Out of the Boat

    

As I sit upon the shoreline, I look out across the beautiful still waters as the suns nestles the light on the waves.  The majestic mountains completely surround the waters to display peace and serenity.  As I gaze at this breathtaking view, I am mesmerized by the wonders of God’s creation.  The whole earth was created for us to enjoy the bountiful blessings of God.  How someone can question God’s bountiful love for us totally puzzles me.  It’s completely displayed for all to see.   Although this isn’t my first time to gaze upon this view; it has captivated me for years.  What’s beyond the view?  This question can only be answered by traveling on a small boat.  Near the shore, my eyes move towards a small boat tied to the pier.  Again it sits, waiting for me to decide what I am going to do.  Many questions of fear plague my mind to hinder my life’s quest, who will win today?  The little boat by the pier has patiently waited for my decision but I am still hesitant to enter.  For ten years, I have visited the same location with deep desires, dreams, and visions.  This precious small boat is the only way I can travel to the other side but I am terrified.  It’s a big world; I am only a visitor passing by.  But I still hear the sweet, gentle, loving voice of my Savior saying, “It’s time to come to the water.”  Oh, the way His voice pulls at my heart strings, it so hard to turn away.  For ten years, I have been fearful to trust the One who created this breathtaking view for me.

     Let me explain, this little story to you.  Since I was fourteen years old, I have been called into the ministry to be a pastor.  I have obeyed the Lord faithfully throughout my life to get my education to obtain this.  While in college, I married my husband and gave birth to our two oldest children and working full-time.  I still can’t believe I was able to get a degree with all of the personal changes taking place in my life.  One year after graduation, I received my first position to be a youth/associate pastor, so I was overjoyed to be following God’s call on my life.  I accepted it with great expectations, excitement, and self-doubt, could I really do this?  What was I stepping into?  But I knew if God called me, He would be with me. 

     Yet, what happened in ministry totally destroyed my faith in me, the church, and God.  As the senior pastor resigned, I felt totally abandoned, hopeless, and alone.  According to the bylaws, I was hired by the pastor and not the church, so I was soon unemployed.  Since the pastor and I worked so well together and he was willing to teach me, I considered his offer to plant a church in Florida.  My husband and I didn’t take this offer lightly, we prayed together for days before making a decision.  Before taking the pastorate, we left behind great jobs and our first house.  Were we really moving back?  No, God advised us to go to Florida.  Although I obeyed the Lord, my heart wasn’t in this new position at the church.  So, after a year I re-signed to try to gain focus of my life and allow my family to heal.   Also, my husband wasn’t serving the Lord at the time, so I felt torn in what to do.  One thing I have learned, there is no place to hide from God.  He has your number down.  Nevertheless, the Spirit kept urging me to get back into ministry but I felt like a complete failure.  But the Word of God keeps burning deep within my heart.  I would write sermons, poetry, and some writing to give myself an outlet but a fire has been deeply burning within.  Call me a nerd but I love to study the Word of God for hours.  I don’t ever get tired of it.  But what I enjoy the most is preaching a solid message of God’s Word and watching it come alive in someone’s life.  As the Word takes root, we pray for whatever their need is, it’s awesome to watch God’s Word bring life.

       As the years have turned, the greater my regret has grown.  But God remains faithful.  A few years ago, the Lord gave me a vision of what He wanted for me to do in ministry.  Just recently, I have decided to put my faith in action with God’s call on my life.  I am right now in the process of trying to get my license to be a minister with the help of my pastor. 

     What am I getting at?  Many people reading this have received a marvelous vision from the Lord and wondering if it will come to pass.  The dream is breathtaking, completely enormous, and fearful at the same time, I completely understand.  Sometimes, the first step is the hardest to take.  The boat has the ability to guide you to the unexpected, dangerous, and most beautiful places.  You have to place your trust in the boat to safely get to your destination.  My friend, the boat is Jesus Christ who has the complete ability to hold you through the journey, all He wants for you to enter and trust Him.  Faith requires us to step into the boat and see what lies ahead.  We can sit at the shore and wonder about it, regret it, or dread the thought of failing.  Whether I fail or succeed, all I know is I have to try for the sake of my Savior.  Faith is taking a risk of resting in the truth to watch the impossible become possible through Christ. 

     Just a nugget, Peter was the only disciple who experienced walking on the water.  The others stayed in the boat, watching him, and being fearful of the storm.  Jesus allowed Peter to come to Him; He didn’t hesitate or rebuke him.  Sadly, Peter has been ridiculed for being fearful of drowning while walking on the water.  His heart became fearful of the dangerous surrounds but Jesus lifted him up.  (Matthew 14:25-32)  If God has called your life, He is all you need to fulfill it.  Fear focuses on our abilities, faith focuses on God’s abilities.  It will be done as God promised but will you enter the boat?  He is waiting for your answer by the shore.

The Power of Godly Friendship

     Since this is my first blog, I would like to dedicate it to a special friend whose encouragement, prayers, and support are worth their weight in gold.  She has challenged me to stretch for the stars and believe with God all things are possible, her name is Shawn Boreta.

The Power of Godly Friendship

     George Eliot said, “Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”

      Friendship is one of God’s greatest treasures while here on earth, especially if both parties belong to God for it will be eternal.  What a comfort to have someone in your life that challenges you, believes in you, and sees your potential.  Regardless of what the past has done, a true friend loves at all times.  My friendship with Shawn developed through a desire we both longed for the salvation of our husbands.  Although my husband just recently rededicated his life to Christ, we are still believing and trusting for Shawn’s.  Besides this desire, we share a passion for the Word of God, ministering to others, and to honor God with our lives.  This passion ties our hearts to the One we credit for it all-Jesus Christ.

     Many people desire to seek counsel for their lives but neglect the Word of God which instructs for every aspect of life.  No matter what the subject, God’s Word supplies the answers.  As Christians, we need to be very careful who we seek counsel from about our personal problems.  According to Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” As Christians, I don’t believe we should seek counsel from those who don’t know God.  What does light and darkness have in common?  We have absolutely nothing in common, so we can’t gain a godly knowledge to direct our steps. (II Corinthians 6:14)  If we desire a godly life, we need to have friendships that will encourage our walk, prayer for guidance, and loving rebukes as necessary.  Now before someone throws a shoe at the computer monitor, I am not saying we can’t have friends with those who are ungodly but they shouldn’t be our best friends.  People come to the saving knowledge of Christ because of someone’s willingness to invest the truth, love them, and live it before them.

     A friend loves at all times. (Proverbs 17:17)  A friend prays for you. (Job 42:10)  A friend rebukes you when it’s necessary. (Proverbs 27:6)  A true friend will support you even if your family doesn’t. (Proverbs 18:24)  Who does this sound like?  It reminds me of the story of David and Jonathan whose friendship was tested severely.  Although Jonathan’s father desired David’s death, Jonathan protected David’s life.  He didn’t allow any harm to diminish David’s character, his name, or his friendship.  What a true friend?  Are you this kind of friend?  If not, what can you do to make it better?  I challenge you to become the friend you need in your life.  Maybe it’s time to pick up the phone or write a letter to express your appreciation to your best friend.  It’s never too late, you just pick up where you left off.