I am no longer 30!
How did I learn this? By trying to get up on one ski (water-skiing, that is). Here I am thinking I'd just gone helicopter skiing in January...I'd be just fine water-skiing. Mind you, I've probably worked out on weights 3 times since January, so it's no surprise that as soon as I started pulling out of the water, my right hamstring popped and I went crashing into the water in fairly excruciating pain.
"Wanna try again, Arden?" came the question from the boat as they pulled around. "Nope, I'm done!"
I'm done....I'm done....I'm done....
As I made my way back to the dock, using both arms and my left leg, catching visions of my dad having done the same thing to his leg years ago in GA, I thought, "what have I done to myself?" and "What was I thinking?"
So, of course that messed up muscle has affected my back muscles as well, and I am now nursing my entire lower body! Ah the joys of realizing I'm no longer 30! Or even 40 for that matter! But shouldn't I be able to do these sorts of things? I mean there are plenty of people out there skiing, even racing, running, sky-diving, helicopter skiing, etc. (my dad at 80 for example) so being in my mid-40s should not keep me from having fun water-skiing.
Indeed, it shouldn't; however, proper preparation, stretching and wisdom need to be in place before going forward. Youthful zeal is a wonderful characteristic, but wisdom that comes with experience and even age, sometimes, can prove even more beneficial.
How true this all plays out spiritually as well. The older I grow in the Lord, the more wisdom I gain by grace, the more I realize that jumping in with both feet (or even one foot) is not the wisest way to approach a situation where there could be tremendous spiritual warfare. How often in my life have I sacrificed the 'best' to settle for what is 'good' in the Kingdom of God? How often have I jumped in to do this or that 'project' or joined this or that 'cause', all of which have been really good things, but have missed out on God's BEST?
This, for me, is where this past year of being here in Kansas City and connected to the International House of Prayer has rocked, refined, and retooled my entire way of thinking, acting, and moving forward in the ways and work of the Lord. I've talked my whole life about the necessity of prayer, yet were I to 'count' the number of hours spent in prayer before embarking on what I thought the Lord was calling me to do, the ratio would probably be about 1 to 50. How often I have thought I had the 'heart of God' about a certain idea or project, when in reality, it was more about me and my gifting, talents and abilities to carry something than about Him and His glory.
Nothing worth doing is birthed any other place than out of the place of prayer.
Nothing worth doing is birthed any other place than out of the place of prayer.
Nothing worth doing is birthed any other place than out of the place of prayer.
I want my life to be lived out based on the ratio of 50/50. I want to hear the voice of God, know the heart of the Father, sit with Him when He says sit, go when He says go, and that can only happen with a 50/50 ratio of prayer/going/doing.
Wisdom about what my body can and cannot do, and the preparation it needs to be able to do the things I'd like to do is vital; so too is wisdom in the Spirit, which comes from preparation in the Spirit through time spent in the Word and prayer with Him to hear the voice of the great Shepherd clearly and only do what the Father wants me to do.
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