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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

For I plans for you declares the Lord

When I was young I felt a call in my heart that God had big plans for my life.  This feeling persisted through the years I turned my back on Him, through my conversion and up to this present day.  Since January 2004 I have sought out this plan, running after every possibility that He placed in my path.  Maybe I was to be a revolutionary missionary in the northwest, or a famous blogger.  Perhaps an important advocate in the fight against human trafficking, or perhaps a missionary in India.  I have spent so much time chasing this I am exhausted, so last year I stopped.  I assumed I had missed my chance and my life was just a big waste.

This past Sunday I had an opportunity to share some of my story with someone I had recently met.  As I tried to explain to them the person I was before Christ the magnitude of my redemption story came home to rest.  9 years ago I gave my life to Christ.  Because of His redemption and transformation in me I am no longer the woman I was.  In fact, my life has been redeemed and I am free of the chains that bound me.  I have found value in His eyes and freedom in his love.

This morning they played a song on the radio called redeemed, (you can listen to it Here). I felt a small whisper in my heart say, “your redemption story is the BIG call on your life”.  What freedom in that simple statement.  Freedom from the guilt that I messed up what God had planned.  Freedom from the effort of trying to make it happen on my own.  Freedom in the knowledge that this is what He has for me.  Freedom in the joy that my redemption story is what He has planned for me all along. 

Have you considered that we as Christians may be getting it wrong.  It isn’t about how many people we bring to Christ.  It is about what He is doing in our lives.  Maybe it isn’t about what mission organizations we are a part of, but does our next door neighbor see Christ in who we are.  We all have a BIG call on our lives.  To let Christ have His way with us and be willing to share the way he has transformed us.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Does God want me to be happy?

Does God want me to be happy?

I keep coming back to this question since 5 out of 7 days I am not ‘happy’.  I am loved by the King of Kings and have joy in His arms every day.  He lavishes me with with blessings everyday and I want for nothing.  But Monday through Friday 8am-5pm I hate my life.  I work at a job that sucks the life out of me and so I wonder does God care if I love my job or not. 

I had a conversation with a friend today and it went something like this:

Me:  Does God care if we are happy?

Friend:  Of course God wants us to be happy

Insert long conversation

Friend:  See you are blessed.

Me:  I know I am blessed, but I am not happy.

That is the paradox I am in right now.  I am blessed beyond belief by the gifts my savior lavishes on me daily.  I am even blessed that I have a job and I make good money.  But I am not happy.  Is this happiness just an illusion?  A carrot always out of my reach that Satan keeps me distracted with.  Or is there really something to be said for being happy with your life?  Or is joy in Him all there is?

More questions is all I have, how about you?