The Calm Before the Storm

I'm curious to see how long this "Calm" will last. My life is full of preparation right now with ministry starting in September & wedding madness in the Fall. Right now, I'm taking full advantage of the quiet solace I have in life.

Today, Lenore interviewed me for my Bio that will be put into the program for my Installation/Commissioning on Sunday (2pm, central/eastern time). Among many questions, she asked me what my goals were in life.

What are my goals in life?

Now, I have my "Top 5" lists & things I want to accomplish within the next year. . . but, when I think about my life as a whole, my "Bucket List" doesn't seem efficient. Shouldn't I have one underlying goal? A force that drives me?

In the movie "Rudy", this scrawny 5 foot-nothing kid lives & breathes Notre Dame football. His goal in life is to play for the Fighting Irish & he does everything he can to get there. Finally his day comes & at the end of the movie, his dreams become reality. I saw this movie for the first time this past weekend, so it's fresh in my mind. Sorry if I ruined the ending for everyone. . .

Sometimes I expect to have the same kind of passion as Rudy. Something that drives me to the very core, like music or travel. What do I dream of doing?

Then, I'm reminded of the passion that does drive me. . . my relationship with the One whose Passion claimed me as His own & gave me something to live for. Dreams & goals are great, but it's nothing like the hope we have in the one, true God of all, the Savior! Yes, I have goals & dreams for my future: do ministry, get married, have a family, experience the world & serve God. Dreams keep us going, they keep us outside the routine of mundane living, they help us embrace our innocence & creativity, but nothing should drive us more than living for the One who lives for us.

This epiphany was epiphanized 2.5 seconds after Lenore asked me, "What are your goals in life?" & this is what I told her. . .

"My goal in life is to never stop growing or feel comfortable with where I'm at. God puts us in uncomfortable situations to grow & mold us. When we are no longer uncomfortable & embrace comfort, we stop growing.
I never want to stop growing.
I never want to be comfortable in my relationship with God.
I never want to go unused by Him.
So, wherever I'm at, whether it's being a Mom or working in South America as a missionary, I want to be used."

I have been crucified with Christ & I no longer life, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

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