Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I made my way to the front porch with the excitement of a child on a Christmas morning. I couldn’t wait to get outside…I couldn’t wait to enter His presence, I couldn’t wait to read what He had for me on this new day. So, with coffee in hand and a Bible close by I set out to Ready myself for the Journey. I watched these two deer seize the opportunity from a fallen limb as if God dropped it to the ground just for them. Of all the deer around the farm, God led these two to finish a Job He started through a storm. We aren’t much different than the deer when it comes to seizing an Opportunity God puts in the Path intended just for us. Some of us put in a little effort on the limb before we walk away, while others devour the limb because they are confident God put it there for His Purpose. As for me, I know God has Big Plans for me that nobody else ever born can Complete, and everything from my fingerprints to my soul print was Designed for such a time as this. There are plenty of things I could add to a bucket list…things I’d like to see and do before I die…but the Biggest thing on my List is to Fulfill what I was Created to fulfill. With that in mind, every single day is overflowing with Excitement as I peel back the layers of what God has for me. Isn’t that the way you look at your Life too?

It can be so easy to lose the excitement in Life if we don’t Understand how big Life really is. Sometimes we lose our excitement when pain comes along – sickness, financial stresses, the loss of someone we love -the pain is real and it’s consuming. It’s when we Understand that God is there in the midst of the pain and that He has a purpose through the pain that it makes the pain a little easier to bear. We can’t find excitement when we’re hurting, but we can Cling to the fact that God KNOWS we’re hurting and He hasn’t forgotten us. That’s what godly sorrow looks like! I don’t understand how the entire Journey works, some things won’t be made clear until I step through the gates of Heaven. But I DO know that God uses the pain of His people sometimes to magnify His Glory to the world and THAT’S the Part that excites me! His Servant, Job was given up to endure pain like none of us will ever know, and I’m sure the world was in awe of how Job continued to glorify the God that allowed his pain. But God was Gloried in ways that aren’t possible without the pain, and Job’s life was restored in double measure! Paul was a Treasure in the ministry of Jesus Christ and when he was afflicted with sickness and pain He asked God 3 times to take it away. God’s response was: “my Grace is sufficient for you, my POWER IS MADE PERFECT in your weakness.” There is NOTHING exciting about pain itself, but there’s a whole lot to be excited about when…or IF…we allow ourselves to consider how the pain fits into His Plans.

A long time ago I asked God to “use me” for His Glory. Little did I understand the pain I’d have to endure to be shaped into a Usable Vessel for Him, ready and able to Complete my Purpose. It’s been a journey most people can’t wrap their heads around and sometimes the pain was almost more than I could bear. People LOVE to say “God won’t give you more than you can bear” but that statement falls short of the Truth. The Truth is that God will ALWAYS help us find a way THROUGH the pain IF WE TRUST HIS PLANS and turn to our only Real Hope. It’s no wonder some give up on life while others hate God…if they think God sits on His Throne and measures how much pain he’s going to dish out while we attempt to measure if He’s “given us more than we can bear”. It simply doesn’t work that way. God is the truest definition of LOVE and COMPASSION. God sent His son to die so that we might Live God Created each one of us with a Plan in mind and nobody else can do what we were Created to do! God doesn’t like to see His people suffer…but the pain is part of Growth in a Plan we can’t fully understand on this side of Heaven. The ONLY way to endure the Journey with Excitement is to understand that we are Part of a Master Plan that was written before the earth was formed, and our Pain will be used as part of it. This is the Key to Peace through it all.

The deer came and they went and nothing will come out of their visit to the fallen limb except a little nourishment for the body…but I strive for something to become of every day all the days of my Life. I devour the Word of God like a deer panting for water. I have no idea what’s in store for me today but I’m Excited. One Day He’ll call me Home to Paradise where I’ll live for eternity with Him with all those born-again Believers who have passed before me. The Bible says we can’t even imagine the beauty of what’s in store for us in Heaven. I can’t wait to see it – but more than that – I can’t wait to see my Savior and (prayerfully) to hear “WELL DONE, good and faithful servant”. The Author and Perfecter of my Faith Created a Job intended just for me and I intended to Complete it with Grace. It’s sad to see so many people living like the deer putting forth a little effort for their own gain ONLY because it makes them feel better. They’ll answer for their lifeless Journey One Day and I’ll answer for mine. As for me, when it comes to being a Witness…when it comes to Serving the King…when it comes to Praising my God…when it comes to reaching the lost…I’m on duty 24/7 and it’s the greatest Joy of my life. It’s a Journey FILLED with Excitement and I’m ready to do what He Created me to do. How could ANYTHING be more Exciting than Serving the King of kings through it all?

How about you?