Lord,
How do I begin to explain the words of my heart? You never cease to amaze me with the fingerprints you leave on situations that let me know you were there, thinking of me.
Some of the most impactful books I have read in my life, aside from the bible, have been spontaneous purchases from the clearance rack of the bookstore. The first was Divine Nobodies, a few years ago which I haphazardly bought for a friend's birthday. When I got home from the bookstore though, I was overcome by curiosity of what might be unfolding in this book. That night, I read the whole thing (for my friend's sake, of course:) before gently packing it up to gift. Little did I know, that book would transform how I viewed the people that God places on my path in life. It humbled me to see people as fellow journeyers and teachers in this adventure of life, no matter where they came from or where they were headed. I cannot begin to explain how this paradigm has allowed me to experience so much joy in the everyday person I encounter. Of course somedays I am better at seeing it than others, but essentially it changed my view and how I relate to others.
Now, a few years later, I was scurrying around the local christian bookstore to get a few odds and ends for a retreat with youth at my church. Sitting silently on the shelf was a book called Love Does--a steal at $5. Interestingly enough, months before I had seen the same book at another store for a much higher price and regretfully placed the book back on the shelf after an intensive internal debate on want vs. need. So anyhow, the last week as I have been delving into the book, I am just enthralled and challenged.
Lord. Can you please help me to be someone who "leaks Jesus" like Bob explains? Lord, you know that lately I've been going through the motions. Longing for excitement or newness or something..anything... to spice up life a little bit. And yet I haven't made any steps. I go to work, church, gym class, coffee with a friend here or there...and then I come home. I come home and I sit and wonder and hope that maybe life will change if I just wait.
The biggest thing I needed to hear was that adventures with you, may require seasons of waiting. But waiting does not mean inactivity. It means walking in faithful action, acknowledging that the story of our lives is a part of a much grander adventure when we walk it with you. Lord, starting today, I will be more open to putting myself out there....to not just sitting on my bed waiting for something to happen while my spiritual muscles atrophy. Nothing brilliant or amazing or fun ever happened while just sitting and waiting.
Lord...can you ignite me with intentional focus and a humble heart to seek out the opportunities for adventure that have been here all along? I want these stories to point back to you...to point to the fact that is only because of YOU that everyone can be apart of the great adventure.
Lord, I pray that just because the storyline of my life is different than I would like right now, that I won't discount the overarching plot that you have already written for my life and the plan you already wrote for its unfolding.
Lord. I want to pray courageous prayers and tonight I ask, Can you show up in my mundane everyday? Can you give me your eyes to see the beauty in the everyday? Lord. Can you show me that I am not alone--even when things get a little lonely? Can you remind me of the importance of taking initiative?
As I think back on my clearance book purchases, I find it ironic. Typically clearance books are the ones that are outdated, didn't sell well, or the store just overstocked and now needs to prepare space for new books. So they decrease the monetary value in order to make space. But what I've found most, is that monetary value does not speak to the eternal value of the wisdom and truths of these book.
What would happen if I took inventory of my heart? Might I find some hidden gems, that may be of eternal value for someone else who God has been preparing space in their heart?
Lord...I am going on a great adventure with you. Lead me to the unexpected book shelves of life that may allow me to meet you face to face in the often discounted stories of others. I pray that you would show me the deep value and worth that stem from these stories.
You are good God. Always Good.
Thanks for that!
A.
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