Monday Morning Munch No. 18 - Headlights and the Holy Spirit

As I was driving home Saturday night, taking the back country roads and weaving between farms and admiring the festive homes and lawns decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas decorations, God taught me a lesson.

The truck in front of me wasn't small, in fact, it was one of the biggest trucks I've ever seen. Because of the size, I couldn't see around it and was forced to simply follow the truck the rest of the way home being content to only see this big truck's bumper, tailgate and window and maybe a little bit of light from the sides of his truck.

Speaking of lights, the truck had light ropes that flashed when braking. Like this little gem below.

So classy.

Anyway, I was borderline frustrated with this monstrous vehicle because it made me go a little slower than I would have gone on my own and, again, I could only see his big truck, nothing in the path ahead of us.

That's when it hit me. Not the truck, thankfully, but the realization that this giant of a truck was like the Holy Spirit. 

Sometimes, in our walk with the Lord, you can't see the next hundred steps, but God allows you to see the next one. Sometimes the walk to our destination, our finished product (He's bringing us to completion, you know), is slower than we would like and sometimes He seems to be putting on the brakes for no reason other than He sees further down the road than we can (and that's enough for me to trust Him... at least it is right now in my blog. In reality, it might be different as I'm learning absolute surrender). Therefore, if we're following Him we need to trust Him, He's most likely preventing an accident or wreck that involves deer, trees and Christmas yard decorations. What a mess that would be.

God doesn't say faith is a leap into the dark; it's a leap into the light. The light of God's revelation, God's knowledge.  -Michael Durham    

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." -Psalm 119:105

God doesn't promise us an entire army of people holding flashlights to light our way, or a future of sunshine that shows exactly what's ahead on our weaving road that is our walk with Him. But He does promise to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, which means we see one or two steps ahead--just enough to take the next move in following Him.

He promises grace for this moment and if we're following Him today, He'll lead us exactly where He wants us tomorrow. 

 

I am not, but I know I AM.

Up until today, this week has had a discouraging twinge to it. Nothing "bad" happened, it just wasn't one of my favorite weeks. I couldn't really put my finger on it until last night after True Beauty when I once again came face-to-face with an earth-shattering revelation.

I'm not called to be the Holy Spirit 2.

Shocking.

The girls in True Beauty (I would abbreviate but I don't want to be misunderstood as talking about Tuberculosis) have so much of my heart and I want them to come to know Christ so badly with a burden that intensifies with each passing week. They are at the age I was when God in His mercy began opening my eyes to the fact that morality does not equal salvation, and my only hope was through His heart-transforming handiwork.

I want these girls to experience that same thing. I want them to see God as more than a supreme being with wrath and justice and I want them to see Jesus as more than a storybook figure. They are the very source of life, acceptance and love they so desperately crave.

As I was praying for them last night and confessing to God my discouragement at their lack of conversion, He gently and lovingly reminded me of my place. It's not on any sort of throne or really large thing above people- it's on my knees. It's on campus at Murray. It's at press conferences, in the newsroom, and in my column. It's in the classroom, kitchen, and craft room, teaching these precious girls about Him. It's not my place or duty to save, it's my place to speak the truth I've received and leave the details to God.

God's infinite and gloriously sweet grace never fails to humble and leave me amazed and awestruck at His love- He loves me! Me. Why, I don't know, but His Word says He does and I believe His Word. It was His relentless love that sent Jesus to the cross and it is that same love that sends the Holy Spirit to convict us. What mercy! He could let us continue on swimming in our sins, selfishness, and seclusion from Him, but He brings us back and continues shaping us into the image of His Son.

Wow.

Today in True Beauty a few things went "wrong." The hot water handle broke off while the water was going which resulted in a phone call to my dad and buckets of water on the counter before a pair of pliers finally shut the water off.

So exciting.

The girls were working on making invitations to their final project in the craft room when I walked in and was immediately shewed away. "Don't come in, don't come in!" They squealed.

The next thing I know they tell me to go look at my door. This is what I find...

I may or may not have teared up a little.

Okay, fine. I cried.

Then as I was going through the pictures from the day I found these...

Before I knew it little rivers were running down my cheeks again. It was just so sweet and completely unexpected. I love these girls so much.

Please pray for their hearts. Pray that they will not have temporary behavior modifications to please me, their parents, or anyone else, but that they will have soul transformations. Pray that God protects them and saves them while they are young. He did it for me, He can do it for them.

Depending on His Spirit,