by Natalie Lynn Borton
“It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.”
Donald Miller
Through Painted Deserts
What simple things have changed your life? How has slowing down your life revealed God's plans and purposes to you?
by Anne Manduka
As a girl, I know very well the dreams any regular girl has. Who hasn’t dreamed of being swept off of their feet by their very own Mr. Darcy? If you ask any girl, she will say that yes, she would like to be pursued and by that I mean a guy who will go out of his way to make it known to her that he likes her and is interested in her.
One day back in 2009 I was talking with one of my mentors and we came up with a wonderful illustration of what a girl’s life is like. Imagine with me here for a minute...
A girl’s life is like a large house. There is a door, through which she lets in her friends and those that get close to her heart. Inside this house everything happens; life, school, work, social activities, family, anything and everything that happens in her life plays out inside this house. Now someday there might come along a guy who dares knock on her door asking to be let in. He is interested in her and gets up his courage to knock on the door to her house. Now what do you think happens? I think it could go one of two ways:
In the first scenario, she lets in someone who wasn’t all that serious and will most likely not treasure the sensitivity of her heart. He might leave again because he wasn’t all that interested about being in her life to begin with. The girl is left disappointed and hurt. In the second, she was so occupied with living a full life that she didn’t hear that feeble attempt of this guy to get in to her life. There is no hurt or disappointment.1) In the first version she might be waiting by her door for just this moment to come along, neglecting everything else inside her house. When he arrives, she runs to the door and opens it (much to the guy’s surprise). He didn’t really knock that hard, but because she was so worried about missing this knock on her door, she heard the faint noise and jumped at the opportunity.
2) In the second version, this young woman might be busy inside her house. She might be living life, spending time with her friends inside, concentrating on her schooling, building stronger relationships with her family and so she doesn’t hear him. The guy who knocked gets tired after only one try and leaves.
What is the point of all of this?
Girls, wait. Don’t hang around the door of your heart for just any guy who might be slightly interested in you to come along and knock. If you don’t even listen for it, all those that are not meant for you will pass over and you won’t get hurt. When the time does come and a man knocks on your door—someone who is worthy of a daughter of God—he will persevere. He will knock hard and long until you hear it over all the other things going on in your house, in your life and because he took so long to get your attention he will stick around because in his eyes you were worth the wait.
My prayer is that I would not get so busy waiting at my door for a guy to come and knock on it, that I neglect what life really is about, becoming a woman after God’s heart. With his guidance and strength I want to fill my house with good things; people who love me and support me, activities that draw me closer to Him and away from that chair by my door that’s already been worn from sitting in it for such a long time waiting for my very own Gilbert.
To you I ask this, have you been waiting by your door? Are you ready to stop and move away and fill your house?
Anne is 23 years old and currently lives in Lancaster, PA. She is a senior at Lancaster Bible College and is going to school to become an Early Childhood Educator. Growing up in Germany with her missionary parents, there weren’t many good role models she had to look up to because her parents were in church planting. She has a passion for teenage girls and hopes that by living like Christ for them and pouring into their life she can help them avoid certain issues and pains she had to deal with.
Below is a biblical story of faith and belief from Mark 9. It speaks to the power of Christ over all things, as well as the power of prayer even when our faith is feeling empty.
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer."
Do you ever pray for Jesus to help your unbelief? When has God helped you overcome an issue of faith through your prayer and petition?
