Faith

Lately I have been feeling like these series have been costing me quality. I come up with something to talk about and wind up slinging garbage because I have to do so many posts in such a short amount of time. It has been fruitful for a lot of stuff, but I want to keep things fresh, so I’m going to diverge from that and shine some light on a conversation that God and I have been having.

God, I pray You help me get this right.

I’ve been fumbling around in the dark lately. Nothing has been wrong, but nothing has felt right either. Even as I prepare for the holidays, go on trips and take time off, it always feels like I need to be doing more. And as my satisfaction levels have plummeted, I have asked God what I’m doing wrong. His response lately has been related to faith.

You see, faith is about seeing what is before it gets here. It’s about flowing with God’s current even when you don’t see the lake that it leads to. It’s about believing that He has a lake set out for us and that it will be worth getting to. I struggled with this a lot because I grew up on the mission field. I lived in my mom’s lake. But sometimes one man’s lake is another one’s murky swamp. Not all people like all places equally and that’s just fine.

I still don’t know why I had to spend all those years overseas. I don’t know why I went through all those years unhappy. But I do know that all the adults called to be there were happy doing so. Not like it was all a bed of roses, but in a sort of way that says “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” I wish I could give you some first hand experience with all of this, but unfortunately I’m not there yet. For now, this will have to do.

All that to say God doesn’t ask us to live a disappointing life of regret. It may have sad moments, but follow Him and you’ll be alright. And you have to believe in all of His goodness because it won’t always be right in front of your face. And even when it is, you’ll look right past it without faith. Faith is about training your eye to see things long before they come to pass. And we all kind of project into the future anyway, so why not look for a version that’s positive?

But then I have often stopped to ask myself “what’s the difference between this faith business and delusion? I’m not turning into one of those ‘create your own reality’ loonies, am I?” I have been reading a book by Erwin Raphael McManus called “wide awake,” and he talks about dreaming with eyes wide open. That’s the analogy that comes to mind. We are aware of the pain, aware of the loss and aware of all that we are saying no to. But a deeper drive, a sense of purpose, fills us up and compels us to come forth. To make of the world a better place and to make of ourselves better people. 

So let’s take some time to believe that we are on a path, and to get excited about where we might be going. The details might still be a mystery, but we know the mapmaker, and when you get on His path, there’s no turning back.

And if you haven’t gotten on His path, think about giving Him a chance. Have a chat with the BMU (Big Man Upstairs) today and see what happens. Who knows-your life may wind up changing for the better. And I guarantee that you’ll never be the same.

I pray that the God of purpose finds you this day and that He fills you up with divine drive.

Until Next Time

May Peace be your Guide