Day 88 - Faith
Scripture focus: "When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that he Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord."Ex. 14:31 NLT
I have a kid who is headed to grad school on the West Coast. He doesn't know how he's going to fund this adventure. And he is really quite the homebody. I have an adventuresome child who loves big cities and international travel - this isn't that kid. He likes being home. But he has a calling; this calling compels him to act. It goes against every natural inclination in his being. Other choices were available - cheaper choices, options closer to home. But he is committed to living this big dream because he believes that it is a God thing. Frankly, his dad and I don't necessarily understand this strange calling. We always thought he'd end up in law school - he's an excellent arguer; stubborn too. He even loves to hang out with lawyers. Doesn't that sound like lawyer material? He loves to read books on the constitution and bill of rights - even when he's not in school. Go figure.
"All of us are called to a place we have not been. Our lives were always intended to be journeys into the unknown. The invitation is both personal and mystical. No one else may fully understand what you are being called to. You may not even fully understand. The path you must walk may appear to others as strange or unreasonable, but you know there's more going on than meets the eye. When I began to search for God, he opened my eyes, my mind, and my imagination to a future I never could have dreamed of. I began to see what life could be if I would read the signs and choose this great quest. God calls us out of the life we have known and calls us to a life we have never imagined. The signs are all around you, but even more the signs are all within you. Your soul is being pulled forward. You are being called to a God whose voice your ears have never heard. You are having visions of a life you could not possibly create alone. You are no longer satisfied with where you are, and now you are on a quest for where you do not know. You were created not to live in the past, but to create the future. Your soul craves to become, and you will never be satisfied with less." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 7, Destiny.
How do we distinguish between the cravings in our mid-brain, and the soul cravings McManus refers to?
Brain cravings are motivated by fear and fueled by the urge to survive; they're a fight for self-preservation.
Soul cravings are nurtured by faith, and often produce visions that are beyond anything we could have imagined on our own.
Brain cravings are frantic and demand immediate attention.
Soul cravings are passionate and blossom as we pause to prepare.
Brain cravings speak loud and demand attention.
Soul cravings listen for confirmation.
Brain cravings put their trust in what has worked in the past.
Soul cravings put their trust in God.
But hear me on this - every single solitary one of us has a good story inside us; it's a story that invites us into a world larger than ourselves. Maybe that's why it is a dangerous thing to follow the compulsion to survive - that's too small a dream. God intends for us to thrive!
Recommended reading: Deuteronomy 8 and 9 in the morning; Psalm 70 in the evening
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