I never enjoyed connecting the dots…until recently. Instead of relishing the process of connecting each dot with my pencil or crayon, I would eagerly try to guess the picture. The same is true today. Often I miss the magic of my moments, impatient for the bigger picture of life. This causes me to miss God’s opportunities for me as His Follower. If life is about the journey, these opportunity dots represent steps along that path. O=Opportunity.
As His follower, I strive to nurture my faith, obey, love and listen to God. Listening illuminates opportunities. Each day God presents chances to communicate with Him in His Word, prayer, worship and the world around us. If I’m listening, these opportunity dots connect my life in a way only God can fathom. It’s up to me to draw those connections to complete the picture. If I impatiently fail to see or look past them, I miss God’s plan for me.
Understanding my impatience, I have tried to seek without seeing as we discussed in our Bible study. This often involves uncomfortable leaps of faith. God didn’t send Jesus to make our lives comfortable. Jesus came to save us from our sinful selves. Our lives are not our own; they were bought with the blood of Jesus. Comfort isn’t part of the equation. Being His follower often means stepping out of our comfort zones into His will. So I leap uncomfortably, comforted by the presence of my Savior.
While these opportunity dots in life often seem very illogical to me, God knows the bigger picture. In His perfect timing, He reveals a portion of His picture as I connect the dots. My comfort level grows as more of the picture develops. Slowly I warm to connecting the dots I am given.
John 14:21 “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
Looking back on my connected dots amazes me. I see connections between things which seemed so random at the time. With hindsight I appreciate God’s perfect timing while remembering my doubt in the moment. These now obvious connections bring me comfort, peace and needed strength for the next leap.
Reading His Word, saying yes when unsure, no when really wanting to say yes and following Him into the unknown are gifts God offers us each day. I can connect these opportunity dots or not. But I no longer want to miss the beautiful picture of God’s plan for me.
Feeling like I’ve missed a few opportunities already, I now look forward to connecting those dots. Leaping in faith or patiently waiting in the sacredness of God’s timing can be uncomfortable. But as we connect God’s dots as His followers, we discover His plan for us. Let’s have faith, obey, love, listen and leap into the opportunities He gives us.
I’m still eager to guess the beautiful picture God is connecting with the dots of my life. But now, I truly enjoy the journey.
Love this post for so many reasons. I am in a season of waiting on the Lord, and I have to say my comfort level is good some days and not so good some days. It is very helpful to me to actively look for reasons (opportunities) that God has not yet brought this time to a conclusion. It gives me a little purpose, and helps me not freak out. Thanks for saying it so well.
You’re welcome Kim! God does not waste the wait, I’ve been trying to listen more closely and now hear and see Him so much more. I pray you will too!