Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Life is a Journey, not a destination…



We have lived into 3 months, 17 days of this time of sabbatical rest – this time of un-hooking from the USA, our life and lifestyle. God is gracious to have led us here, to experience a similar-language and culture, yet quite different as well. We walk behind Him, not knowing more than this step. Few plans, except those determined by a visa requirement. We advance knowing He may not open that door… or He may.

Our couple-ness is rooted spiritually, reflected by an energized daily commitment to reading the Word, memorizing the Word, and praying together. Can this be us? This is a door of many that God is opening and we enter in and eat. Thank You, Father.

I’m walking a different terrain than Vance; my journey is over the fells of those years in my life where I have lived in darkness. I am “the lost and sick for whom Jesus came to seek and to save.” He made darkness His secret hiding place (Psalm 18:11) and is pretty cool about joining and dwelling with me there. He’s dwelt in those dark rooms of my life several times; I know I was redeemed. He is not having to convince all of me that He loves me. I know that love in my bones. He is walking into my less familiar zones, quietly just sitting alongside in the dark. About the time the ears of my soul tune in, I recognize a nuance of the Spirit, Jesus, sometimes, God--always gentle. Most striking though is the Kindness given to me.

I’ve come to recognize “kindness” as a gift from God that I embrace. I look back… there’s a long road of kindness – a gentle strength that remains alongside for the long haul… for a friend, a dying dog, those unable to speak for themselves, forgiveness of heart for betrayal, sometimes…just the truth wrapped so another hears without being harmed, or simple remembering that causes another to know I truly took the time to see and hear.

Your “Kindness” finds me, Lord. When I have not been able to say “yes” to hard things You want me to do, a well-timed-wind-not–of-my-own-self, but one that I recognize appears. I’m seeing a pattern that I know in my soul ~ the thought You had of me before I was conceived in my mother’s womb. My life is full of moments where Your Spirit imbues refreshing life into me and leads me on down the path of my journey. Father, the days I’ve lived would not have the priceless jewels but for You! Thank You for my tautness of heart!

AS I breathe the air You provide for my life, I live into the moment, the hour, the day unencumbered by the whats, whens, hows, wheres, and whos… when I am weak (and I am)… You are strong… you parcel out strengthening for just that moment… just that circumstance… and the way I was is transformed in becoming more like You… and the design of Your choosing for me increasingly becomes the ground to which I’m lifted to joy-full “yes.” Seen it time and time again over my “increasing” years.

I appreciate the Quiet-You-Are. Thank You, Abba.





1 comment:

Greg Midura said...

...your prose style is some much like you.

Thank-you for sharing for it is like having had a visit with you that has left the feeling of open family warm of years gone by.