Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Conversations on paper

I have made mistakes and I have been afraid - I have felt alone - Then you called my name - Things were crashing loudly - Happening all around me -But you´re still small voice Was all that I could hear - I am here - I´m holding you - You´ll make it through this - I am here I am here - Whenever you run away - whenever you lose you´re faith - It´s just another stroke of the pen on the page -A lonely ray of hope is all that you need to see a beautiful history - Well I have been such a fool when I have known the truth - I´ve wasted so much time Doing what I want to do -I´ve been living solely for myself and myself only - but your still small voice is whispering -Whenever you run away - whenever you lose you´re faith - It´s just another stroke of the pen on the page - A lonely ray of hope is all that you need to see a beautiful history - I toss and turn and scream - I try to do everything with two feet on the ground - I just keep falling down again - I feel so far from home -Completely on my own - and then I hear you say - I am here I am here - Whenever you run away - whenever you lose you´re faith - It´s just another stroke of the pen on the page - A lonely ray of hope is all that you need to see
a beautiful history



It's a scary thought - willfully giving EVERYTHING over to be used by God. This past weekend I heard Donald Miller speak about ideas presented in his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and it seems it's taken me this long to really process it all. But one thing he really talked about - apart from living a story worthy of the One who wrote us into being - was about really working on a relationship with God - and not just a static realtionship, but one where we carry on conversation, where we invite God into our lives to actively participate.

I have to agree with Don - if we're waiting for God to step in and dictate every action - we're going to be waiting a while. Our relationship with God is more of a suggestion than a dictation... I guess.

In all of this - it got me thinking about how I've been waiting on God for a year now... I've been waiting for God to put me in a job, to tell me where He wants me to go...and obviously it's not working out!
I've been passive - waiting for the push in the right direction.

One part of Don's "sermon" that really hit me - the conversation with God idea - it's not new to me. I remember Jim Burgen preaching the same concept/idea at 608 services when I was in college - the whole idea of inviting God into our daily lives.
But the idea that God wants us to be happy - that God created us to desire companionship - that God created us WITH DESIRES...
He talked about the "job hunt" in a way - making it sound more like God asking us..."well, what do you like???" "Where do YOU want to go??"

The idea that as long as I bring God glory is all well and good - but how much glory can you bring God from the living room sofa??

I don't think I'm making myself very clear - I've got all of this stuff in my head...and I can't seem to get it out - it's a little frustrating. But, I have this feeling - that maybe I should be a little more proactive in my search for God's purpose in my life - or maybe I mean My Purpose in God's story....

Sitting at the jewelry store isn't really something I desire...and I feel like God's waiting for me to do something...
I feel like...maybe God's sitting back...waiting for me to get a clue....
I don't know

I'm sitting here not knowing what to do - wanting to know what God wants me to do - and the whole time God's asking me what do YOU want to do. He's put passions in my heart - desires for creativity, for music, for writing, for reading, for relational ministry, for mission work, for outreach...
and i have all these things i'd love to do - but I'm scared.
I have thoughts and dreams...and I feel like I'm waiting for God to do something so I can do something...but it doesn't seem to be working out. I want to go places, I want to meet new people, I want to travel, I want to learn to play music, to be someone I used to be and never really was...all at the same time.
I want God to direct me...
but maybe I'm waiting for something that isn't going to come.

I've played with ideas - grad school (seminary, MFA programs...), local part-time jobs, local full-time jobs...none of it seems right. My desires...my wants don't fit -
I had an idea - something kinda huge - something I'm too afraid to put out in writing - to vocalize - because...if I do it'll make it real...it'll make it something that may have to get done...and I may have to do it. And maybe God has given me the idea because I'm the only one who can do it - or I know the people who can help me do it...but if it's even a real option to consider...it's frightening. And as much as I want to feel like Lucy Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (I think I can be brave enough!)I feel more like Lucy in Prince Caspian (I wish I was braver!)

Saturday night, after Donald spoke, the worship team came out and sang a song - it's that song that I've posted above and below - "Beautiful History" by Plumb. It spoke volumes to me that night - and tonight as I heard it in the car driving home. It just seems to hit me where I am right now - that scared - wanna be brave - don't know where to begin - kinda place... That place between know where I need to go but not knowing how to get there - that place between feeling alone, but knowing that I'm never alone...that place where living a story means having to write one, but not having the words to describe it




1 comment:

  1. I don't know if I recommended this book to you before, but you should definitely read "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung. It's about decision-making and waiting for God.
    I know what you mean about waiting - it's hard - but I think if you're feeling like you should take some action, then I say, pray for wisdom, and then do it! :)

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