God of Seasons: Part II

As we transitioned from Fall to Winter, I wrote about a season of my life that was also shifting (Click HERE for the earlier post)--I had prepared myself for a season of quiet, intimate, intentional time with God:  time to sit at His feet and have him reach into my heart to mold it in preparation for what was to come.   That is, in fact, exactly what happened.  I feared it would be painful.  It was.  I worried I'd grow restless.  I did.  I believed that in the midst of all my imperfection, God's sweet, perfect plan would be worked out in me.  It has been.

I spent the winter studying the life of David, a person whom I have come to love dearly--I'm a fan now.  I can't wait to spend time with David in heaven!  I'm struck by many things about him--I'll not babble on here about the many things about David that make me love him...we can have coffee sometime and talk about all that.  The one thing that truly stands out to me about King David is his imperfection--this celebrity of both Jews and Christians--this role model, this "man after God's own heart" was just as imperfect as anyone you'll meet.  In fact a case could be made that his great godliness and virtue was matched only by his imperfection. 

Murderer
Adulterer
Liar

This alone isn't the message God seems to be sending me, because it isn't a surprise that God often chooses imperfect people to carry out His will.  The message I hear over and over and over again is this:  David was imperfect ALL THE WHILE.  He didn't stop being imperfect when God chose him to be King.  He didn't stop being flawed after he was crowned.  He didn't stop being a broken, sinful man...EVER.  And God still used him.

For too long the enemy has successfully convinced me that I can't be used until I'm "fixed."  That I can't do "kingdom work" until I've done away with any and all sinfulness, forever.  He's smart, that Satan.  He knows God wants to use me--that I'm willing and eager to be used.  He can't convince me this isn't true, and so instead he just says "well, not yet."  And this has worked up to this point. 

Not any more.

I'm never going to be any less imperfect than I am now.  The day will never come when I will "have it all together"  This is true for us all.

But what is also true is that every GOOD thing, every strength, every talent, every ability--I already have it.  God created me to do His good work and I have every tool I need to do just that.  The time to put those talents and abilities to use for God's good work is  NOW.  No more waiting.

This weekend I had a sweet opportunity to spend time with the Church family at First Assembly in Benton, worshiping under the leadership of Dennis Jernigan.  I've long been a Dennis Jernigan fan, and, as you might expect, the evening was super sweet...God moved in a very real, tangible way.  It was a treat!

And sure enough, halfway through the service I reached up to wipe tears away from my eyes and guess what my hand came back with?  Yup:  about 4 eyelashes.  For the next hour I continued to pull them away, as I have so many times before.   The seasons are changing, and I'm ready to move into the next one.  God, help me to walk humbly and with the purest of intentions as I step out into the next season you have prepared for me.  Thank you for giving a front-row seat to see what you want to do in my life and the life of those I love! 

In Him,

Mikey

"...Since way back in Philly..."

I got to take a little time away from my "real life" this weekend and visit some dear friends in Abilene, TX.  Sweet Sally Gary was my ever gracious host for a weekend filled with brownies and belly laughs.  We saw a movie.  We sat around playing music.  We shared meals together.  Pretty sweet.

Now, back in the daily grind of everyday life feeling refreshed and renewed, I find myself thinking back on my weekend away trying to figure out what exactly it was that has renewed me so much--If I can figure out what we did that brought such renewal, maybe I can incorporate elements into my daily routine, and the need for renewal won't be so strong in the future.  Alas, it seems that the "getting away" was a big part of it--the perspective that comes from stepping back and looking at the world through a more objective, less blinder-bound lens.

And I find myself smiling.  It was sweet to get to spend time looking at life through a wide-angle lens.  The movies, music, and meals were all punctuated with conversations about life.  We all shared--laughing at times and crying at others.  We shared our stories, the events that brought us to this place, together.  I got to tell about life as a child in rural Arkansas.  I got to recall and recount the time that I spent living on Camac Street in the heart of Philly.  I got to describe life in Seattle, travels in Europe, heartache, hurt, etc, etc...  Sure, our stories often weren't about much more than missing a flight or loosing a tooth or getting a new job--but telling those stories, sharing my life--that was significant to my renewal because it helped give me a sense of perspective.

Thank you, God for dear friends you given us to laugh and love with.  Thank you for showing us, just when we need to see it most, how you've always been with us and always loved us.  Thank you for perspective.