Monday, January 2, 2017 

 “The Ultimate Adventure”

Verse for the Week:

Isaiah 30:21 (ESV); And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

It’s here! 2017!

As we say goodbye to one year and look ahead to another, we might be wrestling with competing thoughts of hopes and fears, pitfalls and dreams. With all of these thoughts and options…

What do you see for yourself in 2017?

Do you hear God’s voice of wisdom whispering in your heart and your mind, possibly calling you to a new course of action? Or do you feel the tug of unfinished business from the past year that still needs to be addressed?

With the dawning of every new year, life begs us to assess where we’ve been and where we are going. This practice helps us to clear out the clutter and free us to work with God to make necessary changes in order to forge a new path in the direction He would have us go.

For some of us, we may find ourselves dangerously off-course. For others, we might have just taken a few detours. Regardless where you assess your current location on the map of your life, the most important stabilizer is where your set your sights.

One of the amazing gifts we receive as a result of our faith is the guiding force of the Holy Spirit. He lives inside us and acts as an internal compass directing our steps and pointing us due North to our Maker.

If our sights are not focused on this compass inside our soul—the direction of the Holy Spirit—then it’s pretty certain we will get lost.

So the question is how in-tune are we? Are we allowing our lives—our hearts, our minds, our actions—to be influenced and ultimately directed by this precious gift?

To live a life directed by the Spirit, we’ve really gotta have a backbone. Sometimes God asks us to forgo all we know to be stable and safe in order to teach us to hear His voice. It is tough terrain to travel but it is in this place of uncertainty that we learn to trust and grow in our faith. And this is the ultimate adventure that I am eager to embrace in 2017.

My hope is that you will consider it as well.

I know for my own crazy life, this year is chalk-full of new changes. My oldest son will be leaving the nest and heading off to college. My daughter will begin driving (Lord, help us all)! My special needs son will be adapting to more independence as I continue to adjust to my new career and the time away from him and our home.

Like I said, there will be a lot of newness in my life this year! The weight of the next year rests heavy on my shoulders. Honestly, I’m struggling with feeling a little lonely, scared, and lost. And although I feel blessed in much of my “newness”, I still can’t help but feel vulnerable and a little untethered.

I am desperate to tap into the wisdom and direction of the Spirit. Not only that but to calm my nerves and set my heart on pilgrimage to find true meaning in all this change. Why? Because I believe God has good plans for us and although change tends to make me crazy, and I do mean certifiably crazy, I trust and believe all these changes are meant for our ultimate good.

How about you? What does your ultimate adventure look like for 2017?

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to recognize Your voice. Guide me in wisdom so that at the end of the day, this year, the ultimate adventure of my life, I want evidence that this internal compass pointed me due North straight to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:

As we navigate this new year, let’s not get stuck in the routine of just reacting to our circumstances in the same ways. Let’s begin with a commitment to align ourselves with our internal compass and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all we do.

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and let the adventure begin. I can’t wait to hear what your adventure looks like for 2017!

Dori