Dear One,
Last week I told you I couldn’t find my words. Turns out I was looking in the wrong place, but I didn’t know that just yet.
A dear friend asked, “Do you know where your words went? Do you have a sense of where they are?”
My answer at the time was no and no. Not a clue.
But then I had one of those lightbulb moments ?.
You see, I was receiving words, just not the ones I was looking for. I wasn’t receiving any “Little Life Words” but what I was receiving were prayer words. Little words, yes, but shaped as prayers instead. Things like:
- Uphold & Enfold
- Guide & Provide
- Comfort & Keep
I’m aware my words have a job to do – that the work of my words is to “strengthen the suffering, support the stumbling, and put fresh hope in those about to collapse” (Job 4:4) and I’ve tried to do that through these weekly letters.
What I didn’t realize last week was that, at least for the time being, the job assignment for my words had changed. I was looking for them here, but they had flown off to their new locations. They left me, yes, but for a good reason.
Afghanistan had just fallen to the Taliban. Myanmar is in a bloody coup. Haiti had an earthquake, followed by a tropical storm, just on the heels of a presidential assassination. California is on fire (again), and the world is engulfed by Covid-19.
My words were where my heart was, scattered to the 4 corners of the earth, pleading for mercy andnot yet ready to be gathered back home.
So I’m going to let my words be there for now, accomplishing the purpose for which they are sent. If you’d like to join me in these prayers, you can find them on my Instagram or Facebook accounts. If you’re not on social media but would like the prayers, just ask and I’ll get them to you.
Friend, here’s what I’m reminded of: sometimes God redirects our resources. Like he did with my words, he takes what we have but uses it in a different way. This can be disorienting if we’re not awake to what’s happening. It can feel like something’s dried up when the truth is, it’s just being diverted.
So I’m curious, what do you have and where is it needed? I bet a little boy, long ago, never dreamt his lunch could be used to feed thousands (John 6).
Redirected Resources: Our Little Life Words of the week.
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DEEPER DIVE
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Ponder:
- How are you being invited to respond to the needs in your community and beyond?
- Are you open to your resources being redirected in order to meet the needs of the moment?
Practice:
- Name one resource you have. This could be money, knowledge, skill, spiritual gift, your home, food, time, clothing, etc. In conversation with friends/family, try to come up with 5 different ways that one resource could be used for the welfare of others.
Play:
- Our song of the week is: Take My Life by Chris Tomlin
Pray:
- Take my life.