Incomparable
At the risk of being registered in the Genius Book of World Records for the most times any human has said the following phrase regarding Aslan in the C.S. Lewis book The Lion, the With and the Wardrobe ... I'm going to say it again:
He's not safe ... oh, but he's good.
It's not safe to follow God's plan for your life. My plan has taken me to another country. There are drawbacks in doing so ... but oh, how The Following (a Noun being used to describe that act of being obedient to God's plan for your life) brings such goodness!! In fact, it seems that my Chris and I are in a season of living out some of the things we dreamed of doing for years!
However, living the dream doesn't mean there is an absence of hardship. Anytime you uproot your nuclear family cross-culturally there are challenges ... distance being the biggest. Just this week, our daughter turned 20 years old and we celebrated through "What's App". A dear Aunt lays in a hospital bed that we are unable to visit. Parents have birthday's that go uncelebrated and needs that go unable to be met by us. It's not easy.
God has been speaking to me lately about "comparison". As a woman, I'm pretty sure I'm the stronger of the two sexes in this area. Why do women compare themselves ... constantly! I sometimes find myself comparing myself even when it comes to spiritual things! For instance, I see someone truly operating in their gifts and think, "I want to be more like that". Granted, honoring a gift you see in another is a way to glorify God. However, I'm looking at the gift in them and not finding the fullness of that gift in me ... and then consider myself less ... gifted, loved, worthy, or useful in bringing change for God. Oh, dear me ...
But ... here's the really cool thing about being in relationship with God ... because He is alive ... and His Spirit is an agent of revelation ... I've recently been seeing Him change that incorrect thinking. In His presence, just being still and hearing Him speak, I find that I am INCOMPARABLE. Me - Queen of Comparing - find myself enough in Him! That can only be accredited to a Great Father who is enough for all I need!
And, then it gets even better ... He tells me that I need to embrace all that I am. What I am ... what I've become after years of practicing sitting in His presence ... is what He has desired for me to be in this moment in time. Every time I walk out my door - or better yet minister inside my own home - He is well pleased! Because of Christ in me ... I am who He needs me to be!
Hardships are temporary ... and relative. Most days are filled with too many MORE reasons why saying yes to follow unsafe and good are the best choice.
I've been chewing on the verses of Psalm 89:15-16 for a few days now. I decided to get the dictionary out and find out a new perspective on some familiar words. Below are my findings:
"Blessed [made holy; consecrated; having a sacred nature; connected with God] are those who have learned [used to describe something that people get or have because of experience] to acclaim [praise in a very strong and enthusiastic way; to declare by acclamation] You, who walk [to go with someone to a place by walking] in the light of Your presence [the state of being present; someone or something that is seen or noticed in a particular place or area]. They rejoice[delight; elation; cheer] in Your name all day long; they exult [show or feel triumph, elation, or jubilation] in Your righteousness."
When I walk ... go with HIM ... in the light of His presence ... that place of being present with Him ... I rejoice. There's no room for comparison. I"m too busy delighting, elating and cheering to notice I don't meet some arbitrary mark. I'm ... INCOMPARABLE because He's INCOMPARABLE!!
no time to compare,
christina
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