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Deeper in 2014
This year started off with the sobering affect that life is short. Last weekend, we attended the funeral of a teammate who died of liver cancer right before Christmas. He lived his life well. He lived life intentionally. Death causes reflection and introspection of our own lives especially in a light of a New Year with the possibility of new challenges, new ideas, and new habits.
As I think about the year ahead and the desire to live intentionally, I am bombarded by all the things that need to be done this month before we return to Central Asia-training to complete, tests to be taken, people to see. I am distracted by all the busyness of life when all I really want is to learn how to go deeper-deeper in my relationships with God and others, deeper in my conversations, deeper in my faith, deeper in my reading. My one word goal for 2014 is deeper. Looking back on last year, I realise that I spent too much time at a superficial level just trying to survive. What I really want to do is thrive, and in order to do that I need to go deeper. For this introvert, going deeper is scary. It means that people might see the real me. I might find things about me that need to change. My thinking might be challenged. It could be hard. Others might not understand me. I might not understand others. There are many unknowns involved but it is what is needed. God is calling me to go deeper and to not be satisfied with where I am now.
As I think about the year ahead and the desire to live intentionally, I am bombarded by all the things that need to be done this month before we return to Central Asia-training to complete, tests to be taken, people to see. I am distracted by all the busyness of life when all I really want is to learn how to go deeper-deeper in my relationships with God and others, deeper in my conversations, deeper in my faith, deeper in my reading. My one word goal for 2014 is deeper. Looking back on last year, I realise that I spent too much time at a superficial level just trying to survive. What I really want to do is thrive, and in order to do that I need to go deeper. For this introvert, going deeper is scary. It means that people might see the real me. I might find things about me that need to change. My thinking might be challenged. It could be hard. Others might not understand me. I might not understand others. There are many unknowns involved but it is what is needed. God is calling me to go deeper and to not be satisfied with where I am now.
At our team conference last year, we visited a lake about a two hour drive away from where we were staying. We walked around the lake, ate a picnic, and explored in paddle boats. This lake was deep. Divers have not been able to determine the depth yet since they have not found the bottom. The water was clear and along the edge you could see clearly what was underneath. Two of our guys decided to go a bit deeper by jumping off the cliff into the water. They had so much fun the first time that they did it twice. The cliff was high. The water was cold. It was a big leap of faith especially the first time but they came out of the water with a smile on their face and sense of accomplishment.
Going deeper is a leap of faith. A leap of faith that we won’t hit the bottom and that God will be there to catch us. On the other hand, going deeper allows us to see things we would have never seen by staying at the surface. It brings understanding and richness to our world.
In the next few weeks, I will be sharing here about my journey of going deeper and would love for you to join me with your thoughts and prayers that 2014 would be deeper.
Blessings, TJ
TJ
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