Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Desperate Faith, Faithful Desperation

I'm not a man of vision per se. That's not my gift. Thus far at least, that's been my wife's forte. So often, new ideas spring to her mind, but the vision to see them through is rarely clear.

My younger daughter has poor eyesight. This wasn't discovered until a few years ago when the school nurse called us. How had eight years passed with this undetected? Answer: she compensated, knew nothing different, and never complained. Today, I will usually set her glasses on the dresser each night after reading before bed.

For me there seem to be stages of vision in ministry, in service:
1) Everything is so cloudy and so difficult, you just want to run.
2) You hear a voice of hope or see a glimmer of possibility and cling to it.
3) God gives you a totally open door (or more than 1) to let you see "the next step".
4) The embracing of the opportunity and the ensuing harsh reality of new murkiness.

With each completed cycle, God has drawn us closer to his heart. We've found new reasons for hope. We are more profoundly passionate about experiencing his kingdom. These are all gifts poured into our life. And He grows in greater and deeper affection within our hearts. We become more willing to be poured out. Trust is more entrenched. And love toward Him flows more freely.

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