The Butterfly Circus

This post doesn't have a lot to do with vision in the sense of my personal dreams, but I just had to share this absolutely inspiring short film called "The Butterfly Circus."

It is 20 minutes long, and totally worth it! Watch it here:

What an amazing portrayal of one man's vision - the determination to not look at people with their limitations, but their possibilities. And what a beautiful picture of what God does with each of us - takes us out of our sin and struggles, transforming us by his power as we learn our true identity in Him!

Vision & Hope

Vision. The Future. Unknowns. Possibilities.

It can be fun to think about the future, but I'm glad I don't know the future! I was reading through my journal from last year (where I recorded all the decisions, emotions, changes, experiences, etc. of moving to Germany) and boy was I surprised as I looked back at some of the things I went through! If I had known ahead of time what all was coming at me, I'm not sure obedience would have been so easy or appealing! But God's grace is always enough.

I came across an interesting article the other day which talked about knowing the future. It was in one of those celebrity gossip magazines that I usually avoid even looking at, but our elderly neighbor gave me a stack (what, they're not useful to her? =D ), so I flipped through them. One page captured me, on which I found this article written by a lady who for years had been going to see a therapist who was a fortune-teller/tarot card reader...

She explained how she first got into going to see the therapist because of her neighbor, a friend of hers who was very wrapped up in it and addicted to the advice and future-predicting messages. She decided one time to try it, and said as soon as she walked into the office she could tell the therapist knew every dark secret about her, and she got goosebumps just from the atmosphere. She ended up going to see this lady regularly, spending about 2.000 Euro every year...for 8 years.

She explained how her future was predicted. The therapist largely spoke negative things out, foreseeing bad things. First she was told there would be a financial breakdown coming, resulting from a job loss. The next step "on the path" to avoiding this circumstance was to book another appointment (of course costing more money) for the next card reading. But the cycle went on -- next it was divorce, and then an accident. Over time this lady realized how much she was getting caught up in manipulation, and how it was ruining her life.

Crazy, isn't it? I was really surprised to read her article and see her discernment (considering it was in a secular magazine). She may have been caught up in divination, but her spiritual senses were alive. God is the source of all Truth, and this lady recognized what was not truth! The author wrote that she finally realized what a mess the whole thing was, stopped seeing the therapist, and went on in life her own way, including marrying "the man of her dreams." She wrote how nice it was to, in her words, "finally be free."

What a stark example this is of the two kingdoms at war with one another: the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness. The devil comes as a thief, whose plan is to "steal, kill, and destroy," but Jesus came "to give life, and life abundantly" (John 10:10).

I am so, so grateful that the future the Lord has prepared for me (and you!) is not one of darkness, of mishaps, of pain, of "bad luck." It is exactly the opposite! There is a verse Christians like to quote a lot and even though it was directed to the people of Israel I believe it is God's heart towards us today too:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Interesting what it says a few verses earlier:  "Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.'" The issue that this lady who wrote the article ran into is not a new one! Satan has been speaking out lies and deceiving people for generations. But notice that when we give into them, when we seek the advice of diviners, we "encourage them to dream." These diviners have power, yes. They are connected in a very real way to the spiritual world and when they speak things out, the can happen! But their power is not the result of the Holy Spirit and Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, dwelling inside of them - it comes as the result of humans seeking after an experience, and some type of advice to help them cope with all the negative in their lives.

God's vision for us, on the other hand, is one of HOPE. Now hope doesn't mean that everything in our lives will be just peachy and run smoothly. The fact that persecution will come is actually a *promise* in the Bible! Just like, "I will be with you; do not be afraid; I will provide for you." Following Jesus isn't some type of blind faith, ignorant of reality and the suffering of this world. But the Holy Spirit NEVER manipulates, and His intention is always for our encouragement. Part of His role is also to bring conviction, which may not be comfortable, but sin is not the end of the story; healing and restoration and peace with God is.

As you consider the future and the vision that God has for you, be encouraged that it is one of HOPE!

