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A High Calling
Here I am, Lord, uniquely gifted with skill, time, and energy graciously provided by you. I recognize this. And I believe that you have me where you want me, which means that this particular job that I thought last week was a real bummer is, in actual fact, a high calling, and I am going to live and work today as if that is exactly what it is.
I have this short paragraph displayed very prominently in my office as a reminder of why I do what I do and for whom. I really don’t recall where I first read it, but it so intrigued me that I copied it down. My friends tell me I analyze everything to death, and maybe I do and I have.
Whatever makes up who I am comes from the hand of God. It may be much or little; other people may watch with envy at the level of expertise I may have in what I do or they may shake their head in wonder that I’ve gotten as far as I have. My day may be crammed with more “things” to do, places to go, and people to see than I can get to or I may not be able, for whatever reason, to step outside my door. Still, I recognize that God has granted me personality, gifts, talents, and a certain number of days in which He expects me to become the best I can at what He has for me to do. Actually that is the only gift I can give back to Him–what I do with my life.
I do believe I am where God wants me and doing the particular job He has called me to do. So, in light of that statement of belief, the only task ahead of me, regardless of how compartmentalized it may be, is to finish what I’ve started. The Lord Jesus Christ has set me upon a path, within a particular time frame, and given me the tools with which to become and do. Therefore, when I look at my job in this light, I realize that it is a high calling.
What do I do now? Follow suit; stick to the course; reach for the stars; continue on; excel; never quit becoming; stay focused, and finish what has begun. This life of mine that is a high calling? I will live and work today as if that is exactly what it is.
Grams
What I Missed
My computer has been in the shop. Keith took it to the Apple Store but they didn’t know what to do with it, so it was sent off for repair. I had not realized how attached I’d become to my MacBook. When I went home in the evenings I hardly knew what to do. I watched some movies and read something I didn’t have to edit, but those no longer held the appeal they once did. I really missed my laptop.
Keith hooked me up with an extra laptop at the office, but I couldn’t take it home ’cause it didn’t work really well if it was moved around a lot. So, even though I could work at my office, I still didn’t have my “toy” to play with in the evenings. Now, I know what you might be thinking, but you’d be wrong. I didn’t spend hours on the Internet; I didn’t play Solitaire or other mindless games; but I did write. And that’s what I have realized I missed. Not so much my tool, but the product this tool helped me create. And there’s where the attraction lay–writing.
I got my MacBook back today and it seems to be fixed. So, I can write and when I get through, I can write some more. I really need to catch up; I’d better hurry.
Grams
Totally Adequate
“There is no room for feelings of inadequacy before a totally adequate God”–Cinda King. When I read that I almost sat upright. In one short sentence, man’s place before almighty God has been defined. The writer is not talking about man’s failures and inabilities as compared to the power and magnificence of Jehovah God, but about God’s might and power that enables Him to completely supply all His children will ever need. Therefore, none of us, if we have made Christ Lord of our lives, are inadequate because He is not.
The word feelings caught my attention. The one idea that is touted today is that if it feels right, if it feels good, then do it. So, feelings rule; not intellect; not reason, and definitely not faith. So this idea of feelings washes over into everything we do and with the people we associate. It determines how we respond; whether or not we go or stay; even if we believe God or not.
What do I think this writer was really saying? Simply that before an omnipotent God, the God who spoke all that exists into being, I have no right to take the way out by claiming I’m inadequate. He has promised to supply whatever I need to do and be whatever He calls me to. Feelings–dangerous thoughts and emotions that can stymie the power of God. The next time you feel inadequate, instead of glorying in your perceived humility, remember that you stand before a “totally adequate God” and He makes you more than adequate.
Grams
That’s a Big Bathtub!
Ellie held tightly to her dad’s hand. This was her first time at the beach and today would be a special day. She stood still, taking in as many of the sights and sounds as she could. The noise of the wind as it ruffled her hair, the waves rolling toward her and then back out to sea, the smell of salt water, the seagulls as they dipped and dived at unseen food, the sun that made diamonds sparkle out on the water, and the crunch of the sand under her feet were almost too much for a two year old.
Ellie took a deep breath and tugged on her dad’s hand. Chris stooped down so he could hear. “Daddy,” Ellie said, “that sure is a big bathtub”!
Oh, the wonder of God’s creation seen through the eyes of a child. Before the day was over and Chris, Tori, and Ellie headed home, Ellie had found a new playground. She played in the sand, let the waves splash her legs as she walked along the water’s edge, and, wonder of wonders, picked up seashells washed up to her from the floor of the ocean, almost like a gift.
On the ride home, a tired little girl slept, dreaming of sand, sun, water, seashells, and the day she got to play with her mommy and daddy in God’s big bathtub.
Grams
Oblivion or Life?
Small rivulets of sweat slowly make their way down the side of his face. His tongue licks his lips, tasting the saltiness. Eyes, bloodshot from days of drinking, struggle to focus as hands that had once been steady cling to the arms of his chair. Across the room the object of his torment calls to him, offering relief, comfort, and even an odd sense of security. Is that the power the bottle holds over him–the ability to soothe away all the hurts, failures, and pain of the past? Or is it the relief of oblivion; the safety of being unreachable? When the numbing effect of the bottle takes over, no one can hurt him. The realization that he has taken the easy way out slaps him in the face. He is a coward, running from life. People who wanted to help him, and would have if given the chance, have long since gone their way. All he has left now is the solace of temporary relief. How he longs for oblivion, to hide, to feel secure and safe.
Someone else struggles to face the pain of the past, the hurt and rejection that destroyed her sense of worth. Instead of turning to a numbing substance like alcohol, she erected walls, thick walls, impenetrable walls that prevented anyone from ever hurting her again. But, life held very little meaning and oh how she longed for the laughter and freedom of her childhood. As the desire intensified, she began to wonder if it was worth the risk. Maybe it was time to bury the past. Just maybe. . . .
Gingerly she takes a step forward and gropes for something to hold on to. She is exposed, raw and bare for all to see. Unsure of what to do next, she wonders if this was such a good idea after all. Anonymity had its benefits. The wall had offered a sense of security and safety matched only by obscurity.
No one really knew her; no one understood who she was, where she had been, or what had happened to drive her to seek the solace of the wall. Oh sure, there were those who thought they understood, but they really didn’t. Only those who have experienced deep hurt and pain can understand the need for self preservation, the urge to protect one’s self at all costs. But now, after all those years, somehow the courage to step out from behind the wall enveloped her mind. Maybe she would regret this for the rest of her life, but she would do it. She would no longer hide; no longer would the wall be her safety and security. She would face the past and all of its failures, hurts, disappointments, and pain.
Always the wall is there, calling to her, reminding her that she still has a place she can go when things get too rough. Like the alcoholic who contemplates reaching for the next drink, every day she consciously decides either to walk behind the wall or to remain a player, a viable participant in life. Is it easy? No, for the constant fear of failing to do and be what God wants rides her shoulder. Has she thought about stepping behind the wall, just for a little while? Oh, sure. But God is gracious. His Holy Spirit is always present and His Word is truth. When the wall beckons too loudly, it is to these two that she turns. And Jesus is always there.
What calls to you? Do you look for safety and security in something other than Jesus Christ who loved you enough to die in your stead? Jesus does not offer oblivion, but He does offer life. I choose life.
Grams
