The walk

I have a friend in my life right now who is about to embark on a journey. It's the beginning of a close walk with Christ. This friend asked me some advice. How do you do it? How do you feel God's presence in your life? Do you feel a hand guiding you when you make a decision? Is there a way to know exactly what God wants for you, and who He desires you to be? Well, here are my two cents on that really easy question... :)

Several months ago, I found myself in the position of questioning who I was. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with my life. Baxter had just felt the calling into ministry, and there I was, no closer to my destiny than I had been when I was in high school. I have always associated what a person does with who he or she is. That's usually the opening question for someone you just meet. So, naturally that's what I intended to focus on. What am I supposed to be doing? I guess it's natural for you to find out how you should prioritize your time and resources. Baxter and I had a long talk about this during one of my outbreaks of frustration. "Why does who you are, have to be labeled by what you do" he says to me. I really didn't have an answer. "Whatever you do God will find a purpose for you." I really didn't want to hear that. I wanted a clear sign of what I was supposed to be doing. Then we talked about how you find out who you are in God's eyes. Was I someone who spent time praying, reading the bible, and pursuing a relationship with Christ? Well, you know, I did always pray, and I thought I had a good relationship with Him until I thought about it.

Say you have a best friend, but you only really hang out with them when you need them. That's the only time you guys ever talk. How close are you going to be, and how tuned in with each other's lives are you going to be ? Granted, Jesus is always right there, just kind of hanging out by the phone, waiting for us to call Him. He never leaves, just sits right there staring at the phone, desperately hoping we'll give Him a call. What if we were to constantly pursue a relationship with Him? Talk to Him about everything, the good, the bad, the ugly. What if we were to pray when things were going perfectly, and share our lives with others who have accepted the gift of the Savior? How much closer would we be to finding out who we are? As I've learned this past year, it's really about getting to know Christ first, then finding yourself. Work at it, like you do any relationship. Over time, you'll begin to see yourself as the new person you are. Reborn through Christ.

I hope this helps you. You know who you are, and I love you dearly. :)