21 June 2005

Suppose...what if?

Recently we were at a meeting in Texas and there was a lot of discussion of projects we're going to work on and testimonies of people whose lives have been impacted by video or radio presentations of the gospel. It was a moment where God said to me, what if?

In fiction writing, one technique is to say, suppose this happened...or what if (fill in the blank). Then you have the start of a story. You keep doing that taking it one more step and one more step. What if this happened...then this happened.

I had been feeling rather overwhelmed by information and research I've done on Muslim perspectives lately. I'd been feeling like there's no way I could communicate truth to this very different world view. I'm not sure how they can be reached.

A story of a Muslim woman who decided to change her life from watching a Christian television show, struck me. God said to me, "What if I CAN reach these people? What if? What if some lives are changed?" It filled me with hope. While I may not have the ability to get through, God does.

I've been trying to apply the What if principle to all the changes we are about to embark on in life. I tend to get caught up in the worrisome aspects of what might happen, but God is saying, "What if I do something remarkable?"

I'm hanging on to see what if...

5 comments:

  1. I think part of what makes it easy to get yourself down about "what can I do" is that none of us can really do much of anything. God really has to use us in moments in others' lives that He has prepared us and them for. We just have to obey.

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  2. Wow, that is a good principle to live by. I know I should probably say "what if" more. All things are possible with God.

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  3. Yes, there are two sides of the what if coin. I prefer looking at the one that includes God doing a cool work and I tend to see His hand in even the simplest things when I do that. SOMETIMES, I get stuck on the darker side of what if, but then I just flip the coin again and try to focus on the God side again. Thank goodness we have God. Life would be very different for me if I didn't have God to keep hope alive.

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  4. I love "what ifs." It is probably the most creative question a person could ask.

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  5. Interesting perspective...but everything in balance, I guess.

    My experience has been I always lived in the What If's and had to refocus on what is real...

    So to agree with T...two sides of the coin...and balance is the key...and most importantly, I have no control...but I give that up to God.

    I pray each day that God will remove the humanness from me, so that His Work can be accomplished through me, and that He guide my steps where I am supposed to go. I have found in praying like this...it helps give me a more positive perspective when unexpected/unpleasant things happen in my day.

    Course, I still haven't figured one out for that little motorcycle cop from last week....LOL! (maybe I just needed the added minutes of sleep!)

    Cou

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