As I've continued to reflect on the journey that has brought us to this point in our lives and the life of Emmaus Road Church, I've become convinced of the following statement:It's never the right time, because it's always the right time
A simple illustration to explain: As the Allied forces prepared for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the element of surprise was their greatest weapon. Although they amassed hundreds of ships and thousands of well-trained soldiers, it was only a minuscule number compared to what would eventually be needed to break out of the beaches of Normandy and eventually liberate continental Europe.
The point is this, had they waited until they had every last ship, tank, cannon, soldier, and bullet they thought they'd need, they would never have landed and the outcome of the war would have been vastly different.
There are times in our lives, and I believe they are many, when God calls us to some great and difficult task. We sense it in our hearts and perhaps even long to respond, but the fear that we're underprepared holds us back. "I don't have the right training." "Who will go with me?" "How will I provided for, and how will I provide for my family?" Such questions, while legitimate, can become the antithesis to walking by faith.
I've recently met two women who have stepped out beyond the need for answers to these questions to the front lines of faith. They're an inspiration to me to continue in what God's called us to at ERC. They've chosen to walk at the edge of faith where only God knows the way ahead and He must come through for them.
From time to time, young married couples will ask Barb and I "When is the right time to have children?" I simply tell them that there's never a "right" time--there's nothing you can ever do to fully prepare yourself for the wonderful challenge of parenting; choosing to have children is something you step into knowing that it's a decision you have to grow into.
Following God's calling, obeying His voice, joining Him in reclaiming the earth for Him requires us to recognize that although it's never the "right" time, according to our standard of how things ought to work, there's never a better time than the present.
Now is the time!
3 comments:
I once heard someone say, "If not here, then where? If not me, then who?" So many times we fly through the intersections of life, we don't heed the yellow to slow and we definitely don't stop to listen and look...intersections were meant to bring order in chaos, if we can just savor the God-given moments of those intersections of life and stop to love others in them and through them, we can change the world!
I hope that makes sense my mind has been a bit fried for the past few days. You are right, now is the time! Now is the time that God has given to us to make a difference! :)
Thanks for your thoughts, Sharon. I plan on writing a follow-up post on waiting, so I appreciate your insights.
Btw, I believe it may have been a message I gave at Hope that you're referring to where I used the catch phrase "If not here, then where?" meaning if people can't find hope, love, acceptance, truth, honesty, goodness, openness, welcome, grace, and forgiveness in the Church--the body of Christ--then where else will they find it? I'm glad at least you remembered it.
Peace.
I know it was you!!! :) LOL! I was just trying to remind you that God is using you in the lives of all around you to inspire and to call people to fulfill His purpose. I'm blonde but not completely forgetful! :)
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