Inside the Waves
If you've been to see Finding Dory, you've probably seen the mini movie of the seagull who is terrified to leave it's nest in search of food. It's mother goes out before him, along with all the other gulls and leads by example, yet the poor baby gull struggles to find his confidence in the experience of watching others. With some luring and driven by hunger, he is finally convinced to leave the safety of his nest and venture onto the water's edge. With a glorious tiny clam just inches away, as a delicious reward awaiting him, he hesitates and suddenly, he's slammed by a wave. Drenched and afraid, he hobbles back to the safety of his nest. I'm quite certain he was determined to stay there, warm and secure forever. However, there's no food there, his mother is at water's edge and he's also alone. The safety of his nest is suddenly less satisfying, and he musters enough courage to try again. Again he faces large crashing waves, and inches away from them just in time. Along the way, he meets some tiny crabs who he observes burrowing their way into the sand upon the arrival of the coming waves. So, in a moment of desperation with a wave coming full force, he digs down. He plants himself into the solidity of the sand and he waits out the tumultuous water, as it washes over him ruffling his feathers to and fro. While underwater, his helpful friend, the small hermit crab taps him on his wing and encourages him to open his eyes. Eyes wide open, his fear is replaced by the brilliant display of clammy goodness, uncovered by one small step of faith driven bravery. Suddenly, he's aware of all the blessings that are laid before him as he fought through his fears and stood firm, rooted in the safety of the sandy ocean floor. Fully satisfied, he grabs his mother's attention and pulls her under the next rushing wave. He doesn't want her to miss this great reward. Because of one small gull stepping head on into his fear, a whole flock of sea gulls experienced a greatness unlike they'd known before, an abounding portion, more than plenty of what they needed. What a glorious moment.
If you haven't a desire to see Finding Dory, pay the $5 matinee and go see the seagull mini movie before. It's worth it.
I find myself not unlike this tiny seagull lately. In so many areas of my life, God has been calling me to step outside of my fears and into his faithfulness. Away from where I think I find my comfortable, and into the uncomfortableness of His calling. Time after time over the course of the last several months, He's called me to tasks that have absolutely terrified me. Whether it's as simple as being bold in my faith and taking a simple stand, or speaking in front of 100 or so people, or opening my heart to trust him in more private areas. He's been busy stretching me and reminding me that He alone supplies my strength.
One thing I'm learning is to be fully obedient to whatever He is calling me to in each moment, wherever He has me at that moment, even if it rattles me to the core with fear. As I'm trusting Him with this, and treading through waters that at the heart of me, I really want to flee from, back to the safety of my comfy nest on land, I'm coming alive in a way I didn't know I needed to.
In 2 Timothy, it tells us that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. What I'm learning, is that when I choose to trust God with my fears, it's then that I truly experience His power, understand the fullness of his love and function with a sound mind. Sometimes it means daily surrendering a recurring fear. Other times it means standing up in front of the crowd and trusting the Holy Spirit to speak through my trembling. It means, facing verbal persecution from those who don't understand my stand and my convictions.
More than all of these though, choosing to walk in His faithfulness rather than hiding in my fear means not missing out on the blessings of being obedient. Just like the tiny seagull, when I plant my feet firmly in God's promises and wait out those tumultuous waves of fear, heartbreak, pain, and trembling, my eyes are opened to the brilliant display of his goodness. His love and power, undeniably satisfying, replaces all those fears with an immense awareness of His unending faithfulness. I come alive. I become free.
Do my feathers get ruffled? Absolutely. Sometimes I'm so drenched from that raging water, my head stays tucked in the sand a bit, questioning, "Are you certain God?" It's then that He gently reminds me, "I am the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
If you haven't a desire to see Finding Dory, pay the $5 matinee and go see the seagull mini movie before. It's worth it.
I find myself not unlike this tiny seagull lately. In so many areas of my life, God has been calling me to step outside of my fears and into his faithfulness. Away from where I think I find my comfortable, and into the uncomfortableness of His calling. Time after time over the course of the last several months, He's called me to tasks that have absolutely terrified me. Whether it's as simple as being bold in my faith and taking a simple stand, or speaking in front of 100 or so people, or opening my heart to trust him in more private areas. He's been busy stretching me and reminding me that He alone supplies my strength.
One thing I'm learning is to be fully obedient to whatever He is calling me to in each moment, wherever He has me at that moment, even if it rattles me to the core with fear. As I'm trusting Him with this, and treading through waters that at the heart of me, I really want to flee from, back to the safety of my comfy nest on land, I'm coming alive in a way I didn't know I needed to.
In 2 Timothy, it tells us that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. What I'm learning, is that when I choose to trust God with my fears, it's then that I truly experience His power, understand the fullness of his love and function with a sound mind. Sometimes it means daily surrendering a recurring fear. Other times it means standing up in front of the crowd and trusting the Holy Spirit to speak through my trembling. It means, facing verbal persecution from those who don't understand my stand and my convictions.
More than all of these though, choosing to walk in His faithfulness rather than hiding in my fear means not missing out on the blessings of being obedient. Just like the tiny seagull, when I plant my feet firmly in God's promises and wait out those tumultuous waves of fear, heartbreak, pain, and trembling, my eyes are opened to the brilliant display of his goodness. His love and power, undeniably satisfying, replaces all those fears with an immense awareness of His unending faithfulness. I come alive. I become free.
Do my feathers get ruffled? Absolutely. Sometimes I'm so drenched from that raging water, my head stays tucked in the sand a bit, questioning, "Are you certain God?" It's then that He gently reminds me, "I am the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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