Resistance
It seems a constant in my life that the best things God has for me are those same thing I at first resist the hardest.
Take my husband. He can probably tell you the number of years, to the day, that I resisted before I succumbed to his charm.
And what a good thing God had in store.
I’ve done it with churches, jobs, ministries, friendship, even writing.
My first answer is No.
And then He pushes me forward from behind.
Sometimes a gentle nudge. Others a full-force shove.
One day, with my heels dug in deep, He threw me headlong into it with a friend that now I can’t imagine life without.
And today is her birthday.
(I sure hope this doesn’t backfire.)
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For one such as me — laden with fierce independence, lazy introversion, and a well-preserved code of silence about such things — this is a more difficult post to write than it should be.
But I want to honor Elizabeth today.
She has worked tirelessly for our friendship, and has given to me more than I could ever ask for. Close enough to mistaken for family, she has been sister, and daughter, and even mother to me.
Elizabeth loves Jesus from her toes, and lives out an ever-growing love as minutes and seconds tick by on the clock, in the daily and ordinary we often speak of here. She prays for patients while she treats them, sponsors a gaggle of kids in developing countries and sews blankets for the homeless in her few free hours. She seeks and finds and teaches and loves and worships and prays without ceasing.
Always wondering what Jesus wants next, she challenges me as I seek Him too, and holds my feet to the fire to keep following closely, trusting hard, believing well.
How I could have resisted this, I do not know.
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Might I ask a great favor of you today?
Would you stop by her place and just drop her a Happy Birthday in her comment box? It would bless her. Even if you never comment on blogs, or just read here from your feed reader, wouldn’t you just take a quick detour to say hello and honor a faithful fellow servant on her day?
(For my sake, please! I’d feel really silly if I did this and none of you checked in. So, please? Pretty please? If I give you a slice of that cake up top?)
I’ll make it really easy for you.
- Click here: Made for Something Greater.
- You can even just copy and paste: Happy Birthday, Elizabeth.
There, it’s that simple!
And if you have a little extra time, here’s what I pray for her all the time, and I see God faithful to do. Maybe you could mention while you’re there before His throne today, too:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)
Thank you so much! You are good friends to me.
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Photo courtesy Michael Lorenzo, http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nazreth
I didn’t understand so I went directly to her blog and left a comment there. This is a great idea.
2010/02/03 at 10:12 AM
Today is also Philip’s golden birthday. For the uninformed, our youngest grandson and Lyla’s nephew.
Your resistance started early. When you were very young, we would push you to do something and depending on what it was, your answer was often, when I’m four, or when I’m six. This was because with your keen observation skills you had already noted at what age your older siblings had performed or accomplished what we were requiring of you. You, in your wisdom, chose to make the accomplishment, age based not skill based. But as your dad, I’m proud to say, you turned out pretty good.
Dad
2010/02/03 at 12:04 PM
Wow. Thanks. I don’t even know what to say. Just…thanks.
2010/02/03 at 5:35 PM
Hi! I did it. Just for you & to encourage Elizabeth, I did it.
Trusting hard. Believing well. Powerful & painful words right now.
Thanks for sharing.
2010/02/03 at 9:49 PM
Maybe it is okay to resist… if we are also open. You know… maybe it is a healthy thing? I don’t know. Just thinking out loud.
2010/02/04 at 10:29 AM
Done. And thanks for the link to a beautiful heart.
And your words above. I was going to say “ouch” .But then perhaps L.L. is right in a way too. I am a slow yes , a slow shifter, a hesitant receiver. I used to assume it meant few regrets , but then with few opportunities , of course.
2010/02/05 at 9:14 AM
Deb and L.L., I think there is some value to the resisting, even though it often comes from sheer stubborn on my part. That He keeps bringing it ’round until I receive it makes the thing all that much more sure.
2010/02/05 at 11:28 AM
I just can’t help laughing. Rolling my eyes. Seeing myself written out here like this, my God pushing someone else into the good things He has planned – what is it they say about friendship? When you meet someone and say, “you too? I thought I was the only one!”
You’re awesome. Just… I love that He created you like this too. Makes me feel a bit less… isolated.
2010/02/07 at 4:34 PM