Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Pressing on

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'
Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance"

I absolutely LOVE the beach!  This is a definite happy place for me.  There is nothing like standing on the beach in front of the ocean looking out into the vast waters that seems endless.  There is no other reality check that I serve a BIG God and I am but a speck of sand in His glorious plan.  It's humbling.  
 
Heading into this New Year I feel very much like a speck of sand.  There are oh so many mountains standing in our way, so many obstacles that seem impassible.  We have 7 (short) months to get to a point where we can move on to the next step of our mission. This alone seems HUGE!  We are having another baby in 6 months.  This mixed with preparing my sweet children to move, packing a house up, weeding out our life materials, saying good bye to our life in Dallas just seems like a huge task that I am not sure I want to dive into.  I hate knowing that there is going to be sadness, frustration, feeling like we are lost, watching my children hurt because they don't understand, and we are walking right into all of this willingly....who does that?  

When I was thinking about all of these overwhelming plans this song for some reason popped into my head.  I am very good at sucking things up and pressing on.  I am very good at doing this when a situation all of a sudden requires me too.  I am not so very good at it when I know I am willingly walking into it.  This scares me!  If I am scared how in the world am I suppose to guide my children through this in a godly, calm, "we got this because God has us" way?  While reading the words to this song it hit me....Philippians 3:12-14

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 
 
Here Paul is saying that he is not perfect, and still struggles like everyone.  He presses on to make his future his own because Christ has made him His own.  There is a balance of faith and works of God and the response of the follower/believer.   There is a goal or target in life.  It's a heavenly target, and the prize is the fullness of blessings in the age to come.  Isn't that what living is all about? 

So dwelling on the events that need to take place in the next 7 months and the mountains that only God can move is not going to help me press on, or keep dancing as the song says.  I need to keep my eyes on Jesus and the mission that has been set out before us. There is no way that I can do any of this.... Jesus can, and He will work through me as long as my focus and pursuit is Him.

2014, you are going to be a crazy year, but I am pressing on, armed, and dangerous...be scared...be VERY scared!