Skip to main content

Are you living an interrupted life, or an inspired life?

Image
By

Our lives have been interrupted.

This interruption has taken my eyes off the things that give me life.  The countless emotions keep me distracted just enough to keep me stuck in a space where I feel unmotivated and frozen much of the time. I’d call it loss of focus, but it’s more than that.

Sunday mornings are filled with hope as I sit comfortably in my home and attend virtual church services through my laptop. I listen and hope I can retain eloquently revealed truths. In need these truths and I want them to replace the mindless thoughts I so often entertain these days. Will they carry me through the week? Sadly, my retention rate is pretty low.

But this past Sunday, I decided to take in a second message cast through my daughter’s church in Oklahoma. The message title seemed a little odd, considering all we're experiencing these days, but I tuned in intently.  

Moving from interrupted to inspired.

I’ve listed to many great messages about finding your “why”. They are very inspirational, but this message was different. This message wasn't about my "why".  It was about God's. Simply put, our purpose isn’t about us.  It’s about God.  Here’s how it reads in Psalm 57:2:

“I cry out to God most high, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.”

Pastor Craig Groeschel puts it this way:

“You don’t find your purpose; you serve God’s purpose. If you want to serve God’s purpose, start serving God’s people.” 

The interruption now turned into inspiration. I was moved to get out of my comfort zone. Actually, I would say God moved. He moved me to put my gifts to use, as imperfect as I might believe them to be.

And so, I decided to be intentional. I leaned into a creative expression I wasn't accustomed to. I decided to create a short video to illustrate how to combine art and prayer, using it as a spiritual practice. I’m a novice, so it’s a very simple video. That’s not the point, though. The point is that through the gift that God gave me, the gift of creativity, I am able to serve. Is it a little scary? You bet. But, I can serve knowing I have been inspired by God and He is the one at work. Through this gift, I can be who He designed me to be. 

God hasn’t abandoned us during this time in our lives. He is there. He wants to hear our thoughts and emotions. Sometimes we just don’t know how to share those and my hope is that this little video will be an opening in your life to greater intimacy with Him.

I pray you tap into what God has poured into your very soul. I pray you pay attention to the way God wired you. He's given you a gift that is meant to be shared with the world. It's meant to accomplish His purpose for your life. As you share your gift, you'll experience joy and peace. Ultimately, as you shine, He will shine. But along with all those things, you will move from living an interrupted life to living an inspired life.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What does your "cookbook" look like?

By
My Betty Crocker cookbook is a wreck. It was given to me as a bridal shower gift in 1979, and I have treasured it ever since. Over forty years later, it remains a prized possession. It has been my cooking guidebook, truly important when you’ve grown up feasting on a mainly southern Italian diet, (no complaints here) which included a lot of pasta and meatballs. Yes, our meals had variety, but gravy was simmering at my house just about every other day. The traditional, and now collectable Betty Crocker cookbook became my best friend in the kitchen. Today, it has all the signs of being used and maybe a little abused. The pages are weathered, written on, and stained. The covers are loose, no longer held in place by the familiar spiral binding. The only thing keeping it together is an oversized, stretchy band. I’ve collected other cookbooks over the years, but this one has been my go-to manual. In it, I discovered new recipes, tried making things I had never heard of, and was thrilled
2 comments
Read more

Baby steps to Big Girl Dreams

By
My heart was racing.  I had a tug inside of me to make a call to the local community college to inquire about teaching a continuing education class.  I had always had a desire to teach, and the bubbly stir inside of me kept pushing me to act.  My only problem was that  the conversation in my head made me want to run and hide.  But the stir was so very strong.  I had to do something.  And then I remembered a teaching I had just heard by Joyce Meyer.  She spoke about fear and how it can grip your life.   Her solution was simple.  She said, "Whatever you need to do, do it afraid."   A light blub moment !   Her words interrupted that internal conversation, and pushed me to make a choice and shift my thinking.  I marched to the phone....afraid....and made the call to the college.  I asked if they were in need of instructors and before I knew it,  one thing led to another.  By the end of the call, I had an interview lined up and a request to submit a curriculum for a new class
4 comments
Read more

The practice of listening.

By design#860
"It takes time and practice to learn to listen. And it takes a caring heart. A fourth-grade teacher once asked her class, "What is listening?" After a few moments of silence, one little girl raised her hand. "Listening," she said, "is wanting to hear." Lord, make us a people who want to hear." Janet Dunn, Desiring God. I love learning and I admit that I am somewhat of a self-help junkie. A friend once said to me, "You have to start reading something fun!" It didn't sound interesting, but she was right. This same friend is a great listener. When I sounded off about trouble in my heart about my relationship with my mom, she offered kind and loving advice. What was that advice? That I needed to seek the help of a counselor. Inside, I rolled my eyes. Really? Again? I've gone this route before, aren't I done? But I went forward with her advice.  I connected with a counselor, a caring soul, a beautiful listener. With her by my s
Post a Comment
Read more