mitch & char

mitch & char

Monday, December 21

Devotional with thoughts

My wife is so incredible…though she may seem quiet, when it comes to affirming those around her she is the first to step up. Her Devotional (Word for You Today) that she shared with me is below.  WOW-there is so much to dig into here, I barely know where to start.  Perhaps I will just keep it simple.  What is your dream?  What do you believe God is telling you to do or abandon?  Are you willing to abandon it knowing that some of those closest to you will not only not understand, they will want you to stick to memory lane…if you do this-are YOU missing out on His destiny for you.  Will you follow Him with reckless abandon?  He has promised us that He will not leave or forsake us.  What are you afraid of?  If He is for us, who can be against us?

I was taken aback by my friend Rick when I shared the news with him that we were moving to Africa.  His reaction was one of excited surprise!  He really “got it” and in just a few simple words “Wow, I hate to lose you, but I am SO excited for you.  After all, all of this (points around him) is temporal anyway”  WOW- that is THE reaction of someone that knows that ministry can not be caged and has no bounds.  He is someone that did not try to convince us otherwise, just jumped on board with immediate support by his affirmation.  That is the response I desire to have to those around me that do something that “I” don’t understand…to trust that they know the Lord and are doing what “He” understands. (thanks Rick)

Here is the Devo:

Don’t let others hold you back…

Joseph’s brothers resented his dream so they sold him into slavery.  David’s family didn’t consider him worthy of being king.  The people who knew Jesus during His first thirty years said:  “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter’s son…So they were offended at Him”  You must realize that some of the people who knew you “way back when” didn’t know you now, because they’ve “slotted you.”  What should you do?  Do what Jesus did; He moved on.  What else could he do?  He refused to allow others to keep Him stuck at a stage in His life that was past and gone, and you have go to do the same.  If you allow others to keep taking you down memory lane, you’ll eventually set up house, stay longer than you should and miss your God-given destiny. It’s wonderful to have people in your life who know where you’ve been and can relate to where you’re going.  But if you have to choose between then and now, sacrifice then for it can’t be rewritten, only replayed over and over.  Stop rehearsing your beginnings and write the rest of your story.  The future is yours – seize it while you can.. the story’s told of a hacker on a golf course who kept swinging at the ball and missing, repeatedly hitting an ant hill.  Finally one ant took charge and said, “Follow me.”  Another ant yelled, “But where are we going?”  He pointed to the ball sitting in front of them.  “There.  If we don’t get on the ball, we’re going to die!”

Good stuff eh?  Now- I challenge you to do what it is that He has been telling you to do for sooooooo long!---if you don’t, who will?

1 comment:

Rebecca Your Sister said...

I am excited for you both too. As your younger sister I have my own fears, my own stuff to work out with the Lord and strengthen my own faith in that regard, but I know your hearts have been called to do His work in Africa. You have my love and support. Please know that. It is not always easy for anyone to let go of a loved one, so please be patient with them too. We all react differently out of fear and the unknown, so I also pray for all who love you Mitch and Char. In time those struggling accepting that He has called on you both will come around.

I love you both with all of my heart and I keep you both in prayer. You are His, you are not mine, and I know your heart and the kids in Africa need you and His love.