My natural gut instinct is to do just enough to get by. If you asked any of my coaches or teachers from back in the day, they would completely confirm this to be true.
Sure, there have been a few areas here and there that I've excelled, but it wasn't due to the sense of achieving something great.
Quite frankly...I'm good with average. I like average. I'm comfortable with average.
Lately though, as I'm learning to more closely walk in the Spirit of the Living God, I'm finding that what He wants me to do, is taking me out of my little average comfort zone. And just when I think I've stepped so far out that I can't see my beloved comfort zone anymore, He JUST KEEPS GOING until I can't even remember where the comfort zone is or was!
And it's good, and it's peaceful...even though it makes no sense.
There's specifics of these things right now...most of which will not make it to the big ole Internet...at least for now.
One thing though, is what I shared yesterday.
Today I got a call from the exchange student coordinator letting me know that our little school district only has 2 slots open for exchange students, and that another program may have already filled them. (This usually doesn't happen this early on) We're waiting to hear back from the principal.
My friend, the coordinator, wrote these words to me:
I believe if God wants you to host this year and have this student that the principal will give us the school slot. After all, He is in control, and already knows!
How true. I don't know the outcome yet. But I do know we took the steps He wanted us to take, and that His plan is so far beyond my wildest dreams that He can only show me a teeny-tiny portion at a time.
I don't have to have it figured out. I just need to be doing what He tells me to do.
We're praying today, that whatever His plan...it would be accomplished...both in this particular situation and in us. It's exciting, really. To just sit back and watch Him work!
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Sometimes (at least for me personally) I find that God has to get me to a point where I'm not just "OK" about something He wants me to do, but excited about it. And then that very thing often doesn't happen, but the issue was not whether or not it would happen - the issue was whether or not my heart was ready to be obedient or continue to be stubborn.
ReplyDeleteLast night my hubby got to preach and he preached on the passage in Luke 5 about the calling of the disciples and he made an excellent point. He was comparing us to empty vessels and stating it's all great that we give ourselves to Jesus, allow Him to speak and teach through us, and honor Him with what we have (in the disciples' case, their time and boats), but sometimes we just have to be willing to go deeper (like the disciples in going out to deeper water). I think that "deeper" is exactly what you talked about - walking closer after the Spirit. I'm excited to go deeper, and it sounds like you are too! :)
Praying for you & your family through this situation and I know whatever happens God will be glorified in it all!
Hello - Love your blog. Loved this post because I'm learning the same lesson now. I've always liked being in control of situations in my life. Right now we're going through some really tough financial times, and it's so hard because I have absolutely NO CONTROL over the situation. I don't know what will happen today or tomorrow, but I do know God is in CONTROL, and we just simply need to hand it over to Him, trust Him, obey Him and let whatever happens happen. I can't wait to see what God does for you and your family!
ReplyDeleteI am a little like Rachel, needing to be excited about something.
ReplyDeleteI am struggling at the present moment because I'm feeling stagnant. Treading water until He says SWIM, or throws me a rope or do I stop treading and let whatever happen happen...
I haven't even felt much like blogging. I feel emtpy on a level I'm not comfortable with, and Maybe that's where HE needs me to be, completely empty so HE can fill me up with whatever it is...
I look forward to hearinf about this journey you've started.
Sounds like you have the right attitude about it and that you are heading in the right direction. I believe God always lets us know what we need to know when we need to know it. He always gives us just enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm an under-achiever too. It's not that I'm always entirely lazy, it's just that I settle or something. Sharing how you're being stretched is inspiring to me. I can't wait to see what God does next. I love what you said about it being so big that you can only see a little at a time (or you might combust :)
ReplyDeletePeace to you, lady.
I can really relate with you here. God has been working on my heart alot this week on going deeper and doing the hard stuff.
ReplyDeleteI love what Rachel said and it is so true. At one point in our ministry, we felt it was time to move on and God was calling us out. But we felt we best "fit" in the southwest and were only looking at churches in that area. God called us out at a conference and asked us to give up our comfort zones. My husband I both did this and within 1/2 hour, a man came up to us and asked us to interview for a pastorate in Ecuador!!! yikes!! But we had just given God our comfort zones and so we said yes. Soon after starting that process, God laid a church in IN in our laps and we ended up there for 8 years. I think He just had to get us to a point of willingness to do whatever He asked and when we did, he gave us an even better path!!!
ReplyDeleteHang in there friend!
That's me, too, girl...right smack in the middle. I've been asking Him more and more for help in that area.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of freeing, realizing that He is in control.
ReplyDeleteSo true. I have also found that sometimes God simply wants you to be willing to do what is out of your comfort zone. Much like Abraham, Isaac, and the ram. To be able to trust Him to bring you through it, only to then not have to actually follow through.
ReplyDeleteGreat outlook! Whatever happens will be according to His plan for you, it will be exciting to see where this all goes. :o)
ReplyDeletePraying with you about this situation. I know how geeked you were to get to host.
ReplyDeleteI'm an underachiever myself, actually.
ReplyDelete"Just doing what He tells me to do"--that, my sister, will preach! :-)