Surrounded by weeds

In my Bible, there is a single verse that has been highlighted, underlined, bookmarked, and jotted down more than any other verse. It is not the most popular verse in the Bible. It is not even all that widely known. It isn’t on t-shirts or bumper stickers. Your grandmother probably doesn’t have it cross stitched somewhere in her house. But for me, it is a verse the God has shown to me many times in my relatively short walk.

Last night, trying to reconcile some of the recent news stories with my oldest son, I was at a loss for sound advice. He was troubled by the way the world was reacting with anger and how it was being sensationalized in the media. This morning, I read three verses, and of course, the first one was ol’ faithful:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience – these five traits mark the specific areas of my personality that needed the most work when I met Christ. And I am definitely still a work in progress. I cannot help but think that if we would all intentionally focus on these five character traits we would not have the hatred and social injustice that plagues our world.

The news cycle is filled with death, racism, social unrest, violence and hatred. And all that my wife and I could say to our troubled son was that we should pray for them. That we should ask God to touch their hearts and ease their pain. While, I do believe this to be an excellent course of action, it felt like he was looking for more. Not an explanation or advice – but maybe just comfort or confirmation. Just something to let him know that God is here to help us through.
Verse #2 today:

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

I imagine our son is feeling discouraged, like a lot of us do from time to time. Discouraged because we are obediently walking in faith and doing our part to share the Gospel and bring glory to God. But we are often surrounded by darkness and negativity. How do we remove the bad from our lives? For this God answered with verse #3; the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 12:24-30).

As hard as it might seem, we have to live with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience – even in a world that doesn’t share our views. We have to lean on God for help. And when we are surrounded by weeds we have to trust that in the end the Harvester will do the sorting.

Room for Improvement

All of my adult life, I have been driven by an uncontrollable desire to improve. Improve my self, improve my situation, improve a process, improve efficiency, whatever the scenario – I would be looking for a better way. Of course, not every well intended step I took made the situation better. Sometimes it was quite the opposite. Sometimes, trying to improve has left me wishing for the situation I was originally trying to improve. But even then, another opportunity to improve. The core of the word ‘improve’ is prove and often that is the motivation behind the drive to improve. To make or get better in order to prove to someone that you are good or better. At least for me this has been true. My competitive nature and my over powering desire to please combine for a potent motivation cocktail. And much like most cocktails, too much can be very unhealthy.

Naturally, when I began my Christian walk, I brought this mindset with me. I want to be the best Christian I can be, I want to get better at it every single day. I can always pray more, read more Scripture, listen to God more, be more obedient, love more- I can always improve. Only now it feels different, like the motivation is not the same. I will admit, when I first began my walk in faith, I wanted to improve to earn salvation, or prove I was worthy of it. It took me a long time to accept the graceful and compassionate truth that our salvation is not something we can earn (or lose for that matter) by the deeds we do – the only requirement is our belief in Jesus (John 3:18). But for me, salvation is not the goal – it is just the beginning. The drive to become a better Christian was a fire that could not be extinguished and it still burns as strong today.

I start every day with time that I have set aside for prayer, worship, reading, and writing. I do this for several reasons, namely:

1- I believe that the most important thing in my life is my relationship with God. He gets my first fruits. The first moments of each day that He has granted me. So I pray, which is not just me talking to God but also being still and listening for Him. Focusing on the thoughts that He provides.

2- I have found that reading the Bible will provide an answer to every question I have, and usually right at the perfect time. It is literally the playbook for our lives. It equips us for ‘every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

3- I rely on His guidance, every single day, to do the work that He has for me. And I request this guidance before I get started with my day. To ensure that I do not place my will above His.

My desire to improve has indeed taken on different motivation, but the drive is the same. And it is powerful. One of my biggest motivations for improving and growing spiritually is because I know God has called me to do greater things. I know that He has given me so many great and wonderful gifts in this life, for which I am forever grateful. And I know that because of those gifts, He also has great expectations for what I do with them. I know that for everything He has entrusted to me, even greater things will be asked (Luke 12:48). For this reason, I do my best not to overlook things, that may otherwise seem insignificant, in my life. I know that every person, place, or thing has an important role in His plan. And I am determined to learn, grow, and improve with every situation and scenario.

