Monday, October 20, 2008

Out of Options...

I met a stranger the other day. He noted that there is something, just something, about stopping. Stopping at something you were certain about when you first started. Specifically, were you ever sure about something God told you? Where he cut through all your garbage and made you to hear Him? Probably, you were at your worst spiritual state...and therefore, unknowingly, at your most attentive to him. A broken and momentary spiritual giant who heard Gods personal direction.

I have been there a couple of times. Usually it is an answer to prayer for direction. He speaks. And often in very general terms He tells you to go...to do...this or that. So you do gladly and with all confidence and hope. Then somewhere along the way you sense His pulling away. You begin to see that your idea of speed does not reflect the reality you are experiencing. You slow...you wonder...you doubt. You plead. Nothing.

There you are...in the cernter of the weeds where you first expected glorious flowers all about you. Alone. You slow.

You stop. And you harden. You are surrended to your experience where once...some time back, too far back...you were surrendered to Him, trusting.

You are then resolute to create a 'Paxel' kind of state of mind. Where nothing gets to you, where you expect little if anything, and you plod. There is something about plodding that cements your stoppage...a kind of stopping program. This is life...plod...expect nothing...wait the ride out.

Back to my stranger. There is just something about stopping - when things don't turn out. The results were not what you expected, dreamed or hoped for. But the One who set you on your venture...He had results in mind for certain. All He asked was that you move in Him. Do we presume He would want us to stop moving in Him? In what He laid on our heart in such a general way demanding daily trust? No. But the enemy...yes, that is his focused interest. To move on our flesh...to vex...to clog and cloud.

Was there direction back there? You know there was...

"Move in Me writing, fighting for an orphan..."

But all is shattered and hopeless.

"You are called to My purpose."

But where is your power?

"In My Son in you."

That is theology.

"No. Move in Me."

I just don't know anymore.

"Take that with you."

Really?

"Yep. See?"

1 comment:

Charles said...

That was wonderful. It was also encouraging and I needed to read that.

I hope this encouraged you. It's real, rather than Paxel.