What are the deepest invitations God is making to me right now for my life?
This question is what making resolutions is really about. In my journey it is becoming increasingly clear that I have missed so many invitations God sent me through his Word and Church and Community. So the entry into a new year no longer means turning the page in the calendar and learning to put 2011 on my checks. Rather by virtue to Christ’s coming I am invited into a new adventure in life and faith – every day.
In our time, invitations come by electronic means – text, email, tweet, voice mail, and the like. They also come personally in the very people God sends to accompany us on our journey. Most profound are the invitations that come from the still, small voice of God himself.
So what are the deepest invitations? For you? For me?
The easy answer is…only God knows! But that is exactly the point. If God issues these deep and life-changing invitations – why not ask him yourself ?
So listening for God is the key to receiving and responding to those deep invitations. You may stand at a crossroads and need some guidance. You may be sitting in prayer or on a long winter walk. You may be traveling or recovering from hurt, pain or illness. You may be intentionally listening and asking God in those quiet moments of meditation or prayer.
As you journey with the question…What are the deepest invitations God is making to me right now for my life?
Just know that God is still talking and still inviting and still saving and still gracious and always forgiving.
…and our answer as disciples is still…HERE I AM LORD – SEND ME!
One the first day of my ordained ministry I wrote these words in my journal:
Life is hard.
It is hard to be a Christian, but it is too dull to be anything else.
So with all the risks and the turmoil that often accompany a life counter to the prevailing culture and the whims of Satan…know these words from Jeremiah are trustworthy and true:
11 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.
gracexchange 
5 responses to “Invitations from God”
You speak of invitations from God, forgiveness. Conceptually yes, I somewhat understand. But a question: How do you forgive someone from whom you must walk away yet honor them for who they are, in short find peace with moving on?
While the ideals of God do not usually manifest themselves fully on earth – we strive to forgive as God has forgiven us.
From: Philipians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In our walk, respect is our guide. While the relationship with those who have done something to forgive is forever changed, the
act of forgiving gives us peace because the forgiveness is through Jesus himself who takes on the burden of judgment for all of
us. Somehow – beyond understanding – we can move closer to finding peace.
I can grasp the theological and biblical implications of what you are advising. My further question is: where does the theological meet the psychological and the practical; in short, a specific way to deal with this in every day situations. Emotions are sensitive, people are complex. The simpler the better.
Resentment, blame, anger, and bitterness are heavy burdens that hold us back, weigh us down, and keep us stuck. Forgiving does not mean that you avoid or repress your feelings. Rather, that you acknowledge your pain and loss so that you can express your feelings, get them out into the light of day, and let them run a natural, healing course.
We can blame other people for their mistakes but they are not to blame for our feelings and actions. To forgive is to release another from being responsible for how we feel. By finding forgiveness, we are then free to let go of our pain. Although it is true that people may make us feel upset, we must also recognize that we have the power to let go of our pain.
Letting go takes time and I think while we engage the Spirit in that endeavor we are moving forward to that time when there is true release.
very well and thank you…moving along, please define specific examples of appropriate ways to express anger, not repress feelings and acknowledge pain. Overall I am asking limits of expression and non repression and healthy expression of anger, verbally, written or otherwise