Friday, July 3, 2009

shelter thoughts

Shelter has become a learned trait for the Guckenberger family.  One that we started a conversation about a couple of months ago and the conversation has become more for me.  Shelter is starting to take on the definition of hope, home, a state of mind more than a structure or even stability for that matter.  Where we smell something and it stirs ideas and thoughts and memories and we recognize the shelter of something more than we can put into words.  Does that mean that Nigeria has become our home?  I don’t know, but it does mean that I look more forward to our permanent shelter in Heaven than I have in any other time in my life.

SHELTER = GOD

If our view of him increases so will our understanding of His shelter.

This summer started mentally for John and I as sacrifice.  What mentalities we needed to sacrifice, what giftings or desires we needed to sacrifice and then what comforts or conveniences we would need to sacrifice as a family by just living in Nigeria.  BUT, then I started looking into scripture and reading stories about people in the bible that also sacrificed; His pain & passion changed me; Abraham/Isaac,

Their dream inspired; Moses leading God's people out of Egypt

Or even just bible stories that their courage asked me what am I afraid of; Daniel and the Lion’s Den...

Or their season of waiting and building up for a future purpose and how that encouraged me; Joseph and his years of slavery to end up being #2 in the Kingdom

And it dawned on me, why were they not afraid, or bitter or selfish?  All of a sudden it hit me that I was focusing on the wrong thing.  It is not sacrifice that my eyes should end, but who is this God that they had no need to fear, no reason to be bitter and no purpose to think of themselves?  God is the focus.  I want to know Him and maybe if I know Him, I will find the secret to the contented life.

Not what do we need to sacrifice, but Who is this God that I think nothing of the sacrifice…. That is the one I want to spend the rest of my life finding out about.  I want to know about God.

 God, please reveal yourself to me in a new way.

2 comments:

  1. I love your jumbled thoughts and God uses them. Keep them coming. Praying that God shows you Him in new ways.

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  2. Cor,

    Your words are a powerful witness to your faith and speak winsomely about you and your faith. I want that too. Thank you.

    Love,

    Dad

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