A Life Worth Living

Life sure can be tough.

Life sure can be sad.

Life sure can be easy.

Life sure can be joyous.

Life sure can be.................. (You can fill it in)

Are this things exclusive or not?

Life is so amazing, so diverse, and so much like a wildflower patch, not a manicured garden with planned arrangements of flowers and plants in rows and such... God's arrangements are so different than what most of us would expect. If you haven't read the book yet, I suggest reading, The Shack.

My last blog entry, "Obedience Over Happiness" was written late the other night and it has opened some great dialogue within myself and between some very special friends of mine. This blog entry is a bit more deeper and a richer expounding on my life and views on the life God has called me to and it is a life VERY MUCH WORTH LIVING!

I realize I have a life that not too many people I know are called to. Like a pastor, a martyr, who has been called to have a heart of Christ's concerns. I recognize I will not always be happy (though there IS happiness in my life), and that this calling is not easy, not at all, I will be lonely in certain ways. It is, what it is... I will stand alone as a watchman in a tower does as he is lovingly concerned and protective for the people around him, and I will walk many miles alone through life simply because that is where He wants me to be... I love this position of intercession and intimacy and yet I don't get to share it often in the company of others.

More often than not, I look forward to what life will offer me each morning; the challenges, the lessons, the opportunities; and the risks. As I get out of bed, if I was overheard, you'd hear me say, "it's a great day to be alive!" If you knew my life story, you'd really understand how true that is for me and how that is not just an affirmation to set my attitude right for the day.... I really mean it.

I am most often joyful, even in the midst of tough times, and it is not just coating myself with Teflon or maintaining a suck it up" attitude, though there are definitely those moments too. Life is so wonderfully complex, and the bends and turns in life are across the spectrum of feelings, emotions and conditions. So, I absolutely agree that life is a life worth living and that we all should live that out in how we express ourselves to our inner self and how we share this life in Christ with others.

Moreover, I am meditating on putting those things to heart so that I hold a balanced understanding on the specific call on my life, representing God to others accurately and my life being one that encourages others to follow Him too. Especially since Jesus presents life with such great promise, hope, and love. The Holy Spirit brings fruit into our lives...what fruit; sorrow, sacrifice, pain, and sadness? No, it is the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and so much more! Life may contain some of those negative elements, yet it is the fruit of the Spirit that tastes so good...and it comes much through faith and obedience in the face of the tough stuff.

My life has been hard, even since birth and throughout my early life, I experienced different elements of pain and abuse, and it seems everything took more work and was just harder than others (and easier than others too, I am sure). Things still are way for me; I really have to work at things and nothing rarely comes easy for me....oddly, this is not a complaint, as much as, it is an understanding God uses these things to teach me and to even use these things to reach others. I don't point to my suffering and pain to lead others to Jesus, not at all, I speak of His relentless pursuit of us, His deep, rich love for us, and His sacrifice so that we may truly find life and life abundantly. It will be in the midst of suffering and pain God shows up and breaks through to our heart and reveals His love, His mercy, His grace, and His hand to lift us out of it all and into His marvelous life and light.

Yes, without a doubt, life is hard... ask someone living under Christian persecution; dealing with death; walking in utter poverty; trapped in abuse; or imprisoned by addictions and problems... God will show up in the midst of all that, and as Christians we are called to be obedient to Him; serving Him, worshipping Him; and responding to His call on our life over our happiness, even over our "life" itself.

Now, understand, I love life, and I love laughter, joy, happiness, and seeing the smiles on people's faces, and on my own face too. It's just that there has been and there is a weighty undercurrent in my life too... Life is full of poop at times and God uses those things to fertilize my heart's garden and as I walk closer to Him and as I am called into more spiritual warfare, I am finding the call of intercession can be hard and tough, I feel things and see the spiritual warfare side strongly.

Now, this intercessory side of me is new, within the last 2 years, so I am still trying to get a handle on it and understand what God is asking of me and who I am in Christ.

A friend commented, "Why can't we sacrifice everything for Him, work hard, be obedient...yet, it come through enjoyment, JOY (strength) and pleasure?" I love that, it echo's in my spirit and shouts, "YES!" Oh how so great a question and I do agree this is Papa God's desire, and sure, it is my life too... perhaps another way I could describe my life is that of a high altitude climber... it's tough; really tough, there is great sacrifice, danger, risks, and trials. I walk through deep valleys, over chasms, along dangerous cliffs and precipices, and along long thin pathways up a steep, slippery mountain. The mountain is high, the air is cold and thin, and the exposure to the elements are very real and "in your face" kind of reality. There is also a REALLY great view of the world from up there and a deep sense of purpose, enjoyment, accomplishment, and peace. Some of this is discovered while still on the mountain, some things are discovered after the climb is completed and one is reflecting on all God provided and revealed, both of the inner person, and of the life lived on the trek. As I may be a high altitude climber, where few others go, yet through the story that is my life, and the testimony of my lips, I actually encourage others to climb their own hills and perhaps ignite the love of God and the desire to seek higher mountains to climb for a few others.

I would never want to live as Francis of Asissi (though I have visited him on occasion) or any other stoic , and I don't want to raise/encourage any one else to do so either. I also know, again through my own life history, my own hearing from God, and through prophetic words from others that my life is a tough one... and while I am not alone in these sufferings, few are called to what I am called to. I have joy and joy abundantly and I sometimes get asked about my past and current "life"; if I could, would I want to change it? I laugh and say, "no, it has and does serve God well and all the pain and suffering is well worth it all, to be close to God and to be called into His work."

I think there are so many different styles of living, so varied are the seasons, and so many different characters in the Word and in church history because as you, I and everyone else moves through life, there are rich nuggets of truth found in the depths of Jeremiah's toil and suffering; understanding and wisdom in Joseph's life; blessings and reflections found in the life of David; and pure truth and love in Jesus. What a beautiful picture is painted and is being painted through our part in there too.

When I was writing the last blog entry I titled it "Obedience over Happiness." That was purposeful in that I knew it was NOT to be, "Obedience versus Happiness." These two words are not polar opposites or not compatible with each other. I was more attempting to say I chose to be obedient over my low level understanding of happiness and pain avoidance... Jesus was obedient, "even unto death on a cross". I also see Jesus as one very joyful man while on earth, people were drawn to Him out of His love and His joyful expressions of that love; and He is exalted above all others and is seated at the right hand of the Father.... and again, one point is I am surrendering WHAT I think is happiness (fleeting, ever-changing, and temporal) with the deeper understanding and acceptance of God's definition of happiness, through the joy of the Lord....what pleases Him.

I will continue to check on my focus and I will chew on the blessings of your words, comments and own life experiences and I will continue to do a heart check... I do value everyone's words, attitudes, and even gentle corrections of how I am seeing things and how I am expressing myself, both in and through my life as well as through my writings/blog. Thank you all, every much!

It's a great day to be alive and GOD ROCKS!