And it’s beautiful.   Oh, so very beautiful, to know you are doing whatever He is calling to do to your God Directed Best.

I was instructed to move forward on a big project and reached out to someone who had been a voice of dissent. Nothing was more important than delaying my day and being obedient in the moment.  Long conversation, check.  Prayer. Check. More prayer because I really needed clarity. Check.    Reach out in love to the voice of dissent and speak encouragement.  Check.   Be very late to an earthly job to perform a more important Kingdom-focused task.   Check.   Anyone who knows me knows this is not how I typically operate on my own accord.

The day was long and exhausting, no doubt.

The initial dissent last Tuesday night was balanced with loving words.  It did not feel genuine, but I wanted to believe.  I chose to believe.  I remember how I prayed before responding in love.  I addressed all of her concerns and told her we were doing our God directed  best to not leave anyone out.  Each subsequent message of dissent seemed to make zero progress, as if she was trying to wear me down.  Each time, I prayed and responded completely and with love.  Today was no different.  Given direction to move ahead, I prayed about it.  It was clear I was supposed to reach out and include her in the process.  I was late to work, but it simply didn’t matter.  I needed to love her enough to include her with the truth that we were moving ahead on the project with enthusiasm, tempered with grace for her concerns.  Humbly, I asked for her help and thought she would feel better if she could see the weekly emails with “State of the Book” updates.  Well, she saw the message much earlier and four hours later, I received the coldest message possible.  No love.  Not a drop. She refuses to be involved and threw a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo at me.   I reached out in more love and asked that she harbor no ill will.  It softened her response, but I know where I stand.

With Him.  That’s where I stand.  I will cling to His spirit of trust and adventure and approach every task He sets before me with God-directed enthusiasm and faith.  I had never once used that expression in my life until last Tuesday night.  It does not surprise me I used that expression in the first email response to her initial objections.   Now, four days later, once the yucky drama unfolded, He shows me why he puts those exact words on my heart.  Thank you, God.