This is a big reason for my daily writing. I have recently been struggling with understanding what my contribution may be to God’s Kingdom. Sure, I am trying to live a Christ-like life as an example to all whom I encounter. I hope that my living testimony inspires more people than I ever understand, but naturally, that doesn’t feel like enough. What more can I do? And every time I ask myself that question it is followed by – how are you making more disciples? Because that is ultimately our Great Commission – right? We are supposed to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). So, if I am not building those relationships or spreading the Gospel – how can I be improving as a Christian? I don’t believe I am built to preach to thousands. I don’t even think I am intended to speak in front of tens. But I am often given words to write in a way to relate the expression of His Word to our lives. Sharing those words has been my struggle. So – this is where I need to improve today. I need to expand who I share these writings with and allow myself to be more vulnerable. Because out of the vulnerability – one day – God is going to use my words to touch an unbeliever somewhere in this world. And this is why I push for improvement. Not to prove anything to anyone. But to bring Him more glory today than I did yesterday. He makes room for my improvement. He makes the way.

Conquer Your Jordan

I struggle with negativity, skepticism, cynicism, and distrust. Often this makes me a very sarcastic, introverted, and standoffish. I have been hurt by many people whom I have invested a great deal of trust. Becoming a Christian has not fixed these behavior traits, but it has helped me recognize them. God’s word has helped me recognize them for what they are – distractors provided by my enemy to keep me from my faith in God. I also know that these behaviors are inhibitors of my spiritual growth. If I am grumbling or arguing I cannot become a blameless and pure child of God (Philippians 2:14-15). I must replace this mindset with His truth about me and about others. I must trust in God that He protects me so I do not need to push away without His nudge to do so. That is the only way I will find peace and continue to grow (Isaiah 26:3).

However, change is hard. No matter what the change is, it is hard. Change’s complication relates directly to the habit’s longevity and how deep the roots run. If you try to change thoughts and a mindset that was formed in your childhood, it will be much more difficult than breaking a bad habit that you just picked up last year. For me, finding Christ in my forties, I have decades of ungodly mental programming to combat. It is not easy. The exact behaviors that I am trying to address are responsible for discouraging me and trying to convince me that I cannot change, that I shouldn’t change.

But, again, there is Good News! The One who created me can also heal me. I know that the more I fill my heart with the Gospel and the Truth, the less room there is for my broken ideals. I know that the more time I spend in His Word, the less availability I have for negativity. I know, and this is the hardest part for some of us, the more I lay my weakness at His feet- truly surrendering it to Him to fix – the more He will replace it with something better. He must become greater in my life, and I must become less of a focus (John 3:30). He requires our surrender to work on our behalf. Every blessing and every miracle comes through a relationship with Him, with a level of surrender to His will.

For many of us the really difficult part is identifying what is actually broken. Sure, we are really good at knowing what we dislike. But often times, that is merely a symptom of what is truly broken inside of us. For example, my distrust and cynicism stems from people breaking my trust and hurting me emotionally repeatedly and from a very early age. That is an easy connection to make. But that is not the cause of my behavior. The true cause is that I, never again, want to feel heartbreak or look foolish. I deserve better. Feeling that way or looking like a fool to others is beneath me. And that is a product of pride. So, I guard my vulnerability like a prized possession. And when God pushes me to be vulnerable I am tempted to give him the Naaman stiff arm.


Naaman was “a great man… and highly regarded” as the Bible says in 2 Kings 5:1. Naaman had a lot going for him. But despite his great respect and status, Naaman had two serious problems. His first and most obvious problem was that he was plagued with leprosy. Naaman had heard about the great prophet Elisha and thought if there was even a chance that Elisha could cure him it was worth a shot. But when Elisha sent a messenger with the instruction for Naaman to was seven times in the Jordan, Naaman’s second problem emerged. Instead of being elated that the cure for his life threatening disease is obtainable and jumping head first into the Jordan river, Naaman flew into a rage. Wash in the Jordan? This filthy river? This was beneath the overly prideful Naaman. He was willing to do anything to follow God, but he wouldn’t do that. It wasn’t until his servants urged him that Naaman conceded to washing in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:13). And not only was he cured, but his skin “became clean like that of a young boy”.

What is your Jordan? What could God tell you to do that would give you serious pause and hesitation?

