Faith & Life Lessons - May 23, 2021
Welcome to the May 23rd edition of Faith & Life Lessons.
You will see this email full of tidbits from my week. My goal is simple. I hope that from how I live my life, you can find a thing or two that helps you as you try to live a life that matters. I am always trying to do one thing - make Christ-focused decisions in love, work, and life. And this was my week.
Redemption can come late in the game...The Story of My Week
I got an email this week about a couple of bible study programs coming up soon.
The name of one of the facilitators caught my attention.
It was Lysa TerKeurst. She is a Christian speaker and best-selling author.
I used to be on her mailing list but I haven't been in the loop of anything she had been doing over the past 2-3 years.
I googled her name and got a thrilling update.
In 2017, she had sent an update that she was divorcing her husband. The reasons were due to his infidelity and substance abuse. I remember feeling hurt for her pain when she sent that email.
The process of making that decision was not easy for her.
As she recounts "As the crisis unfolded and escalated, Lysa told her husband Art, “I love you. I can forgive you. But I can’t share you!” After almost 18 months of intense couple’s counseling, and with the hope of restoration, Art continued to abuse substances and be unfaithful. After much prayer and consultation, Lysa felt it was time to make the hardest decision of her life and pursue divorce."
I hoped something good would come her way from the whole situation.
Well, I got that this week.
She explains "Even though there was a point in time I was moving toward divorce, after three years, I was asked by a man with a repentant heart and a restored soul, sold out to God, if I would give him another opportunity to love me. And with a much deeper understanding of what love is, I have chosen to say yes."
In December 2018, she and her husband reconciled and renewed their wedding vows.
I am so happy for her family.
Redemption can still come no matter how late in the game.
Things I Learnt
1-Gentle Encouragement: On one of the transactions at work, we got an extension which we hope will help us close the transaction successfully.
It wasn't much - we still have so much work to do to get to the finish line.
But I have learned to first be grateful.
I see these sort of "Hail Mary" pass as God's way of encouraging me to keep putting my best into the transaction.
The extension gives us more work to do.
But I hope in the end, it will be worth it.
2-Not Called by Another Call: I was on a call with someone during the week who was considering whether to move into clergy ministry.
The pull was coming from her church leadership.
I smiled.
I had gone through something similar in the past.
More than 20 years ago, my pastor had publicly said during a church service that the next stage for me at that time was to sign up for seminary school and join the clergy.
I laughed so hard immediately he said it. Yep, I laughed in church.
Just because I have a strong desire for pursuing God does not mean I need to end up in the clergy.
Unless God calls me, I answer nobody's call.
Years before that, I had wanted to become a missionary and head into some uncharted region to win the natives for God.
This was my plan until God said it's not His plan for me.
I have a missionary friend who remarked that I was a strange case. He typically hears of people who God wants to become missionaries that refuse it.
I was the reverse. God didn't want me as that kind of missionary.
I know that my service to God will invoice serving in the marketplace.
That's what I remain committed to.
I will not answer other people's Call.
I choose to keep answering God's call.
Outside the life of the clergy.
Postscript
May you be at peace to live out how God has called you to serve in life without becoming overwhelmed by how others are serving. May you find joy in the place God has marked out for you. Amen.
Tata,
Tola - The Everyday Disciple
I help Christians like you who want to live intentional lives incorporate their faith into everyday life so they can make Christ focused decisions in all areas of life and truly live to make an impact and make God happy.
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