In my Bible study, we have been reading Restless by Jennie Allen. I HIGHLY recommend the book. Right now, we are walking through different areas of our lives looking for the threads tying them all together. I know some of you are big picture type of people who can connect the dots between each experience and God’s plan, but I am a little dense. I often can’t see the forest for the trees. I get lost in the details and the immediate, and in the process, I forget about the eternal.
This book has been life changing in many ways, but the idea of looking at the moments in our lives as threads of a greater story has revolutionized my dreams. I have started to put practical steps behind what I once put on the shelf as just ideas in the sky. Restless has helped me to connect the dots. Dots connecting things such as..
- Between why I love paperwork and all the details needed to start anything..a blog, a non-profit, an etsy site. I never thought my ability to handle lots of details was something God could use, but He is showing me how my God-given gift of administration and details can be used to change the world and spread His love.
- Between my constant struggle with feeling left out and my intense desire to serve those on the margins, people who society has cast aside. My greatest hurts are motivating the passion in my heart.
- Between my spiritual gift of giving and my current job.
- Between my struggle for approval and acceptance and a dream to bestow the approval and grace of Christ on women who feel much less than worthy.
There are others, deep desires and longings God is connecting. Friendships and experiences God is using to shape me and help me see He designed me perfectly and divinely placed me here. I am not a mistake or a mess up. And reader, you are not either. God gave you unique passions, strengths, and weakness to bring glory to Himself and spread His love.
We have only gone through this exercise with our gifts and our suffering. The next several chapters will walk us through people, places, and passions, hence the part 1 in the title. So until then, take some time to think about your gifts and the suffering in your life.
What if the things you love and your greatest hurts were part of God’s plan to change the world?
How would your dreams and actions change if you looked at every moment of your life as part of God’s plan for your life?
What will you do to take a step forward? Will you un-shelve a dream? Take a risk?
