Synchronicity

We had to get to church uber-early this past Sunday because my husband was serving, so I was sitting outside reading a book and watching people...and a car parked directly in front of me. I watched as an elderly man got out of his side of the car and walked around to let his elderly wife out. They were probably in their late 60's, early 70's. They held hands and began walking and immediately their steps fell in sync.

They walked hand in hand, step by step, to the door and at the risk of sounding cliche', it touched my heart. I thought about my own marriage and how truly blessed I am to have the most ideal husband God could have created just for me, even on days when I wonder how we could be more different in thought and deed.

I pray our marriage deepens to the level this couple at church has...this level of unconscious synchronicity. The level that says we are truly soul mates and God has blessed us with a marriage that is full of harmony and when worked and molded this harmony can lead to synchronicity. It's not just a natural occurrence.

Oh sure, the steps can be measured and attempts made to walk together in unison. But true marital synchronicity takes a lot of work. It takes giving beyond what you think you can give. It takes selfless acts of love, not just daily, but sometimes hourly. It takes putting aside the fleshly desires and thinking of your spouse first.

In the words of our Father, it's another of the sow and reap principles.

I know this...I desire for my marriage to be the way God designed it to be...and I want to walk in step with my husband all the days of our lives!

Have a blessed Friday!

Heroes

Confession...I watch Heroes. I have since the beginning and I like it. I know some would say it's a banal waste of time and has no redeeming qualities...it's just television...I would have to disagree.

Heroes reminds me of our own God-given gifts. I know it may seem like a far cry from the television program, but I don't think it really is. You see, I believe each day that we choose to deny our gifts and just live our life for ourselves and our close-little circle of people we choose to interact with, the more we lose a little bit of that gift.

God showed us through the parable of sow/reap, and the parable of the talents and throughout the Bible that if we will not be used, He will find someone who will become a vessel for Him. We have the use it or lose it gifts. Our gifts are not for us...they are for HIM!

When I shut down between churches recently, I quit actively encouraging others and the less I encouraged, the less encouraged I was. It was a palpable difference. Even with the small amount of this I have resumed at church and at work, the more encouraged I am...the more joy I walk in.

The same principle stands for my gifting of teaching and leading. The more I lie down and allow Satan's voice to echo over the audible voice of God inside me, the more battles I defer to the enemy. I can't just lie down and allow him earthly victory when I know Christ died to give us eternal victory and to share that on earth as long as we're here...in our words and deeds.

Remember God won't ask us to do the possible. God will only ask us to do the absolutely, completely, utterly IMPOSSIBLE, so He gets the glory and recognition of the ability He brings us.

So the bottom line is I am a Hero. I have powers. We all do. Our mission is not just to 'save the cheerleader, save the world!' Rather our mission is clear...share the message of the salvation of the world...not through a cheerleader, but through a Savior.

So...are you a hero too?

The Echo of a Whisper

Last night in Bible Study we talked about Elijah and one of his encounters with God. Elijah was looking for the great and mighty Lord to LOUDLY reverberate as He passed by Elijah...but he didn't. God whispered to Elijah, the same way he often whispers to me...to us.

God has been whispering to me more and more...or perhaps more likely...I've been quieted down enough to hear the whispering that is there much more than I ever dreamed. You see, something has happened to me in the past several months.

I originally thought it was just related to church "burn-out" or even apathy. I didn't FEEL apathetic, but I did feel a bit 'burned-out' and I just sort of quit talking about it all. I quit talking about every little thing I felt passion about. I thought I just got tired of the noise. Now I think it's something more.

I think God quieted me down. I think He's been waiting and waiting for a chance to talk to me and He knows me well enough to know I had to be quieted down before I'd ever hear Him.

I know I've shared how quiet my husband used to be. He could easily sit in silence in a room full of conversation, for the entire time. I would just be chatting away and he'd comfortably sit and take it all in. The last few times we've been out with friends or even in a church social setting, I sit quietly, while he chats away with ease.

Don't get me wrong...I CAN and DO talk...especially when I get really riled up. The difference is now I can hear the meaningless banter and turn it off much more quickly. Perhaps part of it is the aging process. Perhaps part of it is allergy related (LOL). I have to believe the largest part is God and the words of encouragement He's given me over the past weeks.

God is whispering...and I'm praying for that echo!