Acts of Faith: Stepping-Out Part 1

“Now I have the peace I’ve never known before

I find myself complete, My heart is spoken for” – Spoken For, MercyMe

Nothing screams a better “remain-in-the-moment” siren like a long bus ride. Ignore the context of the ride, luxurious or otherwise (although I would tend to think you would pout at the inconvenience of your situation in the latter case). Sitting here in my context-less bus ride, musing over circumstances and living in the moment, I realized that I identify with Abraham.

            Abraham was sitting in the land of his father – his comfort zone when God called out to him: “Leave your country, your people and your Father's household and go to the land I will show you” Gen 12 vs 1 (NIV). He didn’t know what that was… I mean if I was suddenly told to go to New York and settle there because that is the land that would be given to my descendants… Yeah… So I don’t know about you but I would flip. I would be so confused. I mean I would not just be confused, but I would want to know why… how… where???

            And yet, Abraham didn’t question. He didn’t ask. He simply obeyed. The old Man took his wife, servants and all he owned and followed the God who made the entire galaxies and universe by speaking into them. He listened, trusted, and obeyed.

            God answered me… finally! And that answer means a total overhaul and re-vamp… it’s a calling out into a land of the unknown… away from what I’ve known for a long time… away from the familiar and a purpose I thought I was called to… It is a step-out into grounds and waters where I’m constantly laughing as HE rides me through the ultimate purpose He created me for.

            It is therefore with uplifted hands of gratitude that I see Abraham’s faith and aspire to follow in his footsteps and do even more.

            It is with great enthusiasm that I talk to you directly:

           

“So you just stepped out of something? I don’t know what it is you stepped out of: your it-Job? School – you just graduated, and that Job isn’t coming or you just had to leave the school you dreamt would be your alma mater? A relationship that you were so sure was it? Someone - because you lost him/her to death? A friendship that you’d have thought would last all of eternity? The dream house you swore your great-grand children would grow old in? It doesn’t matter what you stepped out of/are stepping out of… the most important thing is that you realize that God is the one who allowed that stepping out to occur in your life, and just like Abraham who didn’t know where he was being called to, He has called you out of your comfort zone into a zone where you are holding onto Him and only Him. He is calling you into a land of fulfilled purpose. And yes, it hurts to step-out… He knows that… He built you that way… and He built you even better to live through that stepping-out victoriously.”

            With the time left on my state-of-the-art-live-in-the-present bus ride, I’ll continue to muse over and appreciate my current call and stepping-out. I hope you learn to do so as well :D

            Smile and have a beautiful and love-filled week ahead.