In The Wilderness

It was Joyce Meyer's frankness and gruffness that at first put me off. But perhaps its actually because she often hits the nail on the head. Something I've grown to appreciate and look forward to.

I enjoy listening to her testimony. It often really seems to be a recounting of my own. A blessing really, to have visual living proof that if I preservere, and endure the longsuffering, that there is hope that I can find and become the person God intended for me to be.

Three points today that really hit home:

1. Lacking friendship. I am not a people person. I am not a person who has cultivated friendships. Partly because I'm introverted - I enjoy people, but need extra long periods of refueling and personal quiet time after much interaction. Sometimes I regret this fact, and it wouldn't seem that this is a characteristic of a person involved with ministry - nevertheless, it's true. What I've never stopped to consider, is perhaps God has not given me many or varying friendships because I really need to cultivate my relationship with him first. Before he will bless me with those strong, steady, always there friends that I long for, God wants me to know and learn to depend on him. I just read somewhere that we should learn that we shouldn't expect friendships/relationships/marraiges to fill the needs and desires within us that only Jesus can fill. Once we learn that, we're much more useful to others and to ourselves.
2. Longsuffering is Lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ngsu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ffering. So just like the Isrealites, God's chosen people, wandered in the desert for 40 years before they reached the promiseland - why do I wander through this wilderness of my life asking, "When, God, when will I arrive?" 3 years or 5 years is just a start.
3. If you really desire that sweet spot God has designed for each and everyone one of us, we have to desire it. When my husband and I were dating, he would tell me he loved me, to which I would always respond - prove it. We need to prove that we desire the higher blessing and privileges God would have us achieve. These higher blessings cost personal committment to better ourselves and to commune with God. I know I'm guilty of often falling short.

It's not as if I dont' know these things already, but sometimes you need someone to say it, remind you and tell it like it is to help you stay (or get back) on track and give your soul's battery a jump to continue the journey with hope.