It Is a Journey (#436)
When we live by achievement, expectations, or obligations instead of beloved children on a journey we are ripe for condemnation, despair, and inner turmoil. After an important update on the need in Kenya, Wayne takes a poem from a good friend of his, and the events from the last week of Jesus' life to help explain why viewing life as a journey with Jesus as our guide will help us find his joy and his glory even in circumstances that are not to our liking. By waking up into his reality and following him as closely as our life in him allows, we allow him to unfold his purpose in us no matter what life throws at us.
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Wow. That was awesome. I think the spirit was working with you on this one brother. Thank you.
This reminded me again of the verse that “we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other we are the aroma of life leading to life.” I don’t know what it is exactly, but something about this touches my heart.
I was reading in a book yesterday, speaking about people who have gone through times with the Lord that have brought great limitation, and the kind of impression this leaves on people: “…he will sense that here is one who has gone with the Lord, one who has suffered, one who has not moved freely, independently, but who has known what it is to let go everything to Him. That kind of life creates impressions, and impressions create hunger, and hunger provokes men to go on seeking until they are brought by Divine revelation into fullness of life in Christ.”
I am just a young man, and when speaking about matters of death, and times like Gethsemane, I don’t know what I’m talking about, because I have never experienced such things. I hope you don’t mind me joining in this conversation anyway, because spending time with people who have been there with Jesus has really touched me. It’s like something comes through in their lives, a mix of tenderness and playfulness, and a depth and softness of heart.
I think it is a mystery how Jesus could enjoy times (moment-by-moment, as it were) with someone simple minded as me, and yet he has known such sorrow, and carries such depths of wisdom as I have never known.
Just incredible Wayne, I love the way you share here the nature of the journey.
David and I had a three hour conversation a couple of days ago where the Holy Spirit was showing us a lot of things that have happened / are happening in our journey and so much of that conversation was confirmed in what you shared in this podcast 🙂 .
I think we are really starting to get, “be still” and “relax” and “become as a little child”. It’s taken a while, but it is happening. So encouraging, thanks for sharing…..
Thanks, Wayne, for the encouraging words. I love the reality of life in Christ being a day to day journey of trust rather than an effort to measure up to a set of principles. I don’t need to feel condemned because I haven’t yet arrived.
As you spoke about the concept of “journey”, I was suddenly reminded of how often the writers of the New Testament use the term, “walk” as the framework for our lives: “we walk by faith”, “let us also walk in the Spirit”, “walk as children of light”, “walk in wisdom”, “walking in truth”… Knowing that walking was a primary mode transportation in Jesus’ day, it seems quite appropriate and helpful to see our relationship with God as a journey.
Andrew I love you joining in the conversation.
As the title says “It is a Journey” – and each part of it is significant.
While I see things now quite differently at 71 I deeply value the younger part of my life as I awoke to the reality of Jesus.
One of things that amazes me about Jesus is that his favorite title for himself is “Son of Man” he has come HERE, taken on our flesh been a baby, a youth, a young man and an adult and he is still with us now. He delights in us. He delights in you!
And it is a mystery – I am learning more and more and more of him.
I loved the way my mum who loved Jesus said “there is so much to learn” [of Him’ – when she was 95 – and she was right.
So join in. Share where you are. May you just grow in Jesus day by day by day!
In His love
Richard Wilson – South Australia
Just finishing listening to the end of the this podcast, and amazes me over and over how it just fits perfect what is going on in my world at the moment.. I love that prayer about god wrecking our plans, and took me a while to understand that myself, seems i didnt understand until he started rebuilding what was wrecked, and feel I am just beginning to see it take shape. But enough to see why mine had to go down. I loved what you were saying Wayne, about how God gives us what we need to walk where he wants us to walk. Have been feeling that strongly the last couple weeks. A relationship with a couple people that in the past have gone through some painful things with, is one of the things God is rebuilding, and it has me feeling very undone. It seems he has decided to put an extra strong dose of the love he feels for them on my heart. Just being in the same room with them, or sometimes thinking about them, almost overwhelms me, like its so full, I may burst. And its so strange to me, how in this, it seems so very important, and nescasary to do nothing with it, but to let him pour out whats in me…does this make sense? I hope so… I can tell they feel it, as it hangs in the air in an almost painfully sweet way. Sometimes have a hard time just keeping from crying.. It ends up making me feel so loved myself, that …that itself overwhelms me… Whats so beautiful, is I can feel there is a deep undoing and a beautiful work, he is doing in their hearts, and feel like somehow he has asked me to be a passenger on their ride. Feels like i am just to sit beside them, and feel what they are feeling,and thats all…Ache when they are hurting, laugh when they are laughing, and if they are in others eyes, making fools of themselves…to go be fools with them. I want to be counted with them, in all ways. And yet i still feel i dont fully understand whats happening…i just know it tastes like his love….makes me want to find a meadow somewhere filled with flowers, fling myself in it, and sob my heart out. I may sound like a nut, but that describes the feeling perfectly.;) Felt a strong desire to share that with you all this morning, so i thought I would;). Wayne, it felt like it was directed your way this morning, I must say…I just LOVE you!!! You have such a dear heart….reminds me so of my own Dad that is gone from this earth, that taught me so much about Gods love…Thank you so much for making yourself vulnerable to all of us, and sharing your and Sara’s lives!! I just love you both for it…May God bless you in ways that continue to amaze your hearts!! And as we know how he is….he will!;)
Read all the comments after I wrote mine… Just LOVE them all….i could squeeze you all!!;)
Richard, thankyou for your encouraging words.
