With Jesus

Mark 3:13 "Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called the ones He wanted to go with Him. And they came to Him. Then He selected twelve of them to be His regular companions, calling them apostles. He sent them out to preach, and He gave them authority to cast out demons." 

This is the way of Jesus. He calls us to be with Him, to be His regular companion. When we are with Him day in and day out we see how He does things, we see His heart toward us and toward others. This is the Way of discipleship. Being with Jesus. Everything else flows from there. 

He called a group of men. They formed community around Him. There was companionship, fellowship. They walked with Jesus together. They learned together. We see times of confusion, competition, all the human stuff. But Jesus used it all to teach them to live the way of faith, of love, of holiness. How to live His kingdom lifestyle. Community is important.

This is the practical way of Jesus. Ongoing and relational. Us with Him.  He calls us and we come to Him. Day by day. The invitation and the choice. The first disciples who got to live with Jesus in the flesh are gone now, but now He calls us. He calls me. Same call. "Come! Be with Me."

We so often get caught up in the project, the business and forget to spend that time with Him. We are so darn capable. But did we spend the time with Him? Are we joining Him in His work or are we just doing our thing? Did we just launch out on our own? We often get too busy to be with Jesus, not understanding the vital importance of being  Him with first. Its all His work. He lives outside of time and space. There is always enough time for Him, wherever we go. He wants us to come to Him. That is the first thing first. Everything else is secondary.

It is a beautiful plan, this plan of God's. His invitation stands. Lord, I pray I heed your call, and come....to You. First. Day by day. Minute by minute. Always.

The Dance

I get insecure.  Especially when I have to speak in groups.  And other times. Exodus 4:1. Moses. "What if they don't believe me or listen to me...."  God's answer? "What is that in your hand?"  That's it. That's all He asked. Moses was holding his staff so God told him,"throw it to the ground." That was Moses's part. That was all God asked of him.  Just take what he had in his hand and throw it down. God did the rest.  It is God who does the work, the exciting stuff, the live altering, the miraculous. We are merely asked to offer what we have and then trust Him to do the rest.  So simple. 

Okay, so what gets in the way? Me! I think I have to do it all. I think I need to have it all figured out. And really all I have to do is my little part, with what I have and what I know. Listen to Him and trust Him. He leads me and He will do what He wants, when He wants and how He wants. And He gets all the glory. I know when it isn't me, when I am following His lead! So I am learning. To do my part.

I am learning to dance. To dance with the Father. To let Him lead. To let go of the outcomes, let go of the struggle. To enjoy the steps, the music, the joy of being with Him. Held close. Is it easy? Not always. Sometimes the steps are complicated. But I am realizing that I just need to throw down what I have, as inadequate as it may seem, and He does the rest. I can trust Him to follow through in His way, in His timing. I lean into Him, keep my eyes on Him and He takes care of the rest. Learning the dance takes a lifetime. He is a patient teacher. The awesome thing? The dance is for eternity.

From this morning's reading, a beautiful tribute to our God Who hears and answers the cries of our hearts.

You answer us 

with awesome deeds of righteousness,

O God our Savior,

the hope

of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest seas, 

who formed the mountains by your power,

having armed yourself with strength, 

who stilled the roaring of the seas,

the roaring of their waves, 

and the turmoil of the nations.

Those living far away fear your wonders;

where morning dawns and

evening fades

you call forth songs

of joy.

Psalm 65:5-8