This week I heard a message at church that was one of those game-changers.
Cliché as it may sound, it hit home and made me realise that all too often we lose sight of the miracle in the midst of the miracle.
What exactly am I talking about?
Dreams, Purpose and Life as whole.
Perhaps it was last week, last month or perhaps it was a decade ago. It was a deep desire, idea or dream that you had at 3am in high school. (It was for me). Where God showed up in the most random moment and I felt his presence, hope and sense of purpose upon my life. The moment that we sung out that whatever was in God's will – we would do, even go to the ends of the earth!
Sounds glamorous doesn't it?
Now, fast-forward some decade later and you're feeling tired, worn out and maybe even a little 'used'! It's funny, we often pray prayers in the midst of a situation that we want to be used by God and will take every opportunity that comes past our path; yet when it all gets too tough—the first thing we want to do is throw in the towel and live mediocre.
Mediocre means not stretching, not trusting 120% beyond the natural and perhaps even settle. Often we are given dreams, visions and ideas that we would love to see and have been imparted by God into our lives—but in order to see it come to fruition, we need to go through the seasons that are tough.
Nothing extraordinary has ever come from someone living a normal life. From risk-taking businesses that have changed the world as we know it, to nations impacted (for good or bad) through war and peace.
The Bible is full of examples of people that must have felt the same way that we do today.
Take Abraham in Genesis chapters 17–22 who is known as the father of faith and ancestor of nations, but had to trust God with his own life, his son's life and God's timing like never before. Would you have believed you'd have a child at 100 years old! I bet I wouldn't have.
Or take Esther, who rose to the position of queen and risked it all to save an entire nation by her courage.
Or perhaps, we should take the mother of Jesus himself, Mary. At young age, unmarried, she took a huge risk and trusted that God had her back more than she could ever comprehend. I'm sure she would have just wanted to be normal! Settle for a good husband and not face public humiliation and danger of falling pregnant unmarried!
These stories are somewhat comforting because we can relate to these people even today.
How often have you (and I) just gone to God and said, it's all too much. Despite the vision, the dream or the desire: it is easier to take the road most travelled, to fit in, to be like everyone else ... but how boring!
God is the dream
His will, his purpose, and his way.
In Isaiah chapter 55, verses 8–9 it says:
'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways', declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'.
Our whole lives are filled with small decisions to trust God. These decisions may mean that our lives aren't always the same as everyone else.
It may mean that we take longer getting to a destination.
It may mean that we have to make sacrifices along the way.
It may mean that it's uncomfortable.
But, it means that God has the final say, and it will return a good yield.
In Isaiah chapter 55, verse 11 it says:
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
This month, I would like to encourage you (and myself) not to give up. Living a mediocre life was never in the plan. When God gets a hold of our lives he intends us to live far beyond what we could dare to dream of.
Meenal Chandra is a Sydney based writer who is choosing not to give up.
Meenal Chandra'sprevious articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/meenal-chandra.html