A call to go to a small, dying church to support its pastor. That was three years ago. It seems more like 40 as I find myself in a desert. Holley Gerth's words of wisdom encourage me:
"An idea comes.
A promise is spoken.
A new opportunity comes over the horizon.
“Yes,” we say, “This is what I’ve been waiting for! Let’s go.” So we set out on our journey with high hopes. Then as the miles go on we begin to feel fear nipping at our heels. We start to question…
Is this the way I should be going?
Why is this turning out differently than I expected?
What if I didn’t hear God right after all?
With every question the fear gets a bit louder and our confidence a bit lower. If that’s you today, let me lean in and whisper a truth that you must know: There’s always a desert before the dream.
The Israelites set out for a God-sized dream too. You know how long they were supposed to spend in the desert?
11 days.
That’s how long the journey usually takes.
But they let fear win and as a result ended up wandering for forty years.
Here’s what we can learn from their experience: The desert is not the danger.
The biggest threat is surrendering to fear and letting go of faith.
So if you find yourself in a desert right now then hold tight to what you know is true and press on, friend. The Promised Land is closer than you think.
And you have everything you need for the journey."
So I WILL persevere and have faith - for the moment. Because I sense the call is changing. As the circumstances surrounding the 'call' change, I sense that a new dream is beginning.
This time, it's possibly a dream I've had for a very long time. A dream, not a call.
We'll see.
Over at Good Morning Girls we've been looking at the story of the miraculous catch of fish. These words caught my eye:
"I believe, like many of us, Peter had dreams of his own. Like most fishermen, I’m sure he had a dream of one day catching “the big one!” You know the “one” that would bring in big money and be the talk of the town.
Jesus knew Peter’s dream too.
Jesus set foot in Peter’s boat that special day thousands of years ago not only to teach a lesson for those on shore, or to bring in a super catch, but to change a heart and “cast” a new dream. A bigger dream. A better dream. A God-sized dream.
1. Sometimes we just need to obey
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon (Peter) answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Peter was sure he was the expert in this category…..fishing that is. Sure he had seen Jesus heal his mother-n-law but now Jesus was entering Peter’s world of expertise… fishing, and Peter found out that he really isn’t an expert after all.
Have you allowed Jesus to enter all areas of your life? Even the ones that you feel you are an “expert” in? Jesus doesn’t just want to be involved in the “spiritual” aspects of our lives but rather ALL aspects of your life, spiritual and non-spiritual.
He wants to be involved in:
Our goals
Our parenting
Our relationships
Our finances
Our work inside and outside the home
Our dreams
Our calendar
But in order to do this, we first need to let Him into our “boats” and then obey His orders……whether we understand the plan or not. Remember, Jesus is never going to ask us to do something that is contrary to His Word or His nature.
By allowing Jesus into his boat and obeying His orders, Peter experienced something that before he could only dream about.
2. We are sinners in need of a Savior.
When we allow Jesus to enter our world, we begin to develop a personal relationship with Him by spending time reading His Word and in prayer. Jesus begins to work in our lives and as He does, we begin to realize our sins and our desperate need of a Savior.
Once Peter realized who Jesus really was (God) and who he was (a sinner), Peter was willing to leave everything and follow Jesus.
3. Exchanging our “Me” sized dreams for God sized dreams
I love how Jesus met Peter right where he was at…on Peter’s level, in Peter’s work.
Jesus knew Peter’s “me” sized dream and met it……easily.
It’s almost like He said, “Is that really all that you’ve got?”
Then Jesus exchanged Peter’s “me” sized dream for a God sized dream.
In one day Peter went from being a fisherman to being a man who “will catch men” for the Kingdom of God. I’m sure the years of training Peter had acquired through fishing prepared him for his new occupation as a “fisherman of men”.
Once Peter got a taste of what Jesus could do through his life, it ruined him! He didn’t want to go back! Peter was willing to leave EVERYTHING and FOLLOW Jesus.
What about you?
What God sized dreams is Jesus placing in your heart? Be like Peter, welcome Jesus in, obey what He is asking you to do and then be willing to take action."
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