Vision & Surrender

Today marks one year of my husband and I living in Germany! It's crazy to think of when we landed in Frankfurt on August 30, 2011, and consider how far the Lord has brought us since then - what we've experienced, the challenges we've faced, how we have grown and the ways God has used us. All with incredible blessings and lessons along the way! God is SO faithful...always.

As we were reflecting last night on what an adventure it's been, we were faced with the need to remind ourselves to continually surrender. God gave us a vision and has led us and provided for us, but oh how easy it is to take matters into our own hands!

"It makes a difference whether you were sent, or whether you just went..."
 
God gave us a clear vision of what our work and ministry here were to look like: "Bringing restoration to your family and my Glory to Germany," He said. And as we shared that vision with family, friends, and our church, we were supported on all sides and all the love, advice, encouragement, and prayers felt to us like fuel in our jet that was preparing for "take off." We didn't go on our own strength; we knew we were called, and we had people standing by us (thank you!)

And now we are here. It hasn't always been easy, but obedience isn't always comfortable. We have adjusted though, and are feeling quite at home. In fact, we thought that if God were to now tell us to move, even to the next village, that would be kind of hard for us! To leave our nice apartment that we've invested time and money into decorating so it's just our style? Our cozy fireplace? Our newly renovated kitchen? Our quiet neighborhood? But the key is that IT'S NOT "OURS." We need to live with open hands and intentionally acknowledge that it is God's house and God's time and God's ministry and God's marriage and His heart for our family members here is bigger than any love we have for them! It's HIS vision and HIS will.

It's easy to walk in excitement when God gives you a vision or reveals a next step, etc. But the key is to remain just as dependent on His Spirit, just as attentive to His Voice, and just as denying to yourself one month, one year, or 30 years later as you were during the time you were seeking His will in the first place. It's like Paul's tough exhortation to the Galatians: "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (3:3). Beware of becoming comfortable, becoming competent in your own strength, becoming apathetic. 

We serve a God who is all about relationship and he LOVES to communicate with us! He has a good plan and he doesn't mean for it to be difficult or mysterious to discover His will. It is easy - His word says, " If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). When we're lacking wisdom or don't know the way, all we have to do is ask! But here's the key -  "When he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (vs. 6-8). God is generous and freely gives out wisdom - without fault. He doesn't stand there thinking, "Come on, can't you figure this out on your own? Why are you so uncertain? Don't you get it?" He delights to give.  

But the key is this: I can't ask for wisdom yet still insist on doing it my way.

One of my pet peeves (spoiler alert: insight into our marriage!) is when my husband asks me about something, for example, "Hmm, should I eat cherry or strawberry yogurt today?" and then when I answer, he ends up doing the exact opposite. I suppose that's just because he's extroverted and needs to think aloud :-) But it makes me laugh every time and I always say, "Why do you ask if you're not gonna do what I suggest anyway?!"

Well, it works the same with God. We can't ask Him to direct our steps and then when He shows us the path we say, "Oh actually the other one looks more appealing." His plans are *always* good and even if we don't understand them, we have to be willing to obey. God doesn't like to reveal his heart if He can't trust us to live out what He speaks to us.

So...it comes back to surrender. In my life, it meant moving across the ocean to my husband's homeland and taking care of my sick mother-in-law. The Lord has given us the great blessing of getting involved with a discipleship center here as well. Obedience and the unfolding of the Lord's vision for your life will likely look different for you, but one thing is the same:

"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" 
(1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Seashells and the Sea

 Are you a visionary?

I never thought I was. If you tell me your vision, I could give you some tips for practical steps that will help you reach your goal, but coming up with a goal in the first place was never my strength. For me, it was a challenge every semester at Bible School to write down "growth goals" that were required for one of our classes on spiritual growth. We were supposed to identify areas that we wanted to grow in (relationships, spiritual disciplines, fitness/health, etc.) and come up with a concrete plan of how to move forward in those areas. But where to start?

And whenever we worked on a team project, I was never the one to initiate an idea. They just didn't come to me! But if someone else mentioned a vision, then BAM! - I ran with it. I can help bring color and shape to an idea, and point out the aspects that are lacking or the details that others may have missed because of their excitement for the end result.

