My intention was to post here more often; however, life is busy and I’ve dedicated a lot of time to another writing project.  I am at a bit of a stopping point for now, so hopefully, I will be able to spend more time with my blog.

I am a writer and have been writing for a long time—it is work in progress.  Though I am not necessarily “published author”, I would like to be, but it is something I have committed to the Lord—which is the best thing I can do with my hopes and dreams:  “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3); and, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).  That is not to say I haven’t taken steps to see that dream come true, but only as God gives opportunity.

The vision I had for my life at 20 was much different from the way things worked out—I am sure many can say the same thing.  Perhaps there are some shadows of disappointment, but my confession is that God is good, He does not disappoint, and I am truly blessed!  I also recognize that my life is not over and I have not given up on having hope and dreams—whatever comes of them, I know they are in God’s hands.

I have been a part of a women’s Bible study for the past month or so now and we are examining the book of Hebrews—one of my favorite books, but also a very detailed one, describing the mechanics of our salvation.  Most Christians are familiar with Hebrews 11, the “faith chapter”, and for many of us, Hebrews 11:1 is a verse we were taught to memorize:  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

I have been thinking about faith in the light of my hopes lately, and I am compelled to ask myself, “Do I really have faith, or am I living with resignation, the loss of the dream, passivity or an absence of hope?”  Is there a difference between surrendering our hopes to God and just giving up in defeat?  Happily, God is eager to reveal the attitudes of our hearts when we ask Him.

Here is something to remember:  Everything about our relationship with God includes passion!

            “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

            “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulations, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:11, 12).

            “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2).

            “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

            “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1).

            “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6, 7).

            I cannot begin to tell you all of the excuses I have come up with for not trusting God, and not earnestly pursuing the unique gifting of His Spirit.  Some of the tricks the enemy uses to render us quite ineffective include comparison – “I’m not as good at doing __________ as ____________ so it must not be my gift or calling”.  …0r fear – “I am afraid of what others may think of me” or “it must be spiritual pride that drives my desire”; or defeat – “I haven’t seen the answer so God probably won’t respond to my prayers,” or intimidation – “that desire is too big, I could never do that.”

            God doesn’t call us to be great; He calls us to be faithful and to trust Him.  Jesus taught about faithfulness in the parable of the talents and concluded, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).  Many times we become so consumed with the business of life that we forget that earth is only a temporary duty station, and we are on a mission here to spread the good news about Jesus.  …and even if our responsibilities or jobs don’t seem to have anything to do with ministry, we are called to positively affect the lives of others by our integrity and faithfulness to the Savior.  …and our faithfulness in little things can touch lives in ways no one else can.

Often our prayer life is an indication of our faith—we tend to pray less when we think it doesn’t matter much.  Or we may have prayed for something for a long time and given up hope—and our instant gratification culture doesn’t help with the godly characteristic of perseverance!  Yet scripture advocates praying fervently (James 5:16), and being steadfast in prayer.

Do you have a dream?  Do you have a talent, hobby, or gift you enjoy?  Give it to Jesus and see what a glorious tapestry He will make of your life.  Just as the priests’ robes, worn in the tabernacle of old, were made of fine linen, decorated with blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, the Master Designer also desires to weave our lives into things of beauty—for we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).