THE BIG PICTURE

I'm putting a preach disclaimer on this blog. I may even slip into some Christianese. So if you are not into God stuff, just hit the back button. I won't be offended. We Christians pride ourselves on not taking up offence (that's a bit of an inside joke).

I'm nearly at the end of my Lent journey, only 5 days to go, and wanted to review what I've gathered thus far through numerous discussions with God. If you read my blog on the beginning of my Lent process, one of the goals was to hear more clearly.

So.... a few things.

God is not always into telling or showing me something in the conventional manner. Jesus was not very conventional. He did not "fit the mold" when he showed up on the scene and that riled a few feathers.
He may be communicating to me in a way that makes me scratch my head and say....really???
God told Isaiah to "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so walking "barefoot and naked." (Isaiah 20:1). Ok.....do you know how long Isaiah walked around in the buff? Three freaken years. Here is the man of God, who hears very clearly and obeys (key point) and from an outsider's point of view, the man is truly crazy. God was trying to point out in a very unconventional way that the enemy was acoming and about to walk them all off with nothing, barefoot and naked. That would be like God telling someone to walk around wearing a Superman outfit and a whirlygig cap to point out we have put our faith in superheroes that are idiots. Think the person you find crass that curses like sailor could never be hearing the voice of God? Think again.

Sometimes, He's just not saying anything. All I'm hearing are crickets. Here I am, trying very hard to be spiritual and deny myself so I can hear His still small voice.
"Hey! What the heck? I'm trying to get some direction here!!! Why aren't you saying anything!! Why can't I hear you??"
The still small voice finally speaks up and says "Because you don't want to listen to anything I have to say...."
Ouch.
Jesus instructed his disciples when he sent them out that if a town did not receive them then wipe the dust off their feet and leave. Basically they would be wasting their time and energy, throwing pearls to swines, as it were.

He asked me to tell Him all my hopes and dreams. That seemed pretty redundant to me as I assume He already knows them. But still, when my son was little I would insist he would tell me what was bothering him (even when I already knew what it was) just so he would communicate it himself. To me.  Cause he was just not very good at that kind of thing.

He reminded me, over and over, that He has the best in store for me, the very best. So spill the beans kid and lets see the bucket list. So I did. All the way out there material things, all the emotional, physical and spiritual needs. And He wants me to not be afraid to bring these up. Does that mean there will be pretty new toys showing up at my doorstep tomorrow? Maybe, and maybe not. We are all interconnected and God works in this weird prismatic way so anything that happens to me can affect numerous other people as well, and you have to take that into account.

Finally, that He sees the big picture and I never will. I can't and don't understand everything that is happening in this world or in my own little world. Comes down to trust you see. I get glimpses, might even see a change coming but not the whole deal. To quote C.S. Lewis "Remember, He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can't see it. So quietly submit to be painted."