Into the deep water

Calling is a deep knowing of where God has chosen each of us to plant our lives for His glory. We long to know our callings because we find our life purpose in that knowing. Many people struggle for years sorting through the stack of what they wanted for their life versus what God wants. Even confused, after realizing our life path was designed to be planned by God and not us. But, the moment we experience the place God has for us, a calm and crazy stirs in us.

A deep peace comes in knowing, “this is the way, walk.” We aren’t floundering anymore. We are out of the stagnant pond. We are moving and that moving has purpose. We are existing for something more than us.

In the “yes, let’s go for it” we don’t often acknowledge or realize the pain, challenge and difficulty that awaits our obedience. The call will impact friendships, fiscal use, hobbies, and time investment. A realization of calling is a squashing of our selfishness. It’s not about us anymore. It is for Him, from Him and about Him.

Sometimes the days seem long and the hours hurt. Lack of control is a powerful catalyst to fuel our brokenness. Our hearts know that we know that we know, this is the way. But, some days the way looks scary and thorny and unappealing and we realize we must walk a path we would never choose on our own.

Perhaps the day we wander into the briers is the day we really embrace the crazy, the day we say, “ok, Your way,” instead of the wide circle we could take to avoid the mess. Then in the middle of that jungle, we come alive, alive in a way we have never tasted life before. Why? Because we only have one way out and that’s to follow. We can’t see the end, but we know we can trust the One who leads us.

The feeling of depending on Christ and the realization that if He doesn’t help us, we are totally screwed, breathes this magnificent life into our souls. We are willing to face tears, uncertainty, trials and challenge because we get more of Him and He’s promised it all has purpose and that we can trust Him.

Somehow in a calling, we insanely trust Him. Insanely. When the numbers are negative and people hate us and no strength is left, the pursuit remains sure. He girds us up. His light is enough. His faithfulness is our shield. His love is our hope.

We wake up and find ourselves crazy in love, in love with Jesus. We can’t get enough. His Word is our food. His creation is amazing. His people are our people. His presence is our comfort. His Spirit is our guide. We’ve realized we can’t escape Him. He’s more than a love affair. We can’t stop talking about His greatness and goodness and mercy and loving kindness. Our fragile is accepted. Our sins are forgiven. Our path is perfect.

He’s not offended if we have a bad day. He chills there with us, waiting on us as He teaches us how to wait on Him. He listens to our rants and our grumbling and He doesn’t hold our humanness against us. He refines us a little more today than He did yesterday. He knows the heat we can take, more than we know it ourselves. He’s got us and He is leading us, cherishing us and ministering to us. We are consumers to His never ending grace.

Oh and the calling, it’s a series of amazing. Amazing grace to His story. We see Him in all of it and we wonder why we fight surrender. The surrender is actually where the freedom lies. We aren’t held captive, we are set free. The Bible comes alive to us. “This I know, that God is for me.” (Ps 56:9)

We begin noticing Him in the toilet paper and the peppermint mocha creamer. We delight in the almost thrown away burgers and the dinner party that ran late. We cherish the unexpected visitor and the late night listening. We can’t believe how He tells us what to pay and where to give. We know His voice. We wait for God alone. He is intimately involved in every detail of our lives. Our home is His. Our work is His. Our kids are His. Our transport is His. Our time is His. Our money is His. Our life is His.

Thank you Father for the calling on our lives. The race is hard, but the victory is clear. We will not quit. We continue forward by Your power and Your strength.

2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.”