A Holy Spirit Dare

Somehow I want my dare to come from a draw of the Holy Spirit,

rather than a duty born from the habits of the past.

 



 

Less than a week ago I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to let Him draw me to a dare. I am reading Brene Brown's book, Daring Greatly  with some friends who want to take the challenge as well. A vision emerges of a goggle-laden Snoopy with scarf flying horizontally straddling his doghouse. Victory! Soon though, I began to wonder just what my dare would mean? What would the fresh place of my daring?

 

 

While it hasn't been announced yet, my dare is something I've done before on a very small scale. Previously, I could do it at my leisure  and inspiration. My current dare is much more directed as well as occurring daily. These two facts make this an adventure uncharted for me. I must practice the presence of God and be very aware of the present moments in my life. I have the feeling this will evaluate my vanity and define my dare. 

The High Ways

"My ways are higher than yours . . . "

Is. 55:8

 

As a parent, I recall reminding my children that I really do have more experience (and hard knocks) in real life, so it might be good to listen to me. That statement is followed by how smart a parent gets in correlation to the age of the child. Younger . . . smart parent. Teens . . . not so smart parent. College age  . . . a little smarter parent. Career age . . . smart parent.

 

It only makes sense to me that God has ways much higher than mine. If not, He wouldn't be all that spectacular, right? There are myriads of people smarter and wiser than me. I can't imagine serving a God who is only my equal. So what about the "high ways"?

I'd sure like to know more about those high ways. I know I can through the Bible. Is that it though? Actually, is that enough? You'd think it would be, right?



Step into the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts;

not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles

or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,

whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

who strives valiantly;

who errs, who comes short again and again,

because there is no effort without error and shortcomings

but who does actually strives to do the deeds

who knows great enthusiasms,

the great devotions;

who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,

and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. . ."

- Theodore Roosevelt (April 23, 1910)

 

 

I get that I should be "in the arena". "Being about the Father's business", I've heard it called. Sometimes arenas remind me of lion's dens. At this point in my life, I guess I don't know what someone could do to me that would matter so much, but maybe I still am a little "lion shy". My eyes are turning from the challenge of doing to the challenge of daring. Paul, in the Bible, talked about spending himself for the gospel. Isn't daring more for younger people as they have their whole life before them? Maybe there's a bit of dare in every season of life.

 

When I was a kid, I lived in the country. During the summer, my friends and I would head up the creek to a place we had carved out as a swimming hole. We dammed up the stream a little below the hole, and actually removed some of the rocks from the hole to have a bit of a pool. Oh how we all loved to head up to the swimming hole on a hot day. There were so many dares during that time. Should we just take the trail to the hole or do we think we can make it across the marshy muddy pasture without losing our shoes? Should we just run and jump into the hole or walk in more carefully in case someone has tossed in rocks we don't know about? At that time in my life, those dares seemed daunting. I think I passed several of those daring tests.

 

Now, it seems I am a bit discontent. I think I haven't dared much lately. I get a shot of adrenaline with a dare. Somehow I want my dare to come from a draw of the Holy Spirit, rather than a duty born from the habits of the past. Is it the sameness of the past which I avoid? Is it that I see others daring greatly but I don't know how to begin? Just as the swimming hole was my afternoon arena, I am now wondering into what arena will my dare be spent?

I wonder what Jesus has in mind?

Sometimes it's hard to get behind somebody's head. What in the world were they thinking? (Even that question can be read with different voice inflection to mean different things.) I have to remember what I know about Jesus - His words, His actions and Who He knows. I wonder what Jesus has in mi?

When I was a kid I sometimes wished I was in another person's shoes. Their life sure looked good! They had things I didn't and didn't have things I did. Much like the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, I was sure they must have it better. Of course, I grew up, found out that isn't always the case and, in reality, I didn't have I so bad. Then I read about the promises of God. I wonder what Jesus has in mind?

I've said in my life if I lose everything, I will still have family and friends. I hope I don't have to come to that place, but I know there are people in the world for whom that is true. I've dreamed of having to sleep in a shelter. At least it would be a shelter. Could I still be solid in my faith if I truly emptied myself? I wonder what Jesus has in mind?

Now I hear about being "fully present". Live in the moment and be what I can be in that moment. Hmm . . . I wonder what Jesus has in mind?

Pulling Close

There were many action words in the sermon this week at The Clifton Vineyard. In worship I saw myself IN the love of God and Him casting fear away from me.  I wonder if I think I thought it was MY love that casts out fear. Can I have perfect love? Don't think so. Can God have perfect love? Yes! Going through challenges doesn't exactly make me feel loving. "Why" questions usually arise. Often it's more about what I might have done wrong to cause this bad thing.  Interestingly, I know the "rain falls on the just and the unjust" so I know I'm still working past some shame based stuff.

I've felt safe with God for a longtime, but imagine the picture of God holding me through the challenges. My pastor said the idea is like a fireman rushing into the burning house and snatching the person to hold them close to him as he runs out to safety.  This is a picture of The Lord rescuing us.  I don't imagine I know always from what I am being rescued. That's probably a good thing!

I've been trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do these days to serve. I was involved in worship leading for the better part of 25 years.  I was involved in prayer ministries for years. I know you don't lose the heart to pray or worship but should you always be smack dab in the middle? Is there someplace I am supposed to be that is new for the new time in my life at this point? The worship leader yesterday mentioned, just in passing, as we were waiting on the Lord that "the calling was still there". It caught my attention . . . what calling? Now I'm curious . . .