Espresso Shots & God

Some days are like coffee shop orders where they always know your preference.  “You want the usual?”  “Yep.  The usual.”  For me that would be a spiced chai latte.  And life flows in the usual way.  The last few days have been more like double espresso shots.  Not that it was fast paced, but unusual, concentrated and powerful, that required a dedicated focus of spirit, where the King helped me along by taking my face in His hands and directing my gaze towards the assignment.

The days when God moves and speaks and instructs in more than one direction are not the usual for me, but I am sensing they will become more common.  I enjoy it immensely, but somewhere in there, like all obedience, it costs me something.  I have to submit even at the cost of being misunderstood.  I must obey while wondering what the outcome will be.  I have to follow the King’s explicit instructions to the letter and trust Him, even when nobody else in the whole wide world understands.  Some God projects require speaking and others just praying.  When I use my words or what I have learned from the King,  sometimes I think I frighten people just a bit.  But that’s OK, too.

I’ve always loved the idea of being a spy.  When I was growing up, it was my favorite game with my cousin as all summer we would sneak around and watch family members from hallways, windows, or from behind bushes.  We used the Buster Brown gadget that would allow us to look around corners.  We talked about plots that would have challenged Jack Bauer!  And we loved every minute.

I find that walking out my life with God is not unlike a Sydney Bristow or Jason Bourne kind of life.  While it may not involve kick-boxing or knowledge of Paris streets, it certainly involves focus and attention with an intimate relationship with my Handler.  There have been many a Bible story that intrigued me as God planted people within a situation to carry out His purposes.  I think of Esther who was positioned “for such a time as this” and saved the Jews from literal destruction, or Daniel whose obedience and dedication to God changed the worship focus of a nation by just being faithful in his prayer times.

I can think like a disappointed idealist, always hoping, but spending too long at the stops of earthly reality in the lives of the people I love.  The Lord gave me a few sentences this week that greatly encouraged me towards focusing on outcomes He can bring.  He said, “Sometimes delivering My word is hard, but celebrate what it will bring about.  Pray as I direct and then go ahead and be happy.  Have a happy faith with expectation that I will bring My best from Heaven to earth and touch each one, bringing about what all your best wisdom and concern over them could never do!  Hallelujah!  What do you say to that?” 

I could only respond with “Yay, God!  Yay, Papa!”

I choose to put my focus more on Him and the eternal outcome, enjoying His smile, and letting it all bring me up higher in my thinking.  Heaven understands the problem, but always provides the solution – if we will take it.  This daughter of the King loves being one of those “hidden ones in Him” sent on secret agent espresso prayer assignments.  I am learning to keep my focus on what HE can do as the Originator of all, the grace-provider that enables me to follow.

When need is great, it is hard to see above it, but that is where He resides – always above, always higher.  If we stare at earth, we see earth.  If we let Him bring us higher, we will see higher.  He is adjusting our vision to see and receive what is needed, the joys, plans, strategies, and language of His presence.

When we are teachable and dependent and willing, He will direct us in ways that are different from the earth-usual, for we want the Heaven-usual where it is higher, better!  We are to speak, pray, and teach with the challenge of the Spirit that is always calling us higher, to rise above where we are, to live as Kingdom people, to come forward into “positive numbers” in our gifting and calling.  We don’t want to be satisfied with just healing and cleaning up, but to increase the Kingdom and give glory to the King.  With what the King can give, more is possible.  The time is near for greater increase.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you on your journey, in the visible and hidden times.  These are exciting days.

(c) October 28, 2011 – Robin Lawrimore