Devotion 382 - where are you?

I read it years ago, these compelling words of Jim Elliot,

Wherever you are, be all there.

I remember seeing those words on the page as my son composed a biography of Elliot’s life.

Those words stared back at me, particularly the word “all.” I remember thinking if I could just be “all” into everything I do, surely any anxiety over yesterdays and fretting for the tomorrows would leave me.

It has taken years and much prayer, but slowly the Lord has begun to shape something in me. Only it is far different than I thought it would be.

Ever so slowly He has refocused my eyes from the word “all” to the word “are.”

Where we are is a combination of both space and time with an extraordinary touch from heaven. You see whenever I think of where I am; I begin to reflect on where I have been and where I hope to go. Further, there is some slice of every piece of life that feels like a accident or coincidence yet scripture speaks of neither.

To truly serve God, to be all in, to be ready to reflect His glory, we have to hold where we are as holy.

The relationships that have fractured, the expectations that have been woefully unmet; they all seem impossible and broken. And yet, these are the very things that God uses. He takes what feels useless and lost and hard and ugly and builds beautiful.

What if for one moment we take this place in which we work, or the thing we do or this secret, dark place in our mind and for one moment we embrace.

Instead of escape we hold these places tightly.

Maybe the closed eyes we have used to imagine our release are the eyes we open to see souls that need salvation and secrets God is waiting to tell and the healing He is hoping to give.

Maybe this illness that has imprisoned us is exactly where Christ is.

Where are you?

I look into the eyes of women so weary of chasing better or beautiful, or thin or easy and I believe He is saying, “You are enough, you are exactly who and what and where I want you.”

He has not created better but the best and you dear one are the reflection of Him as He ordained you to be.  He crafted your talents, your joys, your passions and especially your sorrows to give you life abundantly full of Him.

I am with you blessed friend resisting the temptation to flee where we are. 

I am fighting the feeling that I am not enough and trying to rest in His sufficiency.

I am taking off the band aids of self doubt and slowly finding healing.

I am getting comfortable in my not size eight skin and rejoicing in His design.

I am holding on to what is and letting go of could or should be’s.

Anything less than believing where we are is where He has allowed or ordained is taking the staff from the shepherd.

Chase after Him dear one.  He is exactly where you are.

May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13