Faith filled adventures
My journey over the past few years has been interesting to say the least. I have felt Gods stir in me to step out in faith in several ways. Some of which I was totally uncomfortable with and drug my feet for quite some time.
Some might say I am discontented, others might say I am an adventurer- Both may be correct. But the one thing I have always found is that when I am feeling “unsettled” God is usually up to something. I have usually felt this “excitement” when I am being led in a new direction, when something in life is about to change, when I feel the need to prepare my body and my heart in some way.
Sometimes our bodies need to be prepared just as much as our hearts need to be. Example- I am flying to Colorado in a few weeks to see my daughter. I want to hike but have been sitting on my butt all winter doing sessions(with clients- I am a therapist) either in a car, coffee shop or home. My body is not in shape for Colorado as this always means hiking for me! Since planning this trip, I have been working steadily to improve my cardio and muscle strength so I can tackle a mountain path without death being imminent.
All this preparing seems like it’s a no brainer when I know that this is what’s coming in the near future. It’s a tangible thing to look ahead and say, I need to get my butt in gear- I know it’s coming. I have always found that exercise was a way I connect to my peace and calm through this brush with God and creation. I would prefer that most of my exercise take place outside but all of us know that in Minnesota that definitely depends on the season. Cold, ice, snow depth, freezing rain…all play a role on whether I get outside or not! Sometimes this means I choose to sit on the couch instead of doing much for physical exertion. Do a couple of months of this and you really are going to look like a bear preparing for hibernation! During these seasons I look and feel soft, weak, and not ready for much of anything besides my next cuddle in a blanket with a book or the next episode of something.
This restlessness I spoke of earlier…what if this is a sign to prepare yourself, but right now you don’t know for what? Is it physically, mentally, emotionally…what is it?
Is this the type of preparedness I want to have if I am feeling restless? During these seasons, what type of exercise should I be doing? Maybe it is on the treadmill. Maybe it’s with diving more deeply into Gods word to see if He will show me what’s next. Maybe it’s increasing my patience so that I am a skillful “waiter”. What indeed is a “skillful waiter”?
Sometimes this waiting is painful- if it’s for physical healing for ourselves or for a loved one. Maybe our pain is not in our bodies but in our minds. Is there a person in our lives that is causing us distress? In our waiting for God to change someone else, are we looking to Him to change us? Are we wandering around in the desert, we think, because of someone else but really, it’s us? Is this change we are looking for, in another person or is it in ourselves? The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah. He is “lamenting” God’s people being overthrown and taken by the Babylonians, but It looks to me like he is also looking for God to reveal truths to him about himself.
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
We wait in hope –
Do you sense something new happening in your life? Do you want something different? Even if you don’t feel it now, it’s always a good idea to keep your heart prepared for change because it’s a guarantee.
Often, we’re called to stand our ground when the pressure mounts, but many times we need to take a risk. Do you feel restless where you are? God may have planted a divine desire in you to serve Him in some surprising way. Maybe He’s inspired you with a specific group of people, an idea, a problem, or a place. Maybe He’s calling you to go. Follow that hunch and see where it takes you. Embrace the adventure. The best way to make a leap of faith is to get a good running start.
To go somewhere else, you have to leave where you are. You have to leave what’s known, what’s comfortable, what’s predictable, and what’s easy. To step toward your destiny, you may have to step away from your security.
Who knows where God will take your story if you just let Him? One day, years from now, you’ll look back on your life and see the whole story. What’s it going to be? “I felt like God was calling me, but I was afraid, so I did nothing.” Or will you have a faith-filled adventure to tell? The difference is whether or not you go when God says, “Go.”