20 January 2012

Chills and “Aha Moments”


"Even before he made the world, God loved us and
chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes"
- Ephesians 1:4

This week I found myself spending time in the book of Deuteronomy – chapters 1 and 2 to be exact. It wasn’t part of my “reading plan,” but God drew me to those particular verses in a way I couldn’t refuse.

Three specific “aha moments.”

It started the other night when a friend, who had borrowed a copy of The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, asked if we could discuss some of the questions in the back of a chapter. (He had never read the book, and I had read it as part of a small group Bible study.) We had a wonderful discussion, but as the evening progressed, something my friend said triggered the first “aha moment.” His comment was that several of the “struggles” I had written about in one of my answers seem to be some of the same things I am still dealing with today. (Honestly, I forgot that I had even written answers in my book.) You might be thinking, “That’s no big deal.” The problem is that I had written my answers over 10 years ago, when I originally read the book.

Have you ever felt like you continue to do the same things over and over again, only to find that you end up with the same result over and over again. Duh!

Then yesterday I was sitting quietly reading through my Bible study when I came across the words of Deuteronomy 2:3, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north.”

I immediately got a chill (aka the 2nd “aha moment”). As I read those words, I felt like God was using them to once again tell me that indeed my life has been stuck in a vicious cycle for way too long.

WOW ... this can’t be a coincidence!

But God hadn’t finished making His point yet. This morning as I continued to read from the book of Deuteronomy, I stumbled across yet another message that I could tell was just written for this very moment.

“God, your God, has blessed you in everything you have done. He has guarded you in your travels through this immense wilderness. For forty years now, God, your god, has been right here with you. You haven’t lacked one thing” (Deuteronomy 2:7 MSG).

When I read the verse ... another chill, another “aha moment,” but this time it was different - ... God had connected the dots, so to speak.

You see, I turned 60 in the fall, and only today did that scripture take on a different meaning. I have let the same mountain of struggles keep me from an abundant life for not 10, 20, or even 30 years, but for the last 40 years of my life.

It was during my “aha moments” that I heard God telling me, “Donna, you’ve circled long enough. Trust me. It’s time to go to the Promised Land.”

I realize that God is after my own heart. He wants more for me than broken promises, health issues, discouragement, financial concerns, or insecurity. So I am accepting His invitation and focusing on our relationship. I am working on becoming radically disciplined in seeking his will for all of my decisions and actions. With God, I believe the cycle of “circling the mountain” can be broken!

Each of us faces some sort of “mountain” in our life. What mountain(s) are you facing?

Just like He wanted greater things for the people of Israel, God wants more for each one of us. He is willing to lead us, carry us, fight for us, bless us, and love us unconditionally. Maybe it’s time that we trust Him and instead of circling the mountain, let’s look “north” and follow God with our heart, mind and spirit.

Chillin’ in His “aha moments.”
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

Congratulations to Debbie Case
WINNER OF THE DAYSPRING $20 GIVEAWAY


2 comments:

Debbie Case said...

How poignant and applicable this is to my life right now! I, too, feel that I have been circling the mountains in my life seeking and searching for God's call in my life. Often, I get so overwhelmed by the big goal that I can't break down the steps to get there. I know that I need to focus on small goals one at a time, like one step at a time on a staircase to reach goals, but I continuously set myself up to fall by trying to take too big of steps. Thanks for your insightful blog this morning. It was exactly what I needed to read. Blessings wished to your day!

Donna Weaver said...

Thanks Debbie ... I started a Bible study this week and was feeling a little overwhelmed myself. There is so much I want to work on in my life (ie. finances, weight, self-discipline ... on and on), but I am learning that I need to work on my relationship with God first, then I think all else will fall in to place. The study I am doing is on the book "Made to Crave," by Lysa Terkuerst. It's all about craving God more than anything else (such as food, self control, or anything else that is keeping you from being all that God wants you to be). So for now, I am focusing on Him and believing that He has a plan for the rest. Bit by bit, as I focus on Him, he seems to be opening my eyes (aha moments). Only time will tell. Praying for you as I hope you will for me too! Love & Peace...