Butterflies and Faith

If I have learned anything in the last year and a half, it is to learn to be content in my present situation. I do mean learn to be content, because a new process is required almost every time around. I discovered the hard way that Christ wants and even requires us to lay down our desires and the things we want. He wants us to surrender the control we have over our life and the things we hope for. He does want to bless with the desires of our hearts, but in his time and in his will. And learning surrender is the only way I have found to endure a time of hardship and waiting. But once we know it well, it is much easier to understand when he is calling us to surrender.

Butterflies are so beautiful to watch, and I love what they represent. New birth is created from something that was already alive. If we watch a butterfly from a distance, we can all enjoy its beauty. When that butterfly comes our way, we have two choices; we can ether catch that butterfly, and hold on to it as the dust and shimmer comes off its delicate wings and we can crush it if held it too tightly, or we can enjoy it and let it go, leaving it to move on or come back to us.

Think of Abraham and Isaac beginning with Genesis 15. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. As they waited on God, Sarah, his wife grew tired of waiting and gave her servant to her husband to marry and Ishmael was born. Abraham had a son, but that was not God's plan. No, he truly intended for Sarah to be the matriarch of many nations. So finally after Sarah is much too old to have a child, God blessed them with a miracle, and Isaac is born. They rejoice, but when Isaac is a boy, God again wants to test his servant Abraham's faith, tells him to sacrifice his son. The one God had promised him. And we don't hear Abraham questioning God like Job did. He doesn't say "not me" like Moses did. He just did what he was called to, and by doing so, showed his faithfulness and God showed him grace by providing a sacrifice (after Isaac was tied up and on the alter).

God wants to bless us but first he wants to know he can trust us with what he is going to give us. The hard times hurt so much, but it is then that we grow and become more of what God wants us to become. We are also then more prepared for what may come next. When God sees that we can handle some responsibility, he gives us a greater one the next time.

Notice how Abraham is not confused or in despair as though he doesn't know what to do. He knows God well enough to recognize his voice and his clear command. Confusion is never from God, but from the enemy. Our confusion is often because something is in the way preventing us from being close to God. When we learn to surrender then God sees our our heart. He sees that we are not depending on our own capacity, but allowing God to work his will in us. When God speaks, he often gives us peace in knowing his will one way or another. It is a feeling of settled calm in knowing a choice is right.

Thanks to Bishop Lawrence and Beth Moore (and her Bible Study Believing God) I am learning a whole lot right now about faith and trusting God. As the Bishop will often say to me, "Laura, I have faith for that" or "I am believing God for that." Both are great teachers, the Bishop through talking and emails, and Beth Moore, though her Bible studies and her teaching videos. I am being stretched and pulled to believe more and "asked to" have more faith. So I am believing, and God has been showing up! When I declare I believe God will come through, he has. And sometimes, things are better than I would have planned. I am really excited to have realized all these things in this new season of life. I think things are about to move fast and I believe that some really great things are on the way.