Hey friends, how are you today?  Wow! Fall is here already.  Where did the time go? How are you, friends? Really… I would like to know.   It’s been a while since I’ve been on this platform.  I have no excuse.  I have been busy, indeed.  But most of my busyness is steep in ‘my business’.  My time has been disproportionately in my favor. Although, I’ve completed the Lord’s business, I’ve done what felt comfortable.  You know, I like my comfort.  The blog can sometimes be uncomfortable, because so much of me is in my writings.  Sometimes hiding is safe, isn’t it? 

Years ago, I read a quote that said, “safety is not the absence of danger, but rather the presence of God”.  A very profound statement then and certainly a wise one today.  If I seek my own safety first, before obedience, what then do I leave for God? Sometimes obedience and safety do not go together.  

Safe is safe and comfortable. Recently, I told a friend I love being married.  I know what you’re thinking and that’s not it.  God, in His infinite wisdom placed man as the head of the home.  What that means for me is that I follow where he leads.  I get to hide behind him.  We both benefit from his good decisions, but he alone suffers the consequences of his bad decisions.  See… I told you, I love being married.  ‘Head of the house’ makes complete sense to me.  

Just a note to the men out there.  You are accountable for your own actions.  Huh!  Does that mean I am accountable to mine also? Huh! Interesting.  What about my inactions? Am I responsible for not doing what I’ve been called to do? I’ve been struggling with that lately.

I like tasks.  I know… I know… you’ve said that before, Brenda. I can follow instructions, especially if it is listed.  All instructions from the Word of God demand obedience.  And some may require more faith than others.  Especially those God has called just me to complete.  Not my husband, not my children, not my parents, nor my brother and sisters.  Just little ‘ole’ me.  I did say before, I like to hide, right?

Well… that reminds me of a story in the Bible.  You know which one I’m talking about… Jonah! In my case, fear keeps me away from obedience.  I want the end result.  I want all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted.  I want the beginning, the process and the final result.  I want to know everything, Lord.  Tell me how this chapter will unfold before I start.  

To obey God without seeing the whole of the matter, that is the question.  I’ve heard several songs with the words, “if you say go, I’ll go; if You say stay, I’ll stay”…but the saying is easier than the doing.  

The doing involves my willingness.  The going may mean alone. The staying may mean I’m seen.  As Christians, we each have our own path.  Although, we journey together; the instructions from the Word of God are for all His people. At times, our paths deviate from others.   And at times fear wins, because ‘what will people think’?

They may not understand why we have to go there.  We may not always have the explanation for our convictions.  That may cause confusion and discomfort, especially in a family.  

Faith, only a small five letter word.  But, Lord, this small word wants so much from me.  It’s so much easier to pretend I never heard that command. Or perhaps, Lord, You made a suggestion. Perhaps You want us to negotiate.  You didn’t really, really want me to do this, right? 

Yes… the Lord and I have these conversations, perhaps a little too often.  Second opinions and all that…Ahh Lord God, send help.  Oh right! You already did.  

Obedience is never the easiest solution.  It’s always the best but not easy. It’s perhaps easier when the people around us are all moving in the same direction.  When we live in a house with Christian family members. When our church is loving and supportive and we form part of that collective. When we have the same goals. When the instructions are clear and seemingly achievable.  Easier, yes… but never easy.

It’s those instructions that come just for me; these are the scary ones.  To have this child, when I’m already ninety, for crying out loud.  To walk around the walls seven times, instead of ten. To enter the presence of a king, without an appointment. To have a child, while still a virgin.  To walk on water without foreknowledge.  I’m guessing the ‘yes..Lord’ demanded supernatural strength.  

People may not always understand why we have to go this way.  We may not always understand why we go this way.  But rewards when we obey far outweigh the disobedience in the long run. 

Let’s go on a journey, even when it requires our full surrender.  Have you ever been called to do something alone? Share your testimony.