A Single Snowflake Changes Everything

It began as darkness slipped in, tiny almost unseen flakes of snow falling over the lush green landscape. What change could these single frozen droplets make? But what a surprise waited as the sunrise glistened over what had changed overnight into a breath-taking blanket of white. Those single flakes had given their all, combining to create the beauty before my eyes.

We walk through life waiting for our God planned “big” purpose, our life-assignment to emerge. While all along God has been quietly directing our life with each YES we have intentionally declared to His whispered request. Each time you have loved another, each time you have shared encouragement, each time you have preferred another over yourself, each time you have given; all of these have been like the snowflakes, accumulating into His plan and purpose for transformation.

Don’t wait for the “big” purpose because it won’t begin big. It will begin one flake at a time, with every choice you make to give all that you can, as you say YES to His voice. As you give honor to Jesus every day, your purpose will emerge and you will look back at a life that will have changed the very landscape that you stand in.

Mark 14:8b She has done all that she could to honor me.  (TPT)

Purpose Found in Simplicity

Matthew 22:37-39 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (ESV)

Do you find yourself asking those deep internal probing questions?  Who am I? What is my purpose?  What is the God-dream that stirs inside of me? I do, and they get my mind swirling.

Today, I ask what is a God-dream anyways? Is it an actual, physical while-I-am-sleeping dream?  Is it something deep inside of me that is who I am at my very core? Is it something I desire to do or accomplish? The answer is yes – to all of them.

My life has been full of “doing” and I wonder, did any of it fit into God’s plans and purposes?  The tasks, achievements, talents, projects, jobs, creativity have all been part of what has made me who I am today BUT they are not who I am deep within my being. So, I sit at the feet of Jesus today, asking – who am I? What is it that I could not live without doing? What is the dream that sits within me; stirring, driving, waiting to erupt?

At each season of my life I have said YES, grown, and moved by the Spirits direction. Accomplishing many things that had benefit for the Kingdom of God as well as doing the everyday, the needed and those that I take joy in.  Again, the answers are convoluted in my heart. If all of those life accomplishments, gifts and talents were taken away, what is it, that would drive me? What is left? Is that the dream – the God-dream – His plan for my life?

So, here I sit with six decades of life behind me and I’m still asking these questions. Maybe I am just slow but I think I’ve made it too hard.  As I contemplate the life of Jesus and how He answered deep questions I see simple answers – “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, “he who is without sin cast the first stone”, “your sins are forgiven you”, “Lazarus come forth”. Simplicity seems to permeate the character of God – He says it, we believe and we chose to do it. Could all those swirling questions be answered that simply? If so, then I can give a very loud shout to its simplicity.

Though you have been gifted with tasks, achievements, talents, projects, jobs, and creativity to share with others and the world; somewhere in that process you will find the answer – the simple answer, to His plan and purpose for your life – your God-dream.

So, as you dig deep to find that simple plan, take one step at a time and do it.  Keep walking through this life, fighting with the weapons He has given you. Fight forward to see His purposes, don’t hesitate or shrink back. Stand courageous and push back against all that tries to derail you. His plan for you is a victorious one – filled with hope and a future.

II Peter 1:3 Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. (TPT)

In The Palm Of His Hand

Last fall I planted a plethora of spring bulbs hoping for a beautiful show when the frost, snow and bone-chilling cold had begun to recede. As the ground began to warm, those bulbs began to respond. And much to my delight, the bright colored daffodils and tulips lifted my spirits as they bloomed.

It wasn’t until the tulips burst into fullness that I was overwhelmed by a spiritual similarity. These tulips had been buried 7 months – during the dark, wet, frozen winter they were not resting but being prepared for one single purpose! All that waiting had allowed strength and nourishment to marinate within them. At just the right time they would come forth and bring forth ONE single flower; ONE single flower that had one purpose for just a few precious weeks. That purpose – to shout of His glory – to shout of the coming of spring – to bring extravagant hope!

The size of these tulips amazed me – they were huge – their bowl base could fill the opened palm of my hand. And there you have it – in the palm of my hand.

         Isaiah 49:16a. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (ESV)

We too, are like that ONE single flower in the palm of our Father’s hand. Our beauty and purpose are single focused for His purpose. We too, go through times where we experience those months or years of dark, wet, frozen winter. However, when we rest in the palm of His hand and allow His preparation; we too, will come forth to that one single purpose. That one single purpose we were designed for – to shout of His glory – to shout of the coming of spring – to bring hope to the hopeless!

So if you are in that time where you feel buried – waiting in the dark, wet, frozen winter – take courage – for you are being prepared for that one singe purpose! The ground will warm and thaw; and you will burst forth into that single purpose for His glory. So rest and allow His strength and nourishment to marinate within you – get comfortable in the palm of your Father’s hand – He has you and He is faithful to accomplish all that He has started.

         Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (ESV)