It's been many years since I read Loren Cunningham's book; "Daring To Live On The Edge". As I read it again it is quite encouraging and
refreshing, especially in this season of my life. As I read the opening chapter, a classic
phrase jumped out at me. “Once you’ve
experienced the life of faith, it ruins you for the ordinary.”[1] I have found this to be absolutely true for
me. I remember many years ago when the
thought of a consistent salary and a more comfortable living felt quite
enticing. I flirted with returning to my
hometown to move back into what I perceived at the time as a “normal
life”. As I imagined being home I
remembered people, places, and activities that had been so fulfilling before
and I could not wait to get home to engage with these once again.
When I returned
home for a brief time I was surprised to find that the all these things that
seemed to entice me home were no longer satisfying. I thought everyone and everything had changed
while I was away. But, as I examined
this more carefully, I realized that the main change that had occurred was in
me. What used to be important to me
paled next to the wonders of following the Lord. Oh, the people at home were still wonderful and I will be forever grateful for the love and investment so many have made in my life, but I had tasted an extraordinary life of following Jesus on an epic
journey. The truth was that nothing else
would ever satisfy me again.
Now that I look
back I am so grateful that I did not return to what I perceived as a normal
life. We have faced many challenges in
this life of faith. Along the way people
have said, “You guys must really have a gift of faith”, but as I have pondered
this I don’t think that’s true. Rather,
I think we have been called to live a normal Christian life, a life that the
Lord wants all of us as Christians to live, and that is a life of faith. Of course, the particulars are different for
each of us because God has a particular destiny for each and every one of
us. Nonetheless, each of us is called to
obey and trust God.
Although my life
has been full of challenges and at times Darla and I have wondered if we would
even make it through a few situations along the way, I would not trade this epic
adventure of a lifetime for the ordinary existence that I once thought so
enticing. If you are reading this, then
I invite you to trust the most trustworthy being in the universe - God - and follow
Him on an epic journey of your own!
Join us at www.ywamorlando.com to begin your journey...
Join us at www.ywamorlando.com to begin your journey...
No comments:
Post a Comment