For me – it is my willingness to be vulnerable, to allow myself to be put out there for others to see. And this is why I write. I believe with all of my being that God provides me with lessons to learn and share, He provides me with words to communicate, and He provides me with thoughts to catalog. For the longest time, I refused to do this exercise because it is so risky to me. Sure, the writing is risk free. I could just type this up and save it off – or better yet delete it- and never let anyone read it. And I have done that a lot in my life. But God has consistently pushed me to not just write these words, but share them with others. That may seem like no big deal to you, but for me, it is terrifying. However, I can attest first hand, when you walk in obedience, the rewards are great! My skin might not be clean like that of a young boy, but my mind is being renewed and I can noticeably witness the melting away of my negativity. I am starting to trust more and more people with my most vulnerable offerings and in turn I feel like I am contributing the way God has called me to contribute. With every word I share, I feel a freedom I never thought possible.

Find your Jordan, conquer your Jordan, and watch God move in your life.

Don’t forget the rest

For an old guy, I go pretty hard. I am constantly on the go, I move from one project or task to the next. Obviously, from my physical appearance, most of my tasks require mental acuteness rather than physical endurance, but still on-the-go. It seems that no matter how much I accomplish or how much I check off of my list, there is always more to do. And so, on to the next thing. Like most of us, I thrive for the feeling of accomplishment. But I never allow myself the satisfaction of enjoying a job well done, because the next job awaits.

This may sound boastful, but for me, it is really more of a confession of sin. My preoccupation as a task master, while seemingly productive, is probably the biggest obstacle to my spiritual growth. Don’t be mistaken, even through my endless checklist, I serve God. He is always near and I do my best to be the most faithful servant I can be (Psalms 145:18). However, much like in exercise or weight lifting, the muscle grows after it is torn and exhausted. It grows in the recovery.

I believe, that this is the sole reason for the Sabbath. But most of our world gets this very wrong. We treat Sunday as our day to worship the Lord in between getting our projects done, preparing for the week ahead, or some other method of checking tasks off of our list. There are two problems with the way we typically approach the Sabbath. First, we ‘save’ our worship for attending church on Sunday. That is what the Sabbath is for right? I mean, God set aside a day to worship him, so we will do it on that day. Second, while we may not actually go to work on Sunday, we still sandwich our worship between household chores, projects, or some other method of checking tasks off of our list. Never really resting as we are called to do (Isaiah 58:13-14). The Sabbath should not be the only time we worship God, but it should be the time that we only worship God. The rule of thumb should be, if the task does not directly reflect your Love for God, or Love for others – save it until tomorrow.

Like many of us, I don’t have any problems with the worship part of the Sabbath. Where I struggle is with the resting. And for this reason, I never really recover from the wears and tears of the week prior, nor do I every fully prepare for the week ahead. Without this recovery period, I cannot fully perform or grow to my God given potential. Even when I physically stop myself from doing any more tasks for the week, my brain just runs through everything that needs to be done or what I should be doing instead of resting. What most of us fail to realize is that this mindset feels like it is noble because we are striving to do more, to be more, and to accomplish more. The Biblical reality is that this behavior is direct disobedience of God (Exodus 33:14).

Most of us feel like we cannot rest because we need to be accomplishing things. And even if we think we are accomplishing things for God, so it’s okay not to rest. We feel like we have to sow the seeds and reap the harvest- it all depends on us. But ironically, Jesus reminds us that our job is to sow the seed, from there God produces a harvest – not us (Mark 4:26-27).

If we live our lives according to the Gospel, and we worship God in our everyday with gratitude in our hearts (Colossians 3:16)– then what really sets the Sabbath apart is the rest. If we can focus on rest and the recovery during the Sabbath, worshiping God and trusting Him to attend to our harvest, I know He will continue to move on our behalf and prepare us for the growth and greater things that He has planned for us. This Sunday, if the task doesn’t show Love for God or Love of others, don’t do it and see how rested and recovered you feel.

