Freedom is Scary

Freedom is scary; in fact it’s so frightening most of us choose to remain imprisoned. Rather than join God in the moment and trust Him with our future we cling to what’s familiar and what we believe we control even when it’s painful and unhealthy.  Freedom is more than available, it’s God’s desire and we are presented with the opportunity to choose it constantly. So instead of entertaining the same old thoughts, living according to other’s opinions and staying in our well worn rut; take a chance! Follow your heart, live and love in the now!

Yesterday

Yesterday’s difficulties, mistakes or poor decisions don’t have to rule today. It’s a brand new day full of opportunity and new challenges. Don’t let the weight of the past drag you down. Give your regrets to God and trust Him enough to leave them with Him. Each time you take them back for yourself you’re excluding Him from helping and living in the past. He is the God of right now and this is the very time He wants to spend with you.

The Parable of the Sandwiches

One beautiful summer morning a young man awoke early excited to spend some time alone with God. Their time together was out of the ordinary, truly a quiet time not filled with a list of requests but with a heartfelt desire to hear from and join with each other. The young man wanted nothing more than to take his lead from The Lord. God impressed on Him to go into the kitchen and make some sandwiches to take around to homeless folks selling newspapers on street corners around town. He took ten sandwiches and nervously headed out for the day’s adventure.

The young man drove to a busy intersection not far from his house, parked the car nearby and asked God to do something incredible. He got out of the car with a small cooler containing ten sandwiches and ten bottles of water then walked over to an older man with a stack of papers under his arm. The young man introduced himself, offered a sandwich and told the man what brought him there today. The man was fascinated and the two of them exchanged stories for more than twenty minutes. At the end of the conversation the man said he’d asked God just this morning to unquestionably reveal Himself.

Across the intersection was a middle aged woman also selling papers so the young man took her a sandwich and water too. He was still uneasy but very encouraged by the time he’d had with the first man. He once again asked God to stay close and do something amazing. The young man’s time with the woman though different was just as special as the time he’d spent with the older man.

This went on for the rest of the day. The young man had eight more encounters each unique and extraordinary. He was just as moved and heartened through each of the conversations as they had been. Because he was out of his comfort zone, the young man had relied on God for everything that day and upon reflection marveled, eleven lives were touched by a loving, living God and there could be no question that he’d heard from Him.

The next morning was beautiful again; the young man woke up early and went straight to the kitchen to make twenty five sandwiches. He then grabbed a bigger cooler from the garage, put some water and the sandwiches in it and returned to the corner where he’d started yesterday. The folks there were happy to see him; they exchanged hugs, got their sandwiches and briefly reminisced about the day before. He revisited everyone from the previous day and found fifteen additional folks to hand out water and sandwiches to, all were very appreciative.

That night at a gathering of friends the young man told the story from the first day. His friends were touched and had some great ideas about how to do it better. One friend knew someone with a bakery that might be willing to donate bread. And another friend offered to come by in the morning to help make more sandwiches. Each day for the next two weeks the number of sandwiches the young man and his friends made increased. Word spread about the sandwiches, the homeless people and the ministry that took place that first day. Before long they were making over a thousand sandwiches a day, two vans had been donated and when the young man was invited to tell his story people began to send support.

Soon the young man and his friends were able to hire some staff to make and deliver sandwiches. The young man needed to spend his time more efficiently raising awareness and money. The story of the lives that were touched that first day continued to be compelling and a great many people were moved by how clearly he’d heard from God.

But here’s a question for us to ponder, am I racing through life fulfilling the duty God called me to or am I fully engaged in what He’s calling me to join Him in today?

The misunderstanding for the young man in this parable is that he thought God had called him to make sandwiches. It was never about sandwiches; it was always about loving people. That’s what He’s calling us to, daily. Some days there may be sandwiches other days something else. But the most important thing is to take our lead from God. That first day was miraculous because The Lord was leading and the young man was clinging to Him. I wonder what astonishing thing God had for the young man on the second day?

Your best and your same (vs. your different and your truth)

Couldn’t help but reblog this from sethgodin.com

“If someone wants your very best version, that probably means that they’re going to get the same version that you’ve done before, the same as the best version you produced a week ago. If you want the best, it also means that you’re asking someone to repeat what’s come before.

On the other hand, if they want you, right here and right now, it won’t be perfect. It can’t be. It will merely be different and real and in the moment.
The opportunity in any given moment is to share your truth, to light a spark and to leap. But you can’t do that at the same time you’re being perfect.

There is no best jazz performance. That’s why it’s interesting.”

It’s a Beautiful Day

I met a gentleman named Bob and a beautiful lady named Dot the other day. They were out on the porch of an assisted living facility I was visiting. Their joy and appreciation for life was infectious. They told me that the best things in life really are free. They said they couldn’t possibly have asked for a morning as beautiful as this and they marveled at how fresh everything was as a result of last night’s storm. They each took a genuine interest me and freely shared about themselves. They told me to cherish each moment and not to forsake the present for the future.  I want to be like Bob and Dot.

What’s Next?

It’s okay to ask God what’s next? As long as it’s not at the expense of what’s now? Too often we ask Him, “What do You want me to do with my life?” and don’t ask, “What do You want me to do?” It’s easy to put off what God may be saying for another time but God’s promises for tomorrow don’t get started until we hear and respond to what He is saying for today. His future for us is built on the intimacy we embrace now.

A Special Day

Do you remember the best day you and God ever had together? Today could top that if you choose. Or if you can’t think when that was, this could be the day. Right now invite Him to go with you through every moment, ask Him to remind you when you start to drift away and look for His input into every situation you find yourself in. Today can be remarkable if you let it.

A Gift

The greatest gift we’ve been given is the present (pun intended). The only time that’s important is now. This incredible gift is completely unappreciated when we waste today focusing on the regrets or accomplishments of yesterday and is just as misused when we worry about tomorrow. You can only be with God right now and He would love to walk through this entire day with you.

Distraction

Anything that keeps me from being with God right now is a distraction. The most incredible thing is that He wants to be with us all the time. He wants more than anything to be with us in all that we do. No task or moment is too small.