The Rainbow Connection

Did you ever play the game called Life? The one where you started out with you in  a car and along the way, your "life" was determined by the cards you were dealt. Your job, how many Kids you had, whether you were successful or not - All of those things rested in the hands of the dealer and the "luck of the draw". Too often I hear phrases such as "well, that's how the cards were dealt" or, "it's just not in the cards for me"  and I can't help but think how awful it is if people really think that their life is analogous to a game of cards.   Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.(Or make your paths straight)" I wrote another blog post dissecting this verse..you can read it here. But I think the most important part of that verse is "Trust in the Lord with all you heart...and he will make your paths straight."

I have seen the truth of this verse in my own life many, many times. The more I trust my ways to God and rely on Him and not my own understanding, He makes it clear to me that path I should go. One misconception about Christians is that we have a "perfect" life and that is not the case at all. We are all sinners - every last one of us. The difference between true followers of Jesus Christ and those who are lost, is that His followers have a relationship with Him and long to conform to His image. It is not enough to go to church, to know who God is, to acknowledge His existence, all the while not pursuing a relationship with Him. But I digress.

Unlike the game of Life, our paths are not determined by cards or luck. They are ultimately determined  by the choices we make. Whether to take this job or move to this city - these decisions impact and sometimes alter our course through life. And an interesting facet of these courses are the people we meet as we go along. Some are friends, some are acquaintances and it is these relationships that shape who we become as people. Have you ever met someone who had such a huge impact on you that you found it hard to forget them. I think we can all say we have had that experience, or as I like to call it "Rainbow Connection". (Rainbow Connection being a friend or aquaintance whom you believe God has purposfully placed in your life for a sepcific reason, a promise of His faithfulness) It has happened many times throughout the course of my life. Each stage of life I have had, has simply set me up for a better and greater chapter than the one before. And some of the doors have been opened and closed by the relationships that I have begun and also ended. Each and every one has served a purpose or is still serving a purpose. I don't know where it leads, but it is an amazing thing to watch. To think that a Job interview in 2009  (that I almost turned down), would lead to meeting my true spiritual sister as well as friends and acquaintances that would lead to a government internship. That internship, in turn led to meeting another dear friend (one to whom I feel great attachment because of some things she is going through). Through her, I would meet the man I am currently in a relationship with, a man I prayed for (with specifics) and God met every single one of my requests. Through this relationship and his loving me enough to have a heart to heart with me about what my pasisons are, I have realized that the last four years of working in an engineering environment was a means to an end, not my end...but God's end. I am not meant to be an engineer. Can I do it? Absolutely. But my calling is elsewhere and it involves the use of my hands. It has not yet been revealed to me how to use them in a specific manner, but I am on that path by now pursuing a degree in Kinesiology with supplemental focuses on massage therapy, Personal training, sports injuries and nutrition. The way God has used the experiences in my life, the lessons both good and bad, is truly amazing and astounding. How God can make a beautiful picture of what I thought was a horrid mess (my life) is beyond my comprehension. That fulfillment I longed for I have now found because I am living for God's Purpose, not my own. But that only happens when we are willing to trust our futures, our cares, our happiness into His hands. When we truly come to Him and say "Lord, I am yours, use me as you will" He does that and much more.

 If you are following the will of God, I truly believe that He brings across your path people who make a difference in your life as well as people in whose life you can make a difference. In Romans 9 it says "21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?". I realize this may sounds harsh and contrary to the belief that God is a fair God..but it also says in Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

And if I may highlight the word "workmanship" The following definition comes from gospel.com: Christians are God's workmanship--tools uniquely designed by God to fulfill a specific purpose. We can rejoice in the knowledge that we are wonderfully made for a reason, and that God continues to work with us throughout our lives. The Greek word for Workmanship is POIEMA. Does that sound familiar? We get the word Poem from Poiema. Poems are typically looked at as masterpieces or even some "works of art" . So you see, we are God's "works of art", created for His purpose and ultimately, His glory. It is not our good works that save us though. We are saved FOR good works, or "saved to serve". James 2: 18 "But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?... 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Going back to what I said earlier - it is not enough to go to church and be a spiritual statue. It is not enough to say "Yes, I believe in God". We are called, we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, our souls and minds. And second to that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Do you have a special purpose? Or are you for common use? I like to think that if God calls as we listen, we can find our special purpose to further His kingdom. For some it may be in ministry, others, maybe raising their kids in the home. We each have a job to do and the only way to find that job is to open your heart and your ears to the Spirit of God as He guides you down the path of Life He has for you.