Final Post

Well, the end came.   My journey came to an end last saturday night.   And after the seven week experience I can honestly say I am changed.   It was not just time away, it was a sabbatical.  A sabbatical of reflection, renewing, and plenty of God messing with me.  

I learned that I need times of solitude.   I have to make sure that I stay in tune with the Holy Spirit.   For years I have felt God nudging my heart to more and more time with Him.   The sabbatical was nothing short of a confirmation of that on my life.   I am not looking for a tradition, but a longing to make my life a daily experience with God and to make sure I am taking time more frequently to find solitude with God.  

I learned that I need to have faith in what God has called me to be.  God called me at a young age to preach, to lead, to point people to Jesus.   In my own insecurities I have often doubted this call.   Usually different components of it at different times.   On my journey God challenged me to have faith in Him.   Not your classic definition of faith in regards to just believing in Him, but having faith that I can trust Him to do in me what He has called me to do.   I can't let my insecurities be the louder voice in my heart when I can trust the One who called me to preach, to lead, and to point others to Christ.   So I have been starting each day since asking God to help me have faith in what He called me to do.   To trust Him like I never have before.

God also purged me of some things I struggled with.   Attitudes, choices, and ways that I dealt with things, probably in a very unbiblical way.   Over these 7 weeks God has purified my heart from these things and I don't want to go back to the level of numbness I had before.

Now that I am home I am jumping on the moving freight train called VNC.   The pace of this place is crazy and calling it a moving train is pretty accurate.   So I jump.   But this time I jump with stronger faith that trust my Father.   I jump with a fresh desire to tune into the Christ that lives within me.   And I hope by doing so, I  can be the leader my church is praying I will be.  

Thanks for messing with me God.   I humbly and fearfully ask you to keep doing it.