder roared, God held me still, and He showed me how to persevere. In the past, I would have sunk into the muddy ground, fighting to escape the storm but going nowhere.
But God has lifted me to His firm higher ground. On His foundation I sat in the storm and called out to Him. In His perfect faithfulness, He provided a way to persevere. He gave me friends to speak to and receive prayer from, strength to shed light on the darkness and choose truth in vulnerability, and a clear mind to press into prayer with Him and His purpose for this storm.
Storms bring life. God shows me this today, as I sit in His presence and desire nothing but more of Him. He shows me His beauty in His natural creation, He shows me His love in the vibrant lives in this village of His children, and He shows me His steadfast glory in the ways He is always teaching me.
As I sit with Him, all distractions removed, everything left points to God and His glory. He is telling me to “write.” To write down my every thought and prayer to my Lord. To thank Him for His mercy, deliverance, and constant salvation. To sing Him a song of praise for His goodness, beauty, and perfect orchestration of His loving will in His kingdom. To brainstorm and seek guidance in how I can intentionally love my teammates and use my God-given gifts to better serve them. To remember the gifts He has given me and how I am called to use them to bring God glory.
The Lord has been showing me how to do these things better. He has changed my perspective and focus to one that better serves His kingdom and glorifies Him. He is showing me the reality of how peaceful is the heart that trusts and obeys Him in complete surrender. He has showed me that I spent too much time trying to change my own life instead of letting go and letting God.
He has asked me to consider things more carefully. This has revealed to me how narrow my focus has been, and it has revealed to me how much I have missed because of it. The good news is, God is perfectly faithful even when I am not. He still makes everything good for us even when we miss the mark because He cares less about what we are doing and more about who we are becoming.
God has shown me that I lacked vision. I had no idea where my passion should be aimed in fulfilling purpose in His kingdom. I had no idea of what I truly valued. I had no idea what I considered success to be. So I asked Him.
He helped me arrive at this,
God’s frame of success for me:
1. I want to seek and obey God’s will more often that I miss it or pass on it.
2. I want to be a respected reflection of Christ to those who know me best.
3. I want to inspire others to love God will all their heart and make the most of what He has given them.
As I pursue closeness with God, I know He will help me get closer to this success for His glory.
