make sure you answer. God first called Samuel’s name when he was a young boy. It changed everything for everyone around. Samuel listened for God all of his life and had an incredible journey from anointing kings to advising them. Again, this is a drawing based on work by photography by James C Lewis.
I remember it was in between the first and second service when the worship pastor pulled out a flip chart in the center of the worship team. It was not what I was expecting. Normally we do this thing where everyone checks in and tells what God is doing in their life.
He said to us, he wanted to do something a little different because he cared about our relationship with God.
He drew a circle. He placed an x inside the circle. He placed another one outside the circle. He said many people do church like this. The X on the inside represented people who came to church regular. Served and participated. They were doing good works. They were checking things off the list of the things they had been taught to do.
People on the outside of the circle were not into serving or coming every time the church was open. They were not considered one of the in-crowd people. They were thought to be far away from God.
On the other side he wrote God. He put an x close, then one far away. He drew arrows pointing the x toward God. He said it is not so much that we are serving but serving is good. He asked are you doing what you are doing with a heart for Jesus or checking things off a list?
He asked if we had a heart for the things God has a heart for. It was more than coming to church every Sunday. It was more than serving and giving. It was about what kind of heart do we have for God. What heart motives our relationship with God?
He challenged us to check our heart’s motives. Is our life and service drawing us closer to God?
As a result, I have been asking God about my heart towards Him. He has been answering. I have found him in places I wouldn’t have under ordinary circumstances. In revisiting old things, He has shown me Himself in a new way.
This past week, I watched the movie Paul, the Apostle of Christ again. One thing this movie does well for me, is shows how to love in a hard space. Watching Christians being burned alive or sent to face wild animal attacks in Nero’s circus reminded me that true Christians never have it easy. Yet what absolutely sold me was the word of God being an active participant.
Now the only thing that changed in my second viewing of this film is me. I watched as Paul continued to stress this love. I still don’t understand it, but I know it is important to God.
My challenge to you is that there is something stirring deep within you. Ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart for Him. God has promised that his love is longer, deeper, wider, and much higher than anything we can imagine. There have been moments this week His love has taken me into the stratosphere. There have been some moments when it just wrecked me. His love is great.
I double dog dare you to ask God to show you His love.
James C Lewis, an international photographer, created a series of images of people from the Bible. I was inspired by his images and have drawn the ones that I like the most. This month we will turn back time follow some of mt favorite bible people. The first one is Jesus.
Remember that maps are designed to tell where things are. A map gives you an idea of the distance between one thing and another. It also tells you of all the possibilities.
Color in the spaces on your map by putting your feet into action. Go places and learn what it has to offer. One of the things I love about traveling the US is the rich history of each location. Every place has it’s own story to tell.
Part of this journey is making those stories your own. I still have 15 states out of the 50 to see visit. Many of those states are in the great northwest. I look forward to the adventure.
Understanding how your space works for or against you is important to getting things done. Which room is the one where you get the most done? Where is the space you relax?
Design it. Give each space a purpose.
When you are going somewhere, map something out so that you will have a sense of where you are going. A map will give you a landscape of what you will encounter on the way so that there are no big surprises. It will also tell you how you will travel and how much ground you will cover.
When I start fleshing out an idea, I map it out. Since I am a visual person, there are little shapes here that hold small ideas and big shapes there that hold big ideas. The whole thing will become my response to the journey that I am on.
Your map doesn’t have to look like everyone else. It just has to tell you the information you need when you need it. It can be a representation of items to remind you what you need to do.
It can show where you start and how far you have gone. It will give you a visual representation of your journey also reminding you of what you have been through. Sometimes at the end of the year, we review our progress and it doesn’t seem like we have done much. It may seem like we stay in the same place for a long time, but we forget about the times we go up high mountains or down to deep valleys. We should account for those times and think about what we learned in the process.
If you know where you at you can judge the distance to where you want to go. Spend some time assessing where you are. Think about the good things
Always remember. Honor it. It made you.
Honestly, there are some days I don’t get me. But when I visit home it becomes clear. Crystal.
My hometown is Fort Worth, Texas where the west begins, but still stuck in the old south. It had great chicken fried steak and sweet tea. There are good schools that pass out fine educations. I went to school with some of the best and brightest.
In high school, I got to interview Alan Bean, Astronaut from the Apollo 12 mission for the school newspaper because he was a graduate from the same school. I remember this moment because he made all of the other media wait and gave me the first few minutes of his time. It made a lasting impression.
For many years the city was gerrymandered so that Republicans could maintain control of government positions. I lived in an African American neighborhood south of downtown Fort Worth, and my congressional representative was a physician who lived in South Lake, one of the richest neighborhoods in the state. There were no town halls with him but I did learn that I lived in a food desert, which is an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or fresh food. This neglect made a lasting impression.
It is still a city plagued with racist ideas because the current leadership does not appreciate what marginalized voices bring to the table. The majority still believe that electing a sheriff that kicks out immigrants is the way to fix our problems. The majority believes electing officials who cover up abusive police officers is the way to handle problems. It is making a national impression.
Knowing that I come from this type of environment makes me cautious because some things I might think are normal, are probably racist. Some of the things I have learned to live with, I probably should not have.
So look at where you come from because it will definitely affect where you are going.
We pack all of the things we need for a trip: clothes, shoes, accessories, tickets, gadgets and their chargers. We spend lots of money or find the greatest bargains on flights, hotels, and cruises. Yet many of the things we need to take, we do not.
I know that I am guilty of it. Many times I take a trip to relax and do everything but relax. And do I come back rejuvenated? No, I usually need a vacation from my vacation. I come home worn out because I have crammed so many things into the time period.
This journey has taught me that there are some things I need to include along the way. I have learned that rest, balance, peace and patience help me rejuvenate. Having these items make the journey less of a chore and more of an adventure.
I have learned not to treat a journey like a 50-yard dash, but more like a marathon. This means I need to bring things that will give me staying power. The things I have shared with you this month are those things. Remember to tuck them in your suitcase for your trip.
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