Significant Stephen

Having started my walk with Christ a little late in life, my career was already established, my marriage was already on solid foundation, and my children were well on their way to becoming responsible adults. Naturally, as the fire entered my bones and my devotion to follow Christ began, I started to evaluate my morality, my foundational beliefs and my contribution to this world. As most men do, I relate a great deal of my self-worth and identity to my occupation. This seems to be standard in our society. When men first meet, often the first question is, “what do you do?” Having spent twenty plus years in the glamorous world of Property Tax, I struggled to find my relevance or my contribution to God’s kingdom. How could this possibly be the plan for my life? I spent months in self reflection, feeling compelled to change careers and find what it is that God is really calling me to. And then I met Stephen.

If you were to meet Stephen at a dinner party, and as most men do, ask him, “what do you do?” Stephen’s reply would have been, “I am a waiter”. Because we often associate our worth to our careers, Stephen, the waiter, would seem insignificant. And to most, when you read Stephen’s story in the Bible, you might gloss right over his significance of his role. (Acts 6:2-3,5)

This was a time where a number of disciples were concerned about the Jewish community’s treatment of their widows. They brought their concerns to the Apostles and they were told to appoint 7 men to serve the widows and ensure they were included in the meal distribution. Stephen was one of the 7 appointed. He was, however, the only one of the seven mentioned as being “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”. Later, it was noted that Stephen “did great wonders and signs among the people”. There is no indication that he vacated his post as waiter to the widows. So, I believe he was doing miracles among his mundane duties, or in addition to his “day job”. In fact, he was so powerfully making a difference that the local officials found it necessary to shut him up. And when he was forced to defend himself in front of the high priest, Stephen delivers the longest recorded sermon in the book of Acts. Not Peter, not Paul, not any of the apostles – but Stephen the waiter.

Never underestimate God’s ability to use small, seemingly insignificant assignments to set the stage for significant impact.

Because Stephen’s heart was filled with faith, his impact on the world was greater than he could have ever imagined (Proverbs 4:23). He didn’t get bogged down in feeling like his contribution wouldn’t matter, that it was not enough. He simply did, he simply acted in faith and made an impact through spreading love and truth to everyone he encountered, including the widows that society seemingly forgotten (1 John 3:18). Because of Stephens actions and faith and that convicting sermon in front of the high priest, the ensuing persecution forces the church out of Judea and into Samaria and eventually into Gentile territory. It is literally the spawn of a worldwide movement that is still alive today. And it all started with waiting tables for widows.

I find great encouragement and comfort from Stephen and his story. Because I often feel insignificant in this world. I often feel like I am not enough to really bring glory to God through my life. I often feel so tired and beat down from the seemingly insignificant work in my job. Like there is no more energy to offer for God’s kingdom. But Stephens story reminds me that if I trust in God and remain faithful, He will strengthen me and add power to His promise for my path. (Isaiah 40:31)

Stephen also reminds me that there are no insignificant pieces or parts to God’s plan. I am a chosen child of God – there is nothing insignificant about that. I need to remember to trust His plan and look for the opportunities for greatness within the mundane.

More Christians?

We live in a time where more people claim Christianity as their belief system than ever before. Let me say that again, there are more Christians living today than there have ever been. And while I find this encouraging and reassuring, I also feel extremely disappointed. My eyes tell me a different story. My experiences paint a very different picture of our world. The world I live in feels very different than the example Christ lived. This world feels judgmental instead of compassionate. This world feels self centered instead of God centered. This world feels more self serving than full of servants. This world feels more exclusive than inclusive.

As with almost any problem I encounter, the first step I take toward a solution is a personal inventory. How am I part of, contributing to, or the reason behind this problem? And the truth is, I cannot condemn the way this world feels without admitting that I am, at times, guilty of contributing to the flaws of our society. I judge. I can be self centered and self serving. I tend to retreat into my introverted comfort zone. Admitting this to myself is the first step of rectifying the behavior. I know it is wrong, because of the great gift of the Holy Spirit – it feels wrong each and every time I behave badly. And the only way to get better is to acknowledge the behavior, turn away from it, and be intentional about behaving differently with the next opportunity.

