Immeasurably More

As I worked my monotonous (and often dreaded) job of book repair this morning, I was deeply challenged as I listened to Joel Thomas’ sermon titled An Immeasurable Life. These are the thoughts that have been since provoked:

Do you remember being a kid and believing that anything was possible? I do. I believed in Santa Claus until I was probably ten years old--always justifying the seemingly impossible and refusing to lose hope in the "magic of Christmas". I also believed that my dad had the super-human strength to accomplish anything in the world, and that I could be a famous singer (or dolphin trainer, or FBI agent, or ...it really changed by the month). We weren't afraid to dream when we were young because nothing seemed out of reach. Growing up somehow has a way of drawing us back--a way of making us believe we have to manage our desire to want more out of life and making us believe that we must learn to be content. Being content, afterall, is scriptural! ...But is it? We (well, atleast I) always have this desire for more. I don't mean to say that I am greedy and am never satisfied with how much money I have or with how good my relationships are..., but I do mean to say that I never feel like I have reached where I am supposed to be. I think this tension is good, and I think Paul felt it too when he wrote, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Maybe we feel like there is more, because there IS more. I will never arrive, and therefore I must never settle for comfortable and mediocrity.

Joel said in his message, "Our capacity to produce has limited our capacity to dream." Often times I believe we settle for what we know is possible. We let life take us in accordance to what we know is within our own capabilities and performance, limiting our faith and God-given mission to live life in its fullest.

‎"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20

Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...

Joel prayed, "God, help me to look beyond what I can measure, and to believe that, because of you, immeasurably more is possible for me. "
I want to spend my life chasing after more--more of God. I want more faith, more dreams, more surrendering to His power, more life. I never want to be content, because God always has more.

JUST BEaring

Confession: Growing up, I always hated hearing about how God's love and grace were free. I mean I literally hated it. I didn't want God to love me just because. How was God's love for me special if he loved everyone else the same way? I wanted to earn His love. I wanted to deserve it. I wanted God to love me for what I could produce. (This also made me quite fearful of failure...). And sometimes, I find myself with the same mindset today.

I suppose that's quite prideful, yes? How could I ever deserve the love of God? How could I ever make myself worthy or "produce" enough? How could I ever reach His standard of holiness?

Though it was preached in February, this year's homecoming theme still speaks to me over and over again.
"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:4-5

All I'm called to do is remain...to be attached to the vine. HE produces fruit. We bear it.

However long it took me to admit it, the truth is that my worth is not found in my performance. It's not based on my G.P.A., my efficiency, or my power of persuasion; nor is my worth depleted by my failures and shortcomings. No, my worth is found in being a child of God...and in being a branch. His grace is sufficient.

God's love simply is. I cannot earn it and I cannot lose it. It is unconditional.

Praise God.

I pray that day by day God will teach me to extend the same kind of love and grace to those around me...a love that is not based on performance or on what I receive in return, but a love that is. ...simply because God's love is.

Letter to Self

For certain reasons I won't bother to explain, I was missing Egypt today. To remedy (or worsen) the feeling, I opened my box of memories from the Middle East and rediscovered this letter I wrote to myself just days before I left to come home to be read months after being back. I have found myself to be encouraging and convicting...ha. Here is an excerpt.

"Dear Danielle,
Time sure goes fast! It has been months since your huge Middle-Eastern adventure. I hope you've been processing, and I hope you've been able to retain and apply what you've learned. Have you maintained your MESP friendships? If you haven't in a while, you need to give a few calls/e-mails. I also hope you've been keeping up with ME news. I know you're busy, but please give time to reading and staying current. Have you contacted your homestay family? DON'T forget about them...
...
I don't know how you're doing spiritually, but I just hope you haven't stopped asking questions. It might be easier to shrug things off, but don't! Wrestle with God, Danielle. Don't be a coward. And don't wear a mask. Set an example of honesty and transparency. Keep having adventures, and most importantly, remember grace! Give grace, Danielle, because you have received an abundance of it. Don't judge peoples' ignorance, because you don't know much yourself.
Anyway, this is your senior year. Enjoy it! Don't regret it. Trust in God--even if you don't understand Him.
<3,
Yourself"