Monday, July 20, 2020

Take stock and look up...

Being where I am...

I don't hang out much in my heart and mind with who I used to be. I was called out of that, and delivered from it. Sure, it has some history lessons for me, but I'm a new creation, born again from the womb of heaven. Yes, I have regrets, but even if I lived on the coastline of the Sea of Regret, I would never swim or sail; I wouldn't even twinkle my toes in Regrets pulsing tides. I'm up on The Rock now; I've found solid ground, and here I stand.

I don't rest too much in who I am these days. I'm pressing on. Sure, the trail is rocky, dusty, winding, and, above all, narrow, but it IS the upward way. It's the Transformation Trail, and with Jesus, I walk. I do celebrate that I am where I am, especially when I juxtapose what the Spirit has done in my life against what my flesh was doing in my life, but I don't hang out here. More than my celebration of me, the Trail keeps leading me up to Him who is at work in me! The Transformation Trail winds along in conjunction with the Worship Walk. I stay hungry for Bread, thirsty for Living Water and I yearn for good, solid food as I journey.

I am excited about who I'll be. Yes! The believer that does not long for completion hasn't taken a long look at the brokenness of the world -- THEIR brokenness -- and hasn't taken a look at what will come. And, no, I don't mean only heaven the place, but heaven the experience; the height of which is being in the very presence of God. WOW! I'm excited about that! But, I don't hang out on Heaven's Hallway a lot these days. Why? "Why?" is a good question. Simple; if I'm here, if my body has it's by God's good pleasure, and I want to be in this moment with Him. I want to be present with Him now, and useful now. I want to be a Knight in the Order of Onesimus, both noble and useful.

So, Lord, teach my heart to hang out in Presence Place, even as I long for Heaven's Hallway. Teach my heart to both live in Presence Place and trek up Transformation Trail and Worship Walk. Teach me to be in the now with You...teach me to abide, that I may experience You, and be fruitful for Your glory. Keep me from the ebb and flow of Regret's crashing waves; put me on the marble floor of Presence Place, and teach me to dance.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)



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