My Place in this World

Donnie McClurkin and Michael W. Smith sing a beautiful song together called, “My Place in this World.”

This has been a cry of my heart and I think many to find our place here on earth, to belong to a vision and to find purposeful work.

“Show me, I’m looking for a reason, roamin’ through the night to find my place in this world, my place in this world. Not a lot to lean on I need your light to help me find my place in this world.” 

I think part of finding our place comes with prayer and coming alongside of other prayerful people on the same journey. Also being connected to church, family, and community helps.

It’s important to know our gifts, our strengths and our weaknesses.  God can use it all for his Glory.  Perhaps you have found a meaningful place of connection and that is indeed a great gift to be cherished.

If not you can ask him, and I believe He will show you and make that place known to you.  It’s not easy to find, and quite possibly our hearts will never fully be satisfied until we reach heaven, fully given and fully received by the Father.

But I believe there is still hope for us in the here and now.  It’s part of asking and believing that God will make a way and honor our seeking.  

Growth happens!

Growth happens if we are patient.  Spring is the best teacher of this.  We look out our window and see a bare tree and then suddenly before we know it blossoms appear.  As a preschool teacher I have waited and watched every spring for cocoons to shed and butterflies to emerge.  Often the butterflies emerge mysteriously when we haven’t noticed.  Change takes time, but Growth happens. 

Often we don’t like waiting for growth to appear, but when it does we are full of Joy and forget all about the time we have waited. 

Jesus talks about being the Vine and refers to us as the branches.  He tells us, “If you remain in me you will bear much fruit.” John 15:5   Jesus also says, “I have told you this so that my Joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 

Dreams

I thought I heard somewhere deep in my soul tonight, “Your dreams delight me.”  I read somewhere that part of what makes us alive is having dreams.  I wrote somewhere that there is something of the impossible in dreams.  That’s what makes them so amazing when they find fulfillment. 

We are a people full of dreams.  It’s never too late to dream, no matter what age or decade you are living out from. What if you learned a new skill? Or dusted off that old piano? You might resurrect a gift lying deep and dormant in your heart and soul.  Dream, Dream, and Dream again.

I know we probably all have had experience in death of dreams never fully realized.  Perhaps we thought and hoped our life would turn out one way and we would become someone in our youth and now we have hit middle-age.  The good news is this may not be by mistake.  Perhaps God has longed to awake something new in you.  Perhaps he is directing you on another path of your gifting and calling. There could be something in you that you would have never guessed or imagined can happen in your lifetime.

We must listen to the stirrings of our heart.  We must respond and be bold enough to walk in that direction.

Who are you called to be? No doubt God finds you delightful.  Just ask him and be brave!  Take a risk, take a step and Jump!  He’ll be there to catch you.  

Keeping Pace

Sitting and looking out my window is a trend.  I am like a cat on a windowsill on a rainy afternoon looking for some sun.  I see a man and his son, both of African descent walk down my street.  The man has his hand on the back of his son and this image touches me.  The son with his over- sized jacket and backpack walking next to his father; keeping pace.  The son’s shorter legs is trying to keep up with the fast pace of his father’s.  His backpack falls a little off the side of his arm.  They are most definitely heading some place together.  Maybe home from a long day at school and work.  I don’t know where they are going, but they are together; father supporting his son, and son trying to be like his father. 

It makes me think how important it is to keep pace with our Heavenly Father, who walks beside us, who offers us a hand of support, who smiles when our growing legs are trying to emulate the strength and agility of his own.

This image of father and son is one of love and so is a loving God who longs to Father us just as and where we are.  

Trees

If trees could talk, what would they say?  Aged, bark peeled off, mossy.  Yet they provide shade to homes, and become homes to animals.

Rooted and strong, yet can me toppled by a hurricane.  They are a symbol of wholeness and brokenness. 

I was always amazed when God called Nathanael, he said, “I saw you under the fig tree.” (John 1:48) Jesus noticed what kind of tree it was when he called Nathanael.  There was purpose in him noticing.

In Genesis, of the Bible when he warned Adam and Eve, He said, “You must not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for surely you will die.”  (Genesis 2:17)

After they sinned against him, he put up a boundary and said, “You must not take from the tree of life and live forever.” (Genesis 3:22)

If trees could talk, what would they say?  They have been part of our existence from the beginning of time.

Of course the Cross, Jesus died on in His passion was also referred to as a tree. (Galatians 3:13)

There is life, death and calling hidden within the Trees of our existence.  We must go there and not be afraid of what Trees speak to us.

College Days

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  Psalm 119:105

I remember singing that verse as a song back in college when I was new to the Word and to Christ.  

I went to school in Amherst, Massachusetts with its rolling hills and frequent trips to downtown for “Antonio’s Pizza”.  College for me was far more than just getting an academic education.

I remember I would go to the top of the Library, 22 stories high and bring my text books and Bible.

I would end up doing word search after word search of the Bible in study more than my academics.

I would go home back to my dorm filled with the Word. I consumed it.  It became a light unto my path there in Amherst, and still today in Everett.

I may not do as many Word searches today, because the Word is in my heart. 

Often a scripture verse will come to memory and I will immediately look it up. 

It’s usually exactly what I need to hear to encourage and strengthen me in my daily walk.

Starting at the age of 18, and still today at the age of 42, I can honestly say that the Word and the Lord are a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!

Marriage

We start walking together, and he ends up way ahead of me as I follow.  I decide I don’t want to follow; I want to sit down on the beach and feel a little disappointed that we aren’t together.  Should I go back to the car?  I’m cold.  But I end up walking towards my husband’s path.  I can’t see him.  I wonder if I should just go back to the car and wait.  Then I decide to be a little dangerous and climb these rocks to look over at the beach.  As soon as I get to the top, I see my husband walking towards me on the rocks.  I smile, we are walking toward one another now and he playfully pretends that he’s falling.

We meet each other on the rocks, both happy to have found each other once again.  He asks me to lead this time as he follows me at this height.  It feels risky and slightly dangerous up here.  I keep thinking I hope I don’t slip and fall, but I keep on walking.  I tell him that it’s a little scary up here, as I realize I definitely have a fear of heights.

He tells me, “It doesn’t matter how much the terrain changes, you just need to adapt to what God wants you to do.”

I feel bolder and more confident now.  I am grateful for my husband’s wise words and for the God that challenges me to go to new heights and beckons me to follow, and walk towards him.