I love the way God teaches us little by little, and how He walks through life with us instead of just letting us go off on our own. The lessons He is teaching me from the car wreck my husband and I lived through in November continue with each passing day. And as the days go by I am beginning to understand more and more, that God’s desire is not so much that we do any specific thing, as much as that as we listen and learn, draw closer to Him, and obey Him more with each passing day.
If you read my December 2014 JoyNews newsletter (Click Here to read) you may recall that in the car wreck, God very clearly showed me that He was not finished with me yet. He had a reason to keep Paul and me alive ~ He still has work for us to do. He wants us to listen and obey His call because life is short. What an honor and joy it was to hear that calling and feel like God truly has a purpose, even for this 60+ year old woman’s life!
Then as the weeks went by and the healing took it’s sweet time, (we were told that at our age we are in the “slow healing group” ~ ugh!) some discouragement and impatience set in as I lay on my couch day after day after day. While I waited for my ribs and back to heal, anxious to “get back to work,” I wrestled with God, asking why, trying to find the purpose in the waiting, and even struggling to be “thankful in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Almost thirteen weeks later, I now know that God needed that time to slow me down and force me to listen.
You see, I’m a doer. I get very passionate about a cause or a ministry and then I jump in ~ frequently way ahead of God. But this time God seemed to be saying, “Wait a minute Mary! Yes, I have a purpose and a plan for the rest of your life, but if you are going to do My will and obey Me, then before you start, you and I need to get close. You need to pray, and listen, and wait… until you hear my “still small voice” so clearly that you know exactly what I am calling you to do.” And so, forced by the brokenness of my “wrecked” body, I waited. I prayed. I listened. And God drew near to me… what a joy!
Today, I believe I can finally hear God saying “Come on Sweetie, you’re ready. It’s time to get started.” After 13 weeks of resting and recovering and drawing close to God, I am eager to get going and do what God has kept me alive to do!
And yet, I hesitate. I procrastinate. I find myself doing all the day-to-day stuff that needs to be done ~ you know things like bills, dishes, and laundry. But when I start to think about doing the work God is calling me to do, I freeze.
So what’s going on? Have you ever been in this place ~ where you know what God has given you to do, you want to obey, and yet you find yourself distracted, interrupted, fearful, discouraged, and maybe even a bit lazy before you even begin? I confess… that’s where I am right now. I have prayed. I have listened. I want to obey. And yet something (or someone) is trying to stop me. But why does that surprise me?
The truth is, whenever we decide to obey God we will face opposition. The Bible tells us we have an enemy who doesn’t want us to do God’s work. (Ephesians 6:12) The enemy, Satan,
does not want you to comfort that friend with Christ’s love. He does not want you to start that neighborhood Bible Study. He does not want you to join a small group at church. He does not want you to see that Christian counselor with your spouse. He does not want you to spend time in the Word or talk to God each morning.
And the fact is, the enemy uses the same schemes and tactics to try and stop you today, that he has employed since he first showed up in the Garden of Eden. He lies, he distracts, and he whispers fears and discouragement in your ears ~ anything to prevent you from doing that one necessary thing ~ listening to God. (Luke 10:42)
Well, I can tell you, I for one have decided that I’m going to stop listening to all those lies! I am going to obey even when I don’t feel like it. As I lay waiting for someone to pull me from that crushed car 13 weeks ago, I truly believe I heard God saying in my heart, “It’s not time to come home yet Mary. I have work for you to do. Life is short so don’t waste a single day that I give you!” I have decided not to waste another day.
Will you join me in choosing not waste a single day? Will you commit with me to obeying God? If He is telling you to wait ~ wait. If He is telling you to listen ~ listen. If He is telling you to rest ~ rest. If He is telling you to act ~ act. And in ALL of these acts of obedience, through God’s great love and mercy, you will find that His greatest desire is to draw you closer and closer to Himself with each passing day. Wow! What a God we have!
So, since we all need accountability, I want to tell you about just one of the things God has called me to do. He has been tugging on my heart for almost 2 years now to offer a women’s retreat. And now that I have been given another chance at life, I believe it’s time!
Therefore, this fall I will be hosting the first annual (God willing) Joy on Purpose Women’s Retreat here in the Atlanta area. It will be a one day event this year, and although the details have not been finalized, I’d like to keep you informed as the plans for the retreat come together. If you want to be put on the Retreat Information Email List just CLICK HERE to subscribe and you will receive notifications as we make our plans for this exciting event. I would so love to see many of you there!
Finally, if today’s message has inspired you to act on something God has been tugging at your heart to do, I invite you to share it with us here on the JoyBlog. Just click on the “Comments” link at the top right corner of the page. We’d love to share in your excitement and be praying for you in your new adventure! Sometimes telling others our plans or ideas is all we need to help us get started.
God Bless!
Mary
