It's Your Story!

Yesterday brought back some memories of our three year stay in Oklahoma some five years ago.  In the late afternoon, clouds suddenly began to fill the skies, the wind picked up considerably and it was as if someone turned off the lights!  Then within a matter of moments the heavens opened up and it began to pour followed by the clap of thunder.  It was fascinating!  The dog and I immediately went out onto our covered patio to take in all the action that was happening around us.  Even my wife stared outside with a gleam of excitement in her eyes!

All this lasted about thirty minutes and I left the patio door open so that we could enjoy the sights and sounds of the event.  We all went out an hour or so later for a pre-dinner walk and deeply breathed in the freshly laundered air, the glitter of the water droplets on the grass and the sparkling tiny raindrops that rested on all the cars in the parking lot!

I decided after our walk yesterday that I needed to recommit myself to that sense of “Adventurous Expectancy” that Paul talked about in Romans 8:15 as stated in the Message Bible.  I’ve been getting very tired at the end of the day and was getting more than a little annoyed at the experience when my wise daughter reminded me that my body is probably still adjusting to the three hour time difference since our move from California.  Today I awoke with a fresh zeal for the adventures ahead and found myself praising the Lord before my feet even hit the floor!  (Then again… maybe it was boosted by the fact that the dog didn’t get me up to go outside at 6:30 like she’s been doing for the last few days!)

Paul again spoke of the adventures in our faith when he described what he saw in the believers in the church at Thessalonica.  In I Thessalonians 1:3 he said that “In the presence of our God and father, we never forget that your faith is active, your love is working hard, and your confidence in our Lord is enduring.” (God’s Word ©)  As I read this it dawned on me that Paul was judging these folks by what he saw them doing in their daily lives!  He was looking for and saw lots of action happening around them… and he liked what he saw!

All the action in those clouds followed by the pelting rain and thunder got me to thinking about the actions that people see in me.  Do they see someone who’s trying to put a wet blanket on everything and/or someone who simply puts on an air with lots of meaningless noise?  One thing that I have noticed since we reentered the world of apartment living is that people here in the complex tend to stick to themselves!  I even got slightly annoyed on our late walk yesterday when a father and his cute little girl on a scooter totally ignored us after I said hello and the dog was furiously wagging her tail in glee at their presence.

But, it didn’t last long.  I took it as a challenge to see God’s love break through the barriers.  I decided that my actions were going to mimic God’s!  That my faith for His peace to override their hesitations would be active, that God’s love working in and through me would go into overdrive around them and that my confidence or expectations in the Lord’s having His way at the Marquis on Cary Parkway would be packed with cheerful endurance!

That’s what I call the “Adventurously Expectant” resurrection life that was given to us by Christ!  Cool huh?  Hopefully you’ll think about that as you step out your front door today!  Who knows… maybe someday they’ll write a book about the adventurously expectant life that you lived!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting today?”