Deep Calls to Deep
Well,
sometimes it’s a breeze. Sometimes it’s
a gale. My boat is small and the waves
can be fierce, but I trust the Captain, although I struggle at times to do so.
In the Breeze I can sometimes, barely, feel a whisper, “Deeper. Deeper still.”
The coastline is ever-changing. Coves and inlets appear farther away. Familiar lighthouses diminish. Friendly boats veer off on their own courses while new ones join me for however long.
I
am sensing a shift in the ocean floor.
Soundings indicate the continental shelf I have known so long is gradually
falling away as I journey on. I’m only a
small sailboat. This is a great big
ocean. In the Breeze I can sometimes, barely, feel a whisper, “Deeper. Deeper still.”
The coastline is ever-changing. Coves and inlets appear farther away. Familiar lighthouses diminish. Friendly boats veer off on their own courses while new ones join me for however long.
But
the promise of adventure, of new insight, of distant shores and exotic lands,
beckons. I have tried for a lifetime to
quench those desires and I have failed. I
give in.
I
am no longer content to dally in the shallow lands. My heart is expanding and I must follow as
soul and Breeze intermingle.
Deeper
joy awaits, as does deeper pain. I know this, and yet I cannot, I will not,
delay their coming. LIFE is at
stake. True Life, and True Love.
One
other thing the Breeze tells me, in my moments of hesitancy…
Do
not fear. It will be worth it.
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your
waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By
day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to
the God of my life. (Psalm
42:7,8)
Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
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Voyage of the Dream Tracker
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
I, like Joline, don't have any sailing experience. But the imagery is quite lovely. I love the quote above by Twain. It paints such a powerful picture of the connection between man and the powerful unseen. For a sailor is ultimately at the mercy of the wind and the sea - a captain of his ship, but merely a co-laborer with the forces of nature. But oh, the adventure.
To give yourself to the leading of the Holy Spirit requires a leap of faith. Let's face it, we often have our own plans; sometimes we are rather fond of our plans, or worked hard for them and letting God redirect us can cause apprehension. Here's something I like to keep in mind with Holy Spirit at the helm - He always wants what's best for us -He's on our side. I find the more I get to know who God is, the more trusting I am when he leads me to do things that remind me of jumping off a cliff.
In my life right now, I see Holy Spirit filling my sails for a adventure in writing. I love writing, and although I dream about releasing stories to the masses, it's really been just a hobby. Right now, the Lord is challenging me to consider what it would look like to really take hold of my time and use it to invest in this passion - and to believe Him that beautiful things could come from this journey. Going after your dreams can be intimidating because what tends to live in the realm of imagination is being pulled into reality - an often bumpy transition.
How do you steward what God is blowing on in your life? If you have favor with certain people or in certain situations, consider why God is blowing you into those situations and opening doors. How can you let your light shine there? How can you expand His kingdom there?
And the question the Holy Spirit has been blowing into my heart of late,
"What are you waiting for?"
He's ready to chase a dream or two. How about you?
Thursday, July 25, 2013
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There She Blows!
There were two parts of that experience that I was not prepared for...the silence...and the power. When we had taxied far enough away from shore, the captain cut the motor and literally set sail. It was suddenly SO quiet.
Then, when the wind began to fill the sails, that huge ship with all those people aboard, began to MOVE. Extraordinary silent power! I couldn't get over it.
It was an experience I will never forget, and in reflecting on it this week, it reminds me of the Holy Spirit. If we cut off our own engines, and quiet our very souls, and we allow the Holy Spirit to come...it will certainly FILL us, and we will begin to MOVE with a POWER that is not of this world.
Ahoy, mateys!
Amen.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
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Blown Away
I see those moments as an invitation--an invitation to invest some time with the Father and invite Him to invade my chaos. It's an invitation to worship, to pray, to sit and to wait for the Spirit of God to move. And, when He does, it's as if He blows it all away in just one breath and as I breathe in His presence, things radically change.
It blows me away.
I'm blown away by His ability to blow through my junk and His willingness to do it time and time again. Have you experienced the power of His wind? I invite you to surrender to it and join me in being blown away.
Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
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Course Corrections
Nor do I even intend to throw sailing lingo into this post to dupe you into thinking that I know what I'm talking about.
So let's just get that clear from the get-go.
What I do know, however, is that in order to reach a destination by boat, one must make course corrections along the route. These corrections can be ever so slight . . . seemingly insignificant.
However, ignore them, and one risks drifting off course. Lost.
On the vast ocean.
Not a great situation in which to land oneself.
So while I may not be one for boats, I am one for course corrections.
Remember the lyrics to this song by Rich Mullins?
Oh, God. You are my God.
And I will every praise You. (Repeat)
I will seek you in the morning,
and I will learn to walk in your ways (ay ays . . . haha)
And STEP BY STEP, You'll lead me.
And I will follow You all of my days.
Walking with Christ is a step by step experience. A moment by moment relationship. Blink by blink, even - a phrase I coined years ago when I realized that it only takes us a split second to stray from Him. But unlike people, God is always present. He is THE Navigation. And He will steer us back on course - every time.
Best to check in often and correct as necessary.
Aye, Aye, Captain.
Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.
Monday, July 22, 2013
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Wind in your Sails
Sails in the wind are a beautiful picture of the power that can come from the unseen. And sometimes we need to cast our faith up and see where the Spirit might lead. This week, we share some places in our life that we are currently hoisting our sails, and the lessons we are learning in trusting God in the process.
All aboard!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
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