The cold Canadian mornings of -24oc, have spurred me on, snow angels and face plants seem the order of the day. As homes are designed for the cold, I’m tucked up inside with a cuppa tea and a winter wonderland vista through my window. It has inspired me to write again. Last year was tougher than I thought. I was stretched with writing for SOF activations, way beyond what I thought I was capable, then the year ends with my husband passing. Way too much! However, they weren’t the only excuses. Sometimes we lay things aside that we are supposed to be doing because we don’t allow time or to scared to try on those big boots. Time is my friend again, and I’m inspired to write again. Blogging is a great way to write when you can only string a few words together. I know, you are saying I can speak more than a few words at a time, thought writing them down is a whole other story.
Sitting here in the winter of Canada, I’ve not only put on big boots, but I’ve also been stepping into the big situations. Boots in the natural are heavy and cumbersome, not unlike the feeling of stepping into the more with God. Knowing that stepping into the big boots of God and going beyond our natural abilities is also cumbersome and often unnerving. With practice, you learn to walk again, when your gait seems unnatural, you adapt to the circumstances and your body falls into line and it becomes your new normal. It becomes easier. Only to find yourself with yet another opportunity to step into the more. We call it the more, but really, it’s an opportunity, to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. The unknown capacity that lives in us, God is calling to the surface. Our ability to adapt and change, to grow and succeed, is not only part of the human psyche, but God’s plan as well. We are to mature in Christ, and not settle for what we’ve known as babe’s. Growing is all around us, it’s part of the intricate design of the natural world, and we are no different, we not only grow physically but also spiritually in our understanding of our walk with Jesus. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live beyond this natural world and having faith in the unseen, it’s like climbing a ladder with rungs, then moving to over the top beyond the ladder itself, this is where our faith begins.
To walk in our big boots, there are some things that will help us prepare, practicing of course, we do it for everything else. Pray, it’s a given, but do you ever actually pray for the more, or even position yourself for the opportunity to put on your big boots. It’s empowering.
We prepare ourselves in our everyday. Our strengths and weaknesses, bible studies, worship and church life all prepare us for what lies ahead, building our knowledge base and growing in our understanding of the Word of God. It’s what goes on in your life when nobody is watching, what feels like a lonely place and the hard slog of not knowing why. It’s like David serving as a faithful Shepard boy in the bible. God sees us, He knows when it’s time for us to come out in new boots and the right size, each step is ordained by God and His grace covers us as we learn to navigate the new boots.
How do we go about practicing, David did this when he spent his time fighting lions and bears as a Shepard, long before he fought Goliath. When everything in life has consequences, take time with people you feel safe with, people who know you and understand you. Where you can give a word of prophesy and know you’ll most likely get it wrong, and the person you’re giving it to, won’t go and change their lives at your prophesy. This is my cheers squad, the people I have around me, that let me know when I’ve got it wrong and cheer like crazy when I step out and put on new boots. Whilst at the same time in their prayer closets praying that I won’t fall, and that God will catch me and set me straight again.
Argghh, the tricky one, what do I mean by being positioned. I’ll give you an example. I was walking up a hill, it was hard, a steeper one than I usually walk. When suddenly, I knew God was trying to show me something. If I adjusted my body and leaned into the hill, it would be easier, I tried and the next thing I knew, the climb became easier. Sometimes we need to position our lives to be in the place we want to succeed. If I’m home watching TV and not out in the community, how will God use me to impact those around me. It’s about going to the places you need to go, places where the opportunity to be used will occur. In Australia we call it, ‘putting yourself out there’. Well, it’s true. The streets of your local town are hungering for the word of God, a prophesy, to be healed, are you in the streets asking God for a Word of Knowledge for those who walk past? I know my local Pastor does this often. Can you? Practice!
Pray, it’s kinda obvious, but we don’t always specifically spend time asking God to help us to step into the more. Are we even brave enough to ask? what happens if He says YES!!! GO!! Well, He has already said yes, He has told us to go into all the world and preach the good news of the Gospel, to heal the sick and set the captives free. Go and walk in your big boots! That’s my prayer for you.
Allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide and fill the places in your boots you haven’t tried out before. God has got you, He’s is waiting for you to take your first steps, step out and into the world empowered and strengthened. Declaring in faith, that God is bigger than our fear and the obstacles we face. Goliath was big for Saul, but for David it was a sinch, he knew WHO his God was, because he had spent time in the fields practicing, protecting the sheep.
We need to bring our identity in line with who God says we are. Co-heirs with Christ, son’s and daughters of the Most High King. The world needs to know Jesus as conqueror, we need to walk around knowing He has won the battle for us. Just as David the Shepard boy tried on Saul’s armour to fight Goliath, only to find out that it didn’t fit. He discovered in that moment, that who he was, was enough, a servant of God. A sling shot, that he had practