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11.13.2010

Being Blindfolded in an Unfamiliar Room...

God gave me a little analogy the other day, and I thought I had better write it all out before I forgot it and floundered through yet another time of disobedience.

Faith is like walking through an unfamiliar room with my eyes closed and blindfolded. I want to believe that God is at the door waiting for me when I open it, to guide me through. Because I cannot see, nor can I navigate on my own, I must wait for His Hand to guide me, to encourage me. I must be obedient to his prompting, or I'll walk into a wall, or stub my toe on a piece of furniture. I need to be patient as I make my way across the room to yet another room, and so on and so on.

Here's the problem...you knew there would be one, right? I want to peek. To open my eyes and lift the blindfold...just a little. I do not want to wait for the One who loves me more than me (yeah, you read that right) to tell me it's time to see the beauty of the room in which He has guided me. The place He has created for ME.

I have been on this path a very long time and there are times when I am SO ready to be at the end of it. When is Jesus coming, anyway? Couldn't it be RIGHT NOW? It's not easy putting ALL of your faith and trust and hope into some walk-helper. But, I certainly cannot navigate through this room alone...by myself. Without Him.

Every once in a while, He allows a glimpse into the incredible blessing of Him...to see that marvelous Light. How it encompasses and envelopes everything in His path. That Light can be blinding (hence the blindfold) and comforting all at once. And I am perfectly content to let God keep His Hand on my back, guiding me through, gently leading me around every obstacle; even allowing me to choose to "take a peek" once in a while. (Discipline is a part of life, people; and so is disobedience...we all have done it!) His lovingkindness is overwhelming. His forgiveness is beyond what I would care to give to anyone. His peace is unfathomable. His joy is inexpressable. His mercy knows no boundries. And His voice...like a million sweet whispers filled with the most unimaginable beautiful music. At least that's what it is for me.

Oh how I long for the sweet relief of His return...the mighty vindication only His power will allow and only He can provide. I am tired of walking on eggshells...of the "political correctness" Christianity has had to don in order to be at peace with the world. Why? Aren't we supposed to be set apart? In this world not OF it?There is only One God. And His Name is Yahweh. Jehovah. One Jesus. The one and only Son of God. The Christ. The Messiah. One Holy Spirit. The Comforter. It's not Mohammed. Or Buddah. Or Allah. There is NO OTHER NAME to call Him. Because He is not those other names. He is God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Joann.

I don't want to allow the world, or those whom I have befriended in this little part of MY world, to get to me. I realize that compromise is my choice and I am just tired of saying "well, you believe what you want and I
believe what I want." I don't want to compromise anymore. I want those around me to see my faith. To understand that my faith has a name...Jesus.

Ahhh...I have wandered...rambled...all to say that faith is like being blindfolded in an unfamiliar room. You just have to trust that God will guide you as you are obedient to His call...His prompting...his encouragement. I can choose to follow or walk on my own. I think that being obedient to a God who would never force me to be obedient is the only logical choice.

Praise...Worship...For all time.

11.06.2010

Don't Think...

So...I am reading this great book by Mark Batterson called "Primal". It's really very good. I'm not much of a reader, so I would know.

Anyway, I used a quote from him in my FB status today: "Don't let what you think you cannot do keep you from doing what you can." It's from a chapter about giving. It just jumped off the page in nice big letters like it wanted me to pay attention or something.

See, I am on a relaxing mini vacation with my friends. Just for the weekend. We try to do this once a year...the girls shop and watch old movies and the guys go for breakfast and golf all afternoon on Saturday. Not a time of deep thoughts or reflective pondering. Culver's Girl is in her room reading and doing her relaxing devotions and Biker Chick is taking a much deserved nap on the couch about 10 feet from me. That's what it's SUPPOSED to be. Until this year.

I really thought I would write a great blog about our friendship and how close we have all become since the beginning of our relationship and how we love spending time together...laughing, praying, eating, talking...laughing. I said that twice because we laugh A LOT when we get together! And we have done just that so far. Once the guys leave to go to breakfast, us girls just kind of do our own thing during the morning hours and we like it that way. We are all about "we want to do whatever we want to do" and everyone is WAY cool with that.

So...I pick up my book, which I have been reading for a really long time...I think I'm in chapter 3 or something like that. And I'm reading about giving to the Kingdom...all the cool stories about his church and friends he admires who have learned the the concept of giving...you are blessed to bless...and I'm thinking "these stories are so awesome." And then towards the end of the chapter, that line. And because I usually only read a chapter at a time, I was compelled to close the book, get up and stretch and do something all relax-y when I felt the uncontrollable urge to write a blog about that LINE. SO, I went on FB and put it up as my status...not good enough. So, here I am.

You have all heard the old saying "Give until it hurts", right? Well, quite honestly, I do not believe in that. I do not believe that giving should hurt at all. Ever. I agree that we should be giving because HE has given so much to us. Okay...to ME. I know giving is a personal between-you-and-God sort of thing. But, in our little church in The Grove, we really don't talk about the "T" word much. You know...TITHE.

I just want to go on record by saying that the Tithe is one of the most important acts of obedience. I do not tithe because I believe God will bless me, I tithe because I want to BE a blessing and I want to be used by God. Chief is still basically unemployed, so there is no income to tithe right now, but if we have it, we want to give it. And, yes, sometimes giving out of our need is painful (yeah, there-in lies the rub) we know that being obedient is our only option. And that is not always easy.

So, I guess why it hit me hard was because I have been wondering when we would be able to "give" again...out of our "abundance". God wants ME to know that this is all I have. ABUNDANCE. I am SEVERLY blessed, if that's at all possible, and He has kept our hearts and minds focused on Him during this time of "interruption".  Give. And then give more. And as I do, I turn my heart over to Him, growing deeper and deeper in love with Him who gives me more than I could ever give back. This is part of my worship to Him. Honor. Praise. Glorify. Magnify.

Forever.