"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Yesterday, I took a huge step into the unknown.  I resigned my post as Director of Human Resources for Chick-fil-A, a post I have held for five years.

For a brief moment this morning, my humanity screamed, "Have you lost your mind?"

Quickly, I grounded my thoughts in not the "what I know" -- but the WHO I know.

Peace came. I continued to sit with Him, and I began to unpack some additional thoughts as He shared.

I have such a heart for Him, but what occurred to me... having been raised in church with one concept drilled utterly through in through into the deepest corners of my soul to "share Him with everyone I come in contact with".... is I do NOT have that has my dominant goal, my dominant drive.  And for years, I let this somewhat beat me into a sense of condemnation that I wasn't doing "my best."

Can I share what I have now come to know as absolute truth?

HIS predominant care is not that I share Him, but that I KNOW HIM... and HE ME.

It is out of this strong relationship that others have and will continue to come to a saving knowledge of Him.

For years, I had my thinking inverted; that if I shared Him with others, I would come to know Him in a way I craved.  But that's like meeting someone a few times and then trying to encapsulate who they are to others you barely know.  I don't know about you, but you will not find me trying to do such a thing!

Is this not why Jesus called the disciples to walk with Him for three years BEFORE He commissioned them to "now go and tell"?

Ultimately, looking back, it has long since been my insatiable hunger and thirst to KNOW the God of the Universe that drives me to run to "our hill" or rise early in the morning... experiencing a quiet... no, a presence... His presence ... found only when all else is instantly dropped when I hear Him: "Come."

He catches me unaware.  Always.
The clamor of this world, even when we dedicate time for Him, often drowns out the best of our intentions.
And though intention is the first among our steps, it is not our intentions that ultimately honor Him and matures us.... it is our prompt obedience.

I think on the disciples, and in hearing His beckon, "Come and follow me", they did just that.  Some have said that they didn't really drop everything at that moment.  I wasn't there to know; neither were those who speculate. But one thing I know for certain: He has interrupted my activities numerous times with one word... "Come"...and promptly I did GO!  It is either stupidity or grave ignorance that ignores such a call.

Now, I find He is not just shifting my circumstances, but all out shaking them. The kind of shaking that invokes deep breathes as one's humanity cries out, "Is this really happening?"  Something so far out of the ordinary.

But to know Him is to know "so far out of the ordinary".... though our humanity will never cease its struggle to keep up in both action and comprehension this side of Glory!  But to exert great, focused effort... and run the race set before us... is to live... to TRULY LIVE!

To those He elects to come to Him because of our relationship, I smile. To their affirmation regarding His beautiful words, "Come and follow Me,"  my heart affectionately swells, "Welcome."   For I know what they will come to know: "You'll never walk alone".... but into the deep with the Great I Am one must go!  For the deep is His habitation..... way, way beyond the ordinary.

With awe struck wonder.

Easter Sunday