Obedience

I have been sitting on this blog post for a while now.  I wasn't exactly sure how to put my feelings down on paper...so I waited...and waited...and waited.  It's funny how the realization of how my waiting for just the right words was keeping any words from coming out at all.  Isn't this our way as perfectionist and doubters of our abilities.  We wait and wait and wait until we feel like every thing is neat and tidy and perfect before we actually do anything.  When HELLO nothing will ever be just right or perfect except what God calls us to do.  Everything through Him is perfect.  We may not execute it perfectly, but that's okay because newsflash He already knows how we will execute His commands on our lives...He kind of knows all in case we were wondering.  So here I sit in this familiar place, only lately, of obedience.  But my goodness how God has shown up...shown up BIG TIME!  I think somewhere deep down in that place of complete faith...that I like to bury with my stuff...I knew He would show up.  I knew He had plans for me...plans to prosper me...not to harm me...plans to use me for His glory and all I had to do was be obedient.  
I like to think that I have always been an obedient child.  The little girl in this picture who adored her beautiful momma always wanted to please.  She cried at the drop of a hat at the mere mention that she didn't do something that made other people happy.  She was always striving to do things that were expected and good and pleasing.  Not much has changed except that I am now striving to do things that are pleasing and satisfactory to Him and not to the world.   Whoa the freedom in that statement.  I don't have to do what is expected or normal...and lots of times God's calling isn't normal or expected...I just have to do what is pleasing in His eyes and listen obediently to His calling.  The biggest blessing is HE KNOWS ME...intimately...without me having to prove a single thing.   He knows I am not perfect and yet He loves me even more....He knows I may not get it right all of the time...okay most of the time...but He loves me even more.  He absolutely knows that He will always get the glory when I accomplish anything and so He should because with Him ALL things are possible!  We just have to step out in faith, and most importantly, obedience.  
About a month ago I took His not so gentle calling and jumped off the cliff.  I walked away from my job that I loved and had faith to walk in obedience toward a new adventure.  My hope has been that through this new adventure that any success that comes my way He will get the glory.  We know as children that when we are obedient we are rewarded.  That reward may not be a toy or candy or anything physical, but hopefully the reward is approval and love for our obedience.  I think the same is true with God.  Our obedience may not result in a big pay raise or accolades from other professionals, but we always have the heart reward of knowing that the things we do in obedience for the Lord will shine His light and His glory for others to see.  It will be a view into the loving and graceful God we serve.  At the end of the day what more could we ask for.  Sometimes though we do have tangible rewards.  God shows up in very tangible ways and blows our socks off.  
It doesn't take talking to me about my career long to know that I am very passionate about Hospice and Palliative Care.  The difference this care model makes in the lives of patients and families is without measure...when done the right way.  (Insert soap box)  I won't bore you with those details, but God knows His girl.  He knew that my heart was filled with a passion to bring His love and compassion into what I do for my profession.  I 110% believe that God put this calling on my life to make sure more patients and families, both young and old, are receiving this care during the most fragile times in their lives.  So in my obedience to Him He has blessed me beyond measure.  I got to go into a skilled nursing facility, nursing home for lack of a better term, yesterday and meet their administrative staff.  Our team wanted to make introductions and set up a time to come and fellowship with their staff and talk about how we could best serve their patients.  As we walked in there was a precious woman sitting in a wheelchair out on the front porch taking advantage of the beautiful Charleston weather.  I leaned down and greeted her and she gave me the biggest and sweetest smile I had seen all day.   It was truly God's way of saying you are obedient and pleasing in my eyes and I have you right where I want you.  
Sometimes the leap is big and the canyon seems too wide to ever be able to clear, but God will always show up.  He will always lift us over the canyon in our obedience for the leap.  

Luke 11:28
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."