Detail-oriented People vs. Big-picture People

Actually, it's not about being "versus" each other - both are important! God has created all of us with special strengths and giftings, and when we work together we can learn from one another and complement each other. 

Last week at our small group we heard an encouraging message on this theme. The leader used an illustration to explain the two main personality types. When you go to the ocean, are you the type of person who stares out over the vastness of the water, looking out as far as you can see and taking it all in, enjoying the grand view, or do you walk along the shore collecting seashells? Do you focus on the big picture or on the details?

Well the other day I found a picture on my computer that I had taken a couple years ago, and I think it sums up my personality quite well:

The sea is not out of view, but I focus on the seashells. 

It's not that I don't see the ocean, but it's in the background.

Somehow I'm a mix of these two character traits...while I at times can step back and see the big picture, I'm more comfortable focusing on the present, the details, the small things, the steps along the way. But if I were to talk to a visionary about all the little practical aspects of a project or idea, they would soon get bored because they prefer dreaming. The danger for someone like me is that we get too caught up in the moment and may not be able to think long-term or plan, dream, etc. We may just take everything as it comes and actually end up where we don't want to be because we didn't set a goal from the beginning. On the other hand, the danger for a more visionary type is that they focus too much on the big picture and may not actually get anything accomplished because they always have a fresh idea or a new goal but don't implement changes that will help them reach it. 

I love discovering and discussing personality types, because it's such a great reminder of the creative God we serve! Each one of us is so different, and we need each other. We all have strengths and weaknesses and they are not good or bad - we simply need to be aware of them. 

One tool that has helped me in this area is an online personality test called the "Flag Page." I took it a few years ago and since then have introduced it to my family, my husband, and friends. It is THE best tool I have used (and I have done *many* similar tests and such at school) that helps you discover "how you tick." It doesn't put you in a box; it just describes how you run and what motivates you in life. And it was so accurate for me! As I was reading my results at the end I thought "wow, has this computer met me personally?" It does cost $12 or so but it is TOTALLY worth it. In my opinion it is a combination of a personality test, spiritual gifts test, and love language quiz (if that says anything to you). I would encourage you to take it, and share your results with your friends and family. Often there are little things in our siblings, spouse, etc. that bother us, but that may be simply because we do not understand them or how God designed them. Learning to understand and appreciate each other's differences is so important! So - here's the link: https://www.flagpagetest.com/

You create an account on this website so that your information and results are always accessible, and you can print off your "flag" as many times as you want. If you are interested, give me your email address and I can email you a copy of my Flag Page so you can see an example of what one looks like and how it's done. 

So I invite you to join with me in a process of stretching yourself! :-) For the next little while I'm going to be spending time reflecting on the big picture, and journaling, praying, talking to my husband, (and yes, probably blogging!) about my vision for the future, and what God has in store for me. If you're like me and generally a detail-person, consider answering some questions such as  the following:

• What do I want to be celebrated for on my 100th birthday? What will people notice that I lived my life for?
• What are some core values in my life that dictate how I make decisions and interact with others?
• What goals do I have for my life? How do I want to grow, change, or make an impact in the realm of my family, my marriage, my job or school, in my hobbies, with my friends, or in my relationship with Jesus?
• Have a wild "brain-storming" session where you allow yourself to just dream and be free, and not worry about the "what-if's", the details, the hindrances, the how's. Exercise creativity and draw, paint, mold, write, go outside in nature. If time, personnel and resources were no issue, what would you do if you could do anything?

And if you are someone who is a visionary, maybe try some of the following:

• Share your vision with a more detailed person and be open to suggestions and practical components that can help shape and give structure to your idea.
• Consider the next step that you could take NOW that will help you accomplish your dream. Create a practical plan of what you need to do, who you need to join you, etc. 
• Don't forget to be content in the moment and enjoy today :-)

Well this, in my opinion, is a fun topic, and I love interaction! What are your experiences? What is your personality strength and what would you add for suggestions/strengths/weaknesses? Let me know if you do the Flag Page, or if this information was helpful or made you think. I have a feeling more posts on this topic will be coming soon...