Stars, Sand, Faith…

 

Did you know that lions have more cones in their eyes so the see better than we do. All lions have white under their eyes too, it brings light into their eyes! It's epic! 

 

Red Rocks this week had one of my favorite authors speak, Levi Lusko. He's talking about light, grief, perspective… Seeing through the eyes of a lion… It's good.

 

I've really been thinking about Abram lately. God used this story early in my faith as a prayer of purpose to dream of and pray for. It starts here when God ask Abhram to GO, leave home and… He does it… You can read it here in Genesis 12:1-5. God takes responsibility, He says go to the land I will show you, and I will bless you… lots of “I will” from God. We work WITH God… Abram WENT and GOD showed the way and blessed him. GOD was WITH him.

Abhram and Sari have some wild experiences… There was a famine, they went to Egypt, people wanted to get with Abram's wife, they were scared, they lied. They were getting super old and still didn't have a single kid. They traveled, they followed God, Abram's faith was counted to him as righteousness… and still one blessing they didn't have was a family of their own. They got pretty hopeless, so hopeless they decided maybe Abram should sleep with a slave to get an heir. That, as you might imagine, was a mess. Lots of pain and jelousy and despair and more hopelessness came from that decision. At some point God had promised Abram: I'll make your offspring like the dust of the earth, you can't count dust and you won't be able to count all your offspring. You'll find this in Genesis 13. I grew up on a farm with a half mile dirt road to get to my house. I KNOW dust! My imagination is with God's promise. God can promise Abram decedents like dust… before one was born. Blowing my mind. The wonder continues and as Abram is questioning again God promises him decendents as numerous as the stars in the sky. Check it out here in Genesis 15. God makes promises in very cool ways, and it's going against all odds. I look up at the stars today and think I'm part of that promise. A child of God, from the line of Abram, my faith in the God who keeps his promises will be my righteousness in Christ. 

Over the years Abram and Sari, later Abraham and Sarah had so many opportunities to get to know God and God kept stretching their faith in WHO HE IS. 

 

I just finished this incredible book called Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation by Doshi and McGregor. It talks about play, purpose, and potential using tactical and adaptive leadership. I am convinced God is the best leader! The reason all this matters is we wander! I do. I forget so easitly that God has a plan for my life.

 

Things God is reminding me through Abram's story:

1. If you keep looking back you won't appreciate where you are and who IS with you.
2. The promise is ahead of you. Please, stop looking back and trust me. I know where we are going. Abram couldn't see the plan, he knew the promise, not the plan. Following God WILL require FAITH. There will be odds stacked against you, it might look like you are lost, you may not be sure of what is next. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. HE goes before you. Don't go back to Ur. Look up! He's promised to make your decedents as many as the stars in the sky and sand in the seas. You are part of the great commission… to go make disciples of all the nations. Keep your eyes up on ME.
3. I WILL, I AM, I… you Jen need to believe… I WILL, the I AM will do the rest. Relax, call on me, meet with me, talk to me, let your face glow because you are in my presence. I am more than enough for you.
4. What about that book… oh, yes… play, purpose, potential, all found in Christ and… those factors matter! Bring PLAY, Bring PURPOSE, Bring POTENTIAL,,, be a leader who is both tactical and adaptive… support play, support purpose, support potential and be SURE that people KNOW that in Christ they can play, they have purpose, and HE has potential for us! At 75 years old he was not even close to done with Abram, so just keep your eyes on HIM.
5. When Jesus was sleeping in the boat and the storm was  SWAMPING the boat… I've been thinking the miracle is he could sleep. Sleep on it. Jesus had peace in storms. There WILL be storms, stars, and hope in the darkest of nights… no matter what you see or do not see…GOD IS… GOD is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask for or imagine. BELIEVE. Keep looking through the eyes of the lion…