It isn’t an immediate change in my heart. It is taking a lot of time to undo years and years of programming. But the change is happening. A few days ago, riding through the neighborhood where we bought our first home, we were stopped at busy intersection and I spotted a homeless man sleeping in the corner of an alley. Not long ago my thoughts would have swirled around what he did to cause himself that misfortune. I would have worried about him asking me for a handout, or harming my family. I would have been disgusted by his free-loader mentality. I would have condemned and blamed him without a single reason to even judge him. But on this occasion, I got lost in thoughts about wanting to know his story and wanting to know if he felt mistreated or helpless. I wanted to know if I could help. But because I am still a work in progress, the light changed and I just went on my way. Since then I have been haunted by the experience and I did not know why, until I read Matthew 9:36 this morning.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

When I saw the homeless man, I had compassion for him. And while this is great progress from my old ways, to be truly Christ-like, I should have had compassion on him. I had the God nudge to learn his story and offer him help if I could, but I silenced that nudge. God was telling me that compassion, much like love, is not a passive feeling. Its a verb. Its something we do. It’s a method of serving.

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

So many times we think, “I volunteer at church on Sunday – I serve”. And while that is a true statement, it isn’t the complete picture. It is not the full intention of a life of servitude that Jesus exemplified. We, or at least I, need to change our views on serving. Instead of serving being an obligation to fulfill or a box to check, it needs to be a positioning of our hearts. We need to look at every encounter and every situation through a true Christian lens. How can I serve in this situation? It doesn’t always require elbow grease or hours of attention. Sometimes the way we can serve is to just simply love or encourage someone. Take a quick moment and think about any random situation you have been in recently or just make one up. Close your eyes and let the Spirit show you a situation. Now, think about how that situation would have turned out if you – or someone else involved, would have approached it with a loving, compassionate, serving heart. Now imagine the world full of these situations and those reactions. That would be a world that would feel like it hosted the most Christians in history. We won’t get there all at once. It starts with you and I, as individuals. I challenge you to be intentional to possess those traits and behaviors. That is how we become contributory, efficient, and productive Christians.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)

But it does not stop there. Because, even Jesus didn’t try to maintain his spiritual energy by just pouring into others all the time. He and the early Church spent time in fellowship with other believers, as a way of worship and as a way to recharge their spiritual batteries.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bred in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

The congregation of believers is important to God, and the part that is missed by many is that it is also important to the believers. A Church that worships and fellowships together, genuinely and passionately without ulterior motive, always increases in number. When the group of believers loves and has compassion on each other for God’s glory, He will move. Imagine if each Christian in this world lived our values. Then imagine how efficient and productive the world Church would be as true Christians united to serve and carry out God’s calling.

All you got

In our broken world, we are obsessed with more. We want what we don’t have, and we package this desire as “drive”. Now, I am not going to sit here and condemn the pull and motivation to accomplish greater things, but where we fall short as humans is the appreciation of where we are and what we have. I am not saying we shouldn’t dream or plan ahead. We absolutely should. God is calling each of us to greater things. His promise is Great (Hebrews 10:23). But we have to understand that His will and His plans are not ours. We have to trust that He is the Way and will provide all that we need.

‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:17-18)

The disciples literally left everything they were certain of to follow Jesus. They trusted God to provide for their needs along the way. They understood that God had a plan and that His plans are only restricted by His will. Whether His plan was the same as theirs or His timing was convenient – they trusted. His timing is a critical variable of your path forward. You cannot rush Him. And if you are in a stalling pattern, it is probably because either; you have not accomplished His goal for you in this stage or He has not finished preparing you or other for your next stage.

The world teaches us to ‘think outside the box’. While this is a wonderful brainstorming strategy, it can also be a detriment to our everyday lives. If you are feeling stuck or you feel like your growth is stymied, I want to challenge you to think inside the box. Stop worrying about what you want or what you don’t have and start working with what you have. Try gratitude for where God has you today. Your burdens may be someone else’s blessings, the only difference is perspective.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for tin the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working not planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Are you treating your current job or stage as a gift from God? Are you performing to the best of your ability to bring Him glory? Or are you mailing it in? Are you just going through the motions and resenting God for not giving you what is next, for not answering your prayers? I challenge you think inside the box by absolutely killing your current stage. Do it better than nobody could have imagined and while you do, give Him praise for the lessons you are learning during this stage. But this is not just my challenge, the apostle Paul gives this instruction in the Bible as well.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

Try it and watch how fast He promotes you to the next level.

