This is a timely and somewhat personal post. I have been invited to speak to a group of girls and young women at a fun event combining food, games, creative projects, and worship; a time dedicated to lifting up the Lord in our lives. As always, I seek Jesus and Holy Spirit as to what They desire me to share. I know it is important to be encouraging in these uncertain -- and let's face it -- dark days. I want these young girls and young adults, along with their mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers, to leave the event with their identity in Christ at the forefront, and with a firm grasp of why Jesus created them. I want their spirits to be awakened to joy, action, and purpose.
Now, for the personal side of this post. I am able to draw on my own experiences and relationship with Jesus to encourage the women who will be coming to this event. When you are able to discover (and then act on) your unique and individual passion [in righteousness, of course], then it gives meaning to your life, and you please the desire of the Lord's heart for you. In my case, I loved to read and loved how I was able to use my imagination to begin writing historical fiction, even at the young age of 12. I continued to engage with my love of writing through high school (writing articles for my small local newspaper), getting a Journalism degree in college, and following that up with free-lance articles from interviews of the up-and-coming music scene in Austin, TX. And then I stopped writing.
The world came calling, and being single, I had bills to pay. Then I got married and when my husband announced that he wanted to pursue his God-given talent and become a professional artist, I knew he was ready to chase his dreams and I didn't want him to be 70 years old and say, "I wish I had gone for it". I continued to work my job and pay the bills, while he paid his dues in the art business. The next 12 years saw success come his way and I became his business manager, web designer, scheduler, accountant, and all-things administrative. It was an exciting lifestyle, but I began to want to pursue my own creative passion. The problem was that I kept that to myself. My husband had no idea that I had ever had a love of writing. The time for that was long gone by the day I met him.
But then God intervened. In 2007, I had a chance meeting (or so I thought) with a man God sent as His messenger. We were in Montana at a wedding in which my husband was a groomsman, and another of the groomsmen had a gift of prophecy. On the last day before we were to return home, it was arranged for me to meet and talk to him because he had "something I needed to hear". And what he told me literally changed my life. He said that God had come to him in a dream with a message for me. That message changed my direction and focus. This modern day prophet wrote something on a piece of paper and shoved it across the table to me. "Does this have any meaning to you?", he asked. Written in a bold scrawl was Be the Pen -- not the blank piece of paper.
I stared at it for a full minute. I knew what it meant ... don't squander my passion and gift for writing. I had abandoned it for too long, leaving blank pages unwritten upon. I was to pick up my pen and start writing again. I finally looked at this man who had hit the target that was placed on my heart, and asked, "How did you know? No one -- not even my husband -- has known my love of writing". I'll never forget his response ... "God made you to write, and He desires to see you do what He made you to do. It pleases Him. Don't write to be a #1 best selling author; don't write for the money. Simply write because it pleases Him." I can't tell you what that did for my soul and spirit.
We drove home to Texas and I spent the next two years writing a fiction novel. Every day, my husband made me stop whatever I was doing for his art business and take the next two or three hours writing that novel; developing and fleshing out characters, and letting the Holy Spirit pour the storyline into me. I swear, when I would go back over my progress the next day, I would not remember writing the words on the page. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I've had in my life -- creativity just poured out of me! At the completion of that two-year exercise, it was like God said, "OK, I can trust that you will listen and seek My will, so I have another assignment. I want you to begin a blog, speaking to both men and women about the journey I'm going to take you and your husband on; about your seeking more knowledge of Me, and how it relates to what's happening in the world." And what a journey it's been! It's tested my faith; it's challenged my theology; and it's opened the Bible up to me in ways that continue to astound me.
And I'm amazed that it's been 18 years since that encounter with God in Montana and I'm still learning how to write all that He's revealed in our time together. And one of the most interesting concepts is one that I've learned from a series of historical fiction by another author, Ginny Dye. Her books, The Bregdan Chronicles, have introduced a principle that I plan on sharing this weekend with the young women and their family members at the event I'm attending. It fits so nicely with some of God's principles, and I want to share it with each of you.
The word Bregdan comes from the Gaelic language and is a term for weaving: Braiding. As the author explained, "Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person's story to create history. My life [and your life] will help determine the course of history. You may think you don't have much of an impact. You do. Every action you take will reflect in someone else's life ... someone else's decisions ... someone else's future. Both good and bad. That is the Bregdan Principle".
Think about it. God has created each of us to have an effect on the world! And, of course, He desires that we affect others and the world according to His will. It's easy to have an effect when we act according to our will, and oftentimes our decisions are made solely for our benefit instead of others or God. But it is important that we come to realize -- and acknowledge -- God's power within us to actually change the world! And when you recognize the passion that comes from God, and that He desires you use it to reflect Him to the world, then that passion becomes a powerful and joyful tool to effect someone's life, and to change the world. I have seen strangers look upon a piece of my husband's art and begin to cry; their soul touched by the reflection of God he shares in his painting. And just when I think maybe I've done all I am meant to do in affecting someone's life through my writing in this blog, I will receive a comment that says, "I was about to give up and then I stumbled upon your blog. This is exactly what I needed to hear today".
Just like when God first told me that His gift of writing is not about me making a million bucks off an award-winning book, He has often whispered, "If you reach just one person today for Me [with your words], then I have more for you to do with your gift". I want these women to know that each of them was created by Jesus with a purpose; to use whatever gift He has given them to affect the world for God's Kingdom here on earth. I want them to be on the spiritual lookout for signs that He's trying to communicate with them; to pay attention to those thoughts that come unbidden, or those "coincidences" that speak to their heart.
As I've contemplated what I will be speaking about this weekend, I kept hearing "Colossians" in my mind. So, this morning I sat down with my Bible and opened it up to the Book of Colossians. There, highlighted in yellow, with my hand-written notes in the margin, I saw the summary of what I want each of these precious girls and women to receive ... And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God: being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:9-14).
There it is! This is what it means to be pleasing to the Lord: Bear fruit (discover what you're passionate about and do it unto the Lord!; increase in the knowledge of God; walk in His power and authority; be patient and endure with joy! Thank our Father for moving us into the Kingdom, and thank Jesus for redeeming us and forgiving us!
And that's the way you have an effect on others and the world! You won't escape pain in this life, but you can outlast it by choosing joy in the midst of it, and giving thanks and credit to the Lord who has been there every step of the way. The world appears pretty dark these days, but we can be fully pleasing to the Lord, when we seek Him and are willing to pursue His path for which we were created, and then walking in our authority to fulfill that purpose. The world needs the light of God that we will reflect. Take a chance, trust Him, pursue Him, and see just how much effect you can have!
Ephesians 3:20-21. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work in us, to Him be glory in the Ekklesia and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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