APRIL
Lent -- the 40+ days leading up to Easter -- is a big deal to me. God always nudges me toward something that will draw me closer to Him and His will for my life. One year I read through the entire Bible in 40 days. Another year I walked across Spain, meeting and marrying my husband. Last year I donated $40 a day to 40 different organizations. And this year I felt God leading me to prayer. Because the theme is 40, I felt challenged to pray for 40 minutes a day for all 40 days.
Confession: in every Lenten season I have fallen short of my goal. I did read the entire Bible, but it took me slightly longer than 40 days. I did walk across Spain, but again, it took more than the alloted 6 1/2 weeks. I did donate to 40 organizations, but I got derailed last year when my grandmother died, so those donations ended up being spread out over the course of several months.
And this year? No exception.
I started off strong. And so did God. I kept a notebook handy because he was so chatty. But then a day and several days went by when I didn't feel any strong leadings. I found myself sleepy instead of inspired. I wondered: *What if I just spent half the time in prayer?* And I imagined God saying, *Sure, if you only want half the blessings.*
We'll get back to that...
Randy is making incredible progress on our house. He built out an entryway so we'll actually have a front door. He framed out new windows in the kitchen and dining room. The roof has been torn off and the siding removed. He put on the top plate so we can add a second story.
But it has all taken so much longer than expected. Because there were hidden issues. Termites. Dry rot. Improper construction. All which had to be removed and replaced and done right.
While it may not be as easy to see the long-term effects of doing prayer "half-way", it is easy to imagine the potential pitfulls of a "halfway" built home. If Randy decided not to replace the damaged lumber, but to add a second story on top of what was there, it wouldn't be long before we had major issues. If Randy decided to only secure half the studs, or only do half the plumbing, or only shore up half the walls, or only install half the stairs, we wouldn't be living in this home for very long.
And even though it may not seem as obvious, doing prayer halfway, or only being obedient in part to what God specifically asks of us, is just as detrimental to our lives as building our house on sinking sand. We aren't going to get very far only committing half our hearts to Jesus. It's just a matter of time before the walls come tumbling down around us.
That being said, I believe in a God of second (and third and fifty and 77x7) chances. And lucky for us there is another 40 days that comes hot on the heels of Lent, leading up to Pentecost, so we can try again. This time I'm adding in the mantra: "I finish what I start." No more letting myself off the hook because I *always* fall short of the goal. Even if I fall asleep, even if God doesn't utter a single word, even if I'm busy or bored, I'm going to keep showing up. Because halfway is no way to build a home. (But halfway is still progress, which can encourage us toward the goal!)
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11
"Make your life a prayer." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 TPT
Confession: in every Lenten season I have fallen short of my goal. I did read the entire Bible, but it took me slightly longer than 40 days. I did walk across Spain, but again, it took more than the alloted 6 1/2 weeks. I did donate to 40 organizations, but I got derailed last year when my grandmother died, so those donations ended up being spread out over the course of several months.
And this year? No exception.
I started off strong. And so did God. I kept a notebook handy because he was so chatty. But then a day and several days went by when I didn't feel any strong leadings. I found myself sleepy instead of inspired. I wondered: *What if I just spent half the time in prayer?* And I imagined God saying, *Sure, if you only want half the blessings.*
We'll get back to that...
Randy is making incredible progress on our house. He built out an entryway so we'll actually have a front door. He framed out new windows in the kitchen and dining room. The roof has been torn off and the siding removed. He put on the top plate so we can add a second story.
But it has all taken so much longer than expected. Because there were hidden issues. Termites. Dry rot. Improper construction. All which had to be removed and replaced and done right.
While it may not be as easy to see the long-term effects of doing prayer "half-way", it is easy to imagine the potential pitfulls of a "halfway" built home. If Randy decided not to replace the damaged lumber, but to add a second story on top of what was there, it wouldn't be long before we had major issues. If Randy decided to only secure half the studs, or only do half the plumbing, or only shore up half the walls, or only install half the stairs, we wouldn't be living in this home for very long.
And even though it may not seem as obvious, doing prayer halfway, or only being obedient in part to what God specifically asks of us, is just as detrimental to our lives as building our house on sinking sand. We aren't going to get very far only committing half our hearts to Jesus. It's just a matter of time before the walls come tumbling down around us.
That being said, I believe in a God of second (and third and fifty and 77x7) chances. And lucky for us there is another 40 days that comes hot on the heels of Lent, leading up to Pentecost, so we can try again. This time I'm adding in the mantra: "I finish what I start." No more letting myself off the hook because I *always* fall short of the goal. Even if I fall asleep, even if God doesn't utter a single word, even if I'm busy or bored, I'm going to keep showing up. Because halfway is no way to build a home. (But halfway is still progress, which can encourage us toward the goal!)
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11
"Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over." - 1 Corinthians 3:10-12 MSG
"Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
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