Not only do we get stuck because of our lack of fervor for the stage God has us in currently, but another distractor is our focus on our limitations. We aren’t rich, smart, good looking, powerful, or privileged enough. We aren’t enough. We seem to forget or maybe we doubt that God, the creator of everything, has a plan for us. The only thing that can derail His plan is our will (or lack thereof). So many times, throughout the Bible, God shows us that our biggest limitation is His biggest opportunity.

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. (Matthew 14:17-18)

Even the disciples got bogged down in the earthly limitations while serving and walking with the Messiah. It is understandable and a natural reaction, but I challenge you to recognize that voice in your head, the one that says, “I am not enough”. And you rebut that voice by saying, “But I am the child of a mighty God”.

If you had all the resources you think you needed, maybe you wouldn’t be compelled to call upon the resources that God has put inside of you. And He has put inside of you all that you need.

All you got is all you need.

I am called to write

Like many people, I have been trying to find a way to make this world better than the way I found it. I have been trying to find my calling toward impact. I have been trying to figure out what my ministry is in this world. I feel like I have been given and continue to be given very practical ways of viewing the world through a Christian lens. I have a lot to say but I don’t like speaking in front of people, or really, speaking to people at all. Allowing my thoughts to flow through my fingertips, to be forever preserved for the eyes of future generations, provides a very peaceful and serene warmth to my soul.

“Write these things for the future so that people who are not yet born will praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:18)

I have many struggles with writing, and at times my negative thoughts paralyze me from crafting a single word even though the urge was overwhelming just moments prior.
“I am not good enough.”
“Why would anyone care what I have to say?”
“I don’t know enough about any single topic to write anything helpful about it.”
“I can’t spell.”
“I have a limited vocabulary.”
“I am a simple and basic person.”
“I am not even sure the proper grammatical composition of a sentence, paragraph or story.”

The enemy certainly thinks he has my number. But I know, none of this matters. Because God gives me the urge, the thoughts, and the passion for putting these words down. He is THE Creator. He thinks I am good enough and He wants me to write.

Plus, I do love to write. I love to receive a Word or inspiration and just expound on it until all of the fervent thoughts escape my mind and become a collection of ramblings in no specific pattern. Then, I love to retrace those thoughts word by word and form them into something that is consumable to other human eyes.

I have zero idea what this collection of ramblings may turn into. I am not even sure what I want to accomplish out of this exercise. I don’t aspire to be a famous writer. I don’t want accolades. I don’t expect to earn a living penning my random thoughts. I am not even sure I want to be vulnerable enough to let anyone read them. However, the thought that excites me the most is that my written words somehow become a ministry that helps people in life and ultimately get to know Jesus Christ.

Many of the words that the apostle Paul wrote were penned to believers to encourage them to continue spreading the Gospel. He tried to help them live Christ-like lives and use their example to be a light in the world. He did this in writing, mostly because that was the only medium he was afforded. Paul spent a good portion of his ministry captive in one way or another – usually in prison for his belief and faithfulness to Christ. Paul couldn’t preach from the pulpit. He couldn’t go door to door offering salvation. But he had to get the Word out. There was an unstoppable need to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had no choice but to write.

I often feel a similar pull – like I just have to get the words out. Whether anyone ever reads them or not – I must rid myself of these thoughts or I may just explode.

Sometimes, I secretly hope that someone finds these thoughts, falls in love with them and publishes them to the world. But not knowing who created them. -they are just published anonymously and enjoyed unanimously.

The truth is, for me there is a euphoric high from writing. It is a therapeutic relief. It is a energy inducing rush. There are few sweeter moments than the completion of that last sentence of a writing. What surprises me, is the writing related reward of completing that thought is reinvigorated by someone else enjoying the words I have written. It is one of the most vulnerable things I can do – let someone read my true and unguarded thoughts. It is one thing to write, it is quite another to be read.

My entire lifetime I have been pulled to make a difference in this world. I feel a rush of excitement anytime I think about the possibility of my words reaching places that I may never go. There is no limit to the places my writings can travel and that is both exciting and frightening at the same time. My honest hope is that my words, one day and in some way, resonate with someone and help in a way I could have never imagined helping. That is exactly how God works, isn’t it? He gives you a gift that you may not appreciate, be aware of, or understand how to use, and He turns that gift into something He can use in ways that were not previously apparent to you or your understanding. I am confident that is God’s plan for me. And, right now, He is urging me to write.

Obediently, I follow.