I had an interesting conversation with someone today that really made me think, reflect, ponder. You know - be deep... for longer than the usual five minutes. We talked about the roller coaster ride that my husband and I got on about 7 years ago. About the changes we made in our lives. How we let go of the things we once viewed as so important - to grab hold of things we felt were important to God.
Now I'm NOT talking about sin or super religious ideas. I mean letting go of the safety and the fear that holds you in patterns of behaviors that end up controlling your life - without you even knowing it. This is real rubber-meets-the-road-kinda-stuff like a big, nice house, highest-quality education, a fancy, corporate career, etc. etc - in other words - the American Dream.
We felt we had a choice. To walk away from the safe, the predictable, the material world that we could manipulate and control (THE MATRIX) and CHOOSE to be OUT OF CONTROL and FREE to follow God wherever He would lead and willing to live radically. We chose the "red" pill. Wow - what an eye-opener that was. Now we find ourselves saying things like - simple is better, less is more, CASH only, public school, dance, sing, laugh hard and REST in GOD!
I am considering now how different our life would have been if we stayed on the path we were on. The path we created. The path that was worn and wide and comfortable. The way that was easy. To still be doing the things that came natural. Where would we be today?
God is so good. He delivers us from ourselves. He gives us opportunities to deny of ourselves and to take up our cross and follow Him. We get to say Yes. Yes to the narrow way. Is that easy? No. Is it fun? No. Is it popular? No. It is life-changing? YES. And is it HEART-CHANGING? YES!! And isn't that His ultimate goal? To change our hearts until we look more like Him? Yes - of course it is.
Why do we think then that this enormous change will happen in normal, painless ways? Why are we surprised when life throws us a curve, or a heartache, or a loss? Doesn't HE know what's best? Doesn't He know what we need to be transformed into His image and likeness? Sometimes we need hard lessons. Sometimes we need to be challenged.
It was good to be reminded about these truths and to look back on our last 7 years. I'm so glad we said yes and got on this roller coaster with God. It's not safe. It's not predictable. It's not easy. Sometimes it beats your body ragged. But, it's worth it.
I desire to ride each day with my arms waving in the air, screaming wildly from the top of my lungs. Because - to me- this is living life to the fullest. No fear - only trust in the Most High God. No regrets - because we continue to say YES - yes to His crazy, wild, difficult, transforming plans.
On the ride of my life........
