Uncategorized

Continuing to read in McManus – Chasing Daylight

[Henry Blackaby’s] insight that we should look for what God is doing and then get in on it has moved us to greater obedience.  Yet I think it’s important to add that while God has been working in human history since He breathed life into Adam, there are many things yet to be done, and beyond this, many things yet to be begun. 

There may be another question that needs to be asked beyond “What is God doing?” and that is this this:  “What is God dreaming?”  Is there something that God wants initiated and He’s waiting for someone to volunteer?  In Isaiah the Lord said to His people, “Open your eyes! I am doing a new thing.  Will you even be aware of it?”  (Is. 42:19)

In every movement, no matter how big or small, someone went first.  Isn’t the essence of spiritual leadership someone who is willing to follow God first and closest?   (p. 53)

I am reading Erwin McManus’ book called Chasing Daylight:  Seize the Power of Every Moment. 

He begins the book by calling us to chose to live.  “Somehow we all know that to play it safe is to lose the game.”  The emphasis is on opening our lives up to God through Jesus, and in so doing we can live our lives wide open.   Lives wide open one moment at a time.  Don’t get stuck in a moment, live beyond a moment and make this moment a choice.

Be like Caleb from the Bible, who in a moment of truth for his life says (Joshua 14:10-12):

Today I am eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. ¹² So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

In the second chapter, we hit the thought of initiative.  Don’t be passive, but be passionate.  Don’t live in neutral.

This is the point at which I sat up (actually I was riding my exercise bike!), as McManus made the point:  “To put it crassly, when you are madly in love with God, you can do whatever you want.  I am convinced this may be the best contemporary translation of Psalm 37:4” (p. 50).

“There is a direct relationship between passion and initiative.  The more passionate you are, the more proactive you will tend to be. . . Here’s where the dilemma lies:  this can actually be paralyzing for a sincere follower of Jesus Christ.  You don’t want to passionately do the wrong thing.  You desperately want to do what’s on God’s heart, not just on your heart.  Here’s the liberating reality:  when you are passionate about God, you can trust your passions.   God uses our passions as a compass to guide us.” (p. 50)

Now, I can hardly wait to read the rest of the book!!

Awakening this morning meant hearing the wind.  Not just a little bit, but one of those “big bits!”

Accompanying the wind was a small bit of snow.  Just enough to cover the driveway and the sidewalk.  As I shoveled, I realized that this was not the usual direction of wind.  Instead of heaving shovelfuls of snow into the wind, the wind was assisting me.

All fine and well if I was not on a corner lot.  The wind began to find ways to enter my parka.  A sneak breath of cold air here.  An unexpected pinch there.  Nothing you couldn’t handle.  If you only stayed outside for a few minutes.

I quickly wrapped up the morning’s exercise and got back inside.  Thankful that this was not a full blown blizzard, although full blown it was! 

I live in a country where the heat was on when I stepped inside.  The shower will be warm.  And I can drive on roads that are cleared.  After hearing a story of gypsies in Romania this past Sunday, I want to be sure my mind and heart both give thanks for all I have. 

A little breeze can blow in a reminder of a hurricane of blessings!

Last night’s conversation was along the lines of timing.  Being engaged with a distance between means that the quick face-to-face is four hours one way!

But F2F (now I’m starting to get into the texting mode here!!) is important.  Skype or Google+ are helpful, but more often than not distracting for me.  I have trouble when a voice is not always synced with the mouth that is speaking.  I might as well just phone!  Of course, some days it can work well, but others . . .

So, yesterday meant that we tried to set up some times when we would be together over the next months prior to marriage.  Our rule of thumb (I’ve wondered if there is a rule of the toe!) is to try twice a month to touch base.  Setting these dates to coincide with special days – grads, Valentine’s Day, Easter, etc. – gives another reason to be together.

Now, with the scrap of paper in hand, I will try to put this into a calendar.  Not sure everything will come together, but best to plan ahead.

I wonder if other areas of life sometimes get left behind because we don’t plan ahead.  When the pen comes to paper – or is that keyboard ends in a spreadsheet – action often follows! 

At least that’s the way I find life!