At Church we are corporately studying “The Purpose Driven Life.” I have read the book before but during this reading my spirit has been opened to God and my relationship to him in a brand new light. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a hundred other distractions in my life at this point and time so I am able to absorb it and actually retain it, whatever the reason, I am grateful.
I am a planner. I make out my menu every week and then make my grocery list. I have to do list for each day. It is a part of my personality to control and direct so I don’t have to deal with disorganization and chaos.
Over the last several months God has been trying to teach me to totally trust him in a particular area of my life. This has been hard for me. I want to plan and work and make things happen. All my efforts to make things work have proven to be futile. It’s as if I can hear God laughing at me and saying, “Silly girl.”
You would think I would know better by now. Right? I mean, it’s not like I’m a beginner Christian who just had her training wheels taken off. I’ve been serving and trusting the Lord as an adult for 40 years now. I have seen him heal, deliver and provide for me and others more times than I can count. So, why do I still feel like it’s my place to take care of any area of my life?
While reading the “Purpose Driven Life” for the last twelve days I have had to ask myself some hard questions:
When am I going to fully accept God loves me in spite of all I am?
Am I really surrendered to Christ or am I just doing what I think I’m suppose to do?
Do I want to be friends with God or do I want to just keep up this Father/Daughter relationship where I only talk to him about parts of my life, not everything in my life?
I can honestly say a fire has been stirred within me. My soul has a new awareness of God that has filled me with awe at the greatness of God. I’m like a school girl who has fallen in love. I constantly want to talk to him.
There is a song I have known for years and sung a hundred times but for the last day it has been in my heart and on my tongue and I sing it with a renewed trust and surrender. I can’t wait to see what the rest of these 40 days of purpose hold!!
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think of God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
For Real, Elaine?! 