This book, IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY, is just what I needed to hear! It is a divine appointment! I was sharing with my wife last night, how this book is helping me reconnect with my courage, boldness- my heart. John Eldredge talks about how we so often settle for “small stories” for our lives when God has wild adventures for us, if we only get in touch with our heart and seek Him.
As I have shared with you, God told me that I would be working with Tim Tebow in Colorado. I believe this is the “Lion” I am supposed to chase! Up until now, I have been preparing by getting my house on the market and cleaning out stuff I don’t need. The other main thing has been writing this story. The Lord told me to write it and I have seen this as my “job” while I prepare to move. Up until yesterday, I have taken the approach that God was going to make it happen- open the door. But since I have been reading this book, I sense the Lord telling me that it is time to chase this lion/opportunity. To overcome my fears and excuses and the irrationalness of it and go after it like Benaiah did in Second Samuel chapter 23. Chasing lions are counter intuitive and CRAZY! I assure you I am of sound mind and spirit.
I shared with my wife last night about this book, how God may be calling us to not wait for the door to open but to step out in faith and watch God open the door. Like Peter, who had to step on the Lake before he experienced Gods provision- the ability to walk on water. The ability of walking on water is equivalent to me working with Tim Tebow…… It’s not going to happen without God providing a way. So Peter took a risk and trusted Jesus to provide a way… and he walked on water until he got fearful.
So, I find myself at a crossroads… I can try to settle for a small story hear or I can chase the lion in Colorado. It’s like the Israelites… God had promised them the land flowing with milk and honey.. but they still had to “take it”, overcoming their fears and the obstacles they would face. It’s like God’s promises in the Bible… they don’t have power in our lives until we claim and internalize them, applying them daily to our lives.
Forward to this morning… remember.. I went to bed thinking about chasing the Lion…I awoke to reading today’s Streams in the Desert devotional and that of Ransomed Heart Ministries, Daily Readings.
Now, I hope you are sitting down….
from Streams in the Desert, August, 5, 2010
The Blessing of the Lion
“And there came a lion” (1 Sam. 17:34).
It is a source of inspiration and strength to come in touch with the youthful David, trusting God. Through faith in God he conquered a lion and a bear, and afterwards overthrew the mighty Goliath. When that lion came to despoil that flock, it came as a wondrous opportunity to David. If he had failed or faltered he would have missed God’s opportunity for him and probably would never have come to be God’s chosen king of Israel. “And there came a lion.”
One would not think that a lion was a special blessing from God; one would think that only an occasion of alarm. The lion was God’s opportunity in disguise. Every difficulty that presents itself to us, if we receive it in the right way, is God’s opportunity. Every temptation that comes is God’s opportunity.
When the “lion” comes, recognize it as God’s opportunity no matter how rough the exterior. The very tabernacle of God was covered with badgers’ skins and goats’ hair; one would not think there would be any glory there. The Shekinah of God was manifest under that kind of covering. May God open our eyes to see Him, whether in temptations, trials, dangers, or misfortunes. –C. H. P.
Well, the average person would think… that’s funny, what a coincidence! But then comes the second one…..
From Daily Readings – John Eldredge/Ransomed Heart Ministries
Thursday, August 05, 2010
A Weary and Lonely Woman
Emasculation happens in marriage as well. Women are often attracted to the wilder side of a man, but once having caught him they settle down to the task of domesticating him. Ironically, if he gives in he’ll resent her for it, and she in turn will wonder where the passion has gone. Most marriages wind up there. A weary and lonely woman asked me the other day, “How do I get my husband to come alive?” “Invite him to be dangerous,” I said. “You mean, I should let him get the motorcycle, right?” “Yep.” She shrank back, disappointment on her face. “I know you’re right, but I hate the idea. I’ve made him tame for years.”
Think back to that great big lion in that tiny cage. Why would we put a man in a cage? For the same reason we put a lion there. For the same reason we put God there: he’s dangerous. To paraphrase Dorothy Sayers, we’ve also pared the claws of the Lion Cub of Judah. A man is a dangerous thing. Women don’t start wars. Violent crimes aren’t for the most part committed by women. Our prisons aren’t filled with women. Columbine wasn’t the work of two young girls. Obviously, something has gone wrong in the masculine soul, and the way we’ve decided to handle it is to take that dangerous nature away . . . entirely.
(Wild at Heart , 82)
Needless to say… God has made His point with a double exclamation point!! I am praying through this and asking Him what this means and what my next steps are to be.
I must admit that I feel like Mack in the book, The Shack. Throughout His encounter with the Trinity, he finds himself vacillating between dumbfoundedness and “wake up, this is only a dream”! Like you want to pinch yourself to make sure it is real! Stealing that saying once again….”you just can’t make this stuff up”!
It’s like, up until now, God has patiently been waiting for me to go from my pseudo active faith to actively chasing the Lion…. the opportunity He has promised me. He has kept sending people my way who have connections with Colorado.. Just yesterday, He sent a mom and daughter all the way from France to Charleston to sit at my table in front of Starbucks. After they sat down I went back to reading my bible and it wasn’t two minutes before they started having a discussion about their upcoming trip to Boulder, CO. I stopped reading, and asked,”did you just mention Boulder,, as in Colorado?” Yes, Yes and Yes. Now, remind you, these “chance” meetings have been happening to me for 6 months! They had stopped for a couple weeks after I returned from Colorado but have picked up again. Now I must remind you that I was not thinking of Colorado when this all started. I had just started my job in VA and was totally focused on what God was doing there. It’s not like I bought a new car and started noticing everyone who had the same car. It came from “nowhere” I could see at the time.
In closing, I am excited for this opportunity to “go for it” and walk out the promise God has for me. Remember the benediction passage that I have heard for 6 years in the wilderness… Ephesians 3:20-21
New Living Translation
20) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21) Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
NIV
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
Prayer Request…. Please pray for us as we walk this out, for our unity and protection. Blessings, Jon- Alias- Lion Chaser!
