The Irresistible “Woo”
“Mountains crumble in the presence of those who know how to wait, watch, and then boldly walk through the passage that appears before them.” –Guy Finley
Mike and I don’t fully understand this place we’ve entered; but somehow, in spite of the darkness (or maybe because of it), we are comprehending what aids our trust and are letting go of that which opposes it. God got smaller in our eyes each time our attention shifted to “our part” in procuring change. Real change occurs – and when it comes it’s not optional; it is God who makes the demand for change, engineers the circumstances for change, and supplies the passion to make the change.
We can’t change our heart and the heart is where all true change occurs. We can feel desperate, but we can’t make our desperation real anymore than we can manufacture our own repentance. God is the author and finisher of our faith. We speak, pray, cry aloud, and groan too deeply for utterance but it is always in response to His groaning within us. His presence is irresistible; His beckoning is deafening; His urging irrefutable. He aches and we can’t help but ache in return.
He brought us to this place and insists we receive only what is good and right for us. The circumstances seem bitter but we know they bring better things to come. It tarries, and we wait. The seedling has the right to grow even when we barely see any change in its stature. Hope never fades and love never fails!
Mike and I keep anticipating certain outcomes and time frames. Through disappointment we reach for the irresistible woo of God to trust that an opening will appear in this seemingly solid wall. Yes, we’re sure He’s not asking us to take a pick axe and force an opening! He’s asking us to wait; to watch and see as His providence turns a partition into a passageway. He is getting bigger in our eyes every time we resist the urge to eradicate our own problems.
We stay willing – instead of willful. We wait (even when it makes no sense) and as we wait God is mounting trust (like a steed) and riding triumphantly — establishing our hearts in the fact that He is too big to need anything from us at all. We are the object of His affection. He is silencing the fear of loss by becoming the only thing that matters and that which can never be lost or taken from us. To God be the glory!
We’re Back!
Claudia said the road trip would be a God journey – about far more than the music. Was it ever! From my angle, it was a continued weaning from the false cry for identity, definition, and the labels I’d placed on myself. There was darkness, and in the end… sweet light that revealed God’s right to define me.
I often felt I was in a very dark cave. There by appointment, but uncomfortable none-the-less. The cave was painful. Unable to see, I stubbed my toe and hit my shin; but I couldn’t back up. I had to keep going knowing I might bump my head too.
Darkness tested the paradox between the unalienable right to be myself and the freedom to be nobody at all. The silence hurt my ears but I did not cover them. Shedding pretense was worth losing what I thought was so important. I faced flaws… deep, dark, spiritual flaws; the kinds that mar the character and mask true identity. I was pained until I saw that the obstacles I bumped in the dark were the things I was unwilling to see about myself.
We are back, but the journey continues. Humility severed the need for definition and revealed that I was never undefined. I am who He says I am; Michael too. He calls me a writer; Michael a minstrel. We belong to Him; He will prove Himself through us in the vein of His choosing.
Asia Sells
Asia is becoming quite the “road dog.” Check out my new gallery section to see Asia taking care of the merchandise table while I take a break. She is quite the show stopper. I’m thinking of putting a “tip jar” around her neck so she can start getting paid for her efforts! Just thought somebody out there might appreciate an update on our “roadie.” Love you all…