I find it amazing how the spectrum of different journeys in different people can be so broad. Even reading the comments here week-by-week you get some sense of that. But I also find encouraging when God allows us to really care for each other, and feel at home and welcome with each other, despite these differences.
God bless you Richard, and all the best with whatever you are up to this week.
Dear Wayne,
God is with us even during the unfolding of the dark seasons of our lives…….I haven’t a clue what God is doing during this dark season of my journey. Lately, the journey has been filled with many dark moments for which I have no answers….no fixing…..I just get up each morning and wonder what the day will bring. I do not like these dark seasons in the journey and wonder what God is doing. I do not even pray for God to change the circumstances….I am learning to accept those dark seasons (although not easily). I am so weary and hope to see the beauty in these dark seasons one day. I am blind at this time…for I see no beauty only heartache.
Sweet comments, Monica. Thank you for your thoughts and for having me on your heart. I love so much where this journey has taken me as well and knowing that God is big enough to get us through anything instead of wasting so much effort trying to get him to change circumstances he has no purpose in changing.
Thank you Wayne for helping me clarify what has been on my mind but didn’t know how to articulate. Lately it has been bugging me when people talk about “getting their reward in heaven”!
Isn’t getting to be with Jesus for eternity the only best reward ever? What more could there be? Sure hope I find out one of these days.
My Mother (95 yrs old) just passed away. I was her primary care giver. She was sharp as a tack and in good humor until the very end. The last couple of yrs were full of the roller coaster ride u are describing. All I can say is try your best to relax in those crazy moments. When your parents are gone they will seem like nothing. I was so concerned with the details and the crisis. I wish I could have just focused on enjoying her company instead of Dr’s appts., Meds , ER visits…..my prayers are with you all.
Thanks everyone for sharing your comments…enjoyed the encouragement Wayne shared and how we can encourage each other. Renee, know that when we “lean into Him” (to coin Wayne’s phrase) He will carry us. You’re doing well to see that this does mean that He will leave some circumstances the way they are. Some other things may even get more difficult. His presence is constant (even when we cannot see Him). May He surround you with His truth and bring the encouragement you need. Blessings, Sue
Andrew I love what you are finding! Thank you for sharing with us!
Jenny: my heart goes out to you this evening, I broke my leg once and couldn’t walk for just 5 weeks…..I went crazy ! I can not imagine what you have gone through! Your poem brought tears to my eyes, I agree with Wayne that Jesus may be saying the poem to you , loved that thought! Thank you for the poem it was beautiful!
Wayne: I love The term “Journey”!! The realization that “Life is a Journey not a destination,”was the first step 3 1/2 years ago that started my Journey to discover who God really is and wants to be to me. I had met God before but could not figure out how to walk with him. What a journey this has been! I never expected to awaken to A reality where The God of Love is ALIVE and wants a very intimate relationship with me 24/7. Love that!!! Need that!!!
Another one that was very helpful for me was , ” Life is what happens between my plans”.
I loved the other comments also so many helpful thoughts! Thanks fellow travelers!
Poem,,, yet not my will, but thine Lord,,, oh that all of Fathers will, be my very own in all things wheresoever I go,,,,, My heart has been warmed,,,,, Amen
Great thoughts Wayne… Love where you’re going with this… Thanks for all you do!
Salvation came to me because Jesus now lives as an immortal man and promised to give immortal life to those who trust him.
On the other hand, it makes no difference to me how he died. The cross, car crash, cancer, old age, drowning, electrocution, whatever. Who cares? Dead is dead. Lots of people have had horrible deaths – so what?
I’ve traveled all over the world, from Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Berlin, Vancouver, Denver, Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington,…. I can’t be bothered with guilt trips. Nor could I care less for Jesus’ whippings, beatings, or nails being hammered in to him. It’s pointless. And it’s nothing to do with me, WHATSOEVER.
When a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat, they get all the attention on them. Wonderful party trick. It amuses me, but has no effect on changing who I am, or give a purpose to my life. Furthermore, the magician can do it again and again. Jesus is a one trick wonder – a has been. Like an old pop group in the charts that had 1 hit song, once. Yawn…..
Imagine 2 people out for a walk. One says to the other, “I’m doing this for you.”, then kills themselves. So what? That makes no difference to the other (now lonely) person, apart from thinking the other was mentally unstable.
***IF*** Jesus isn’t schitzo, what’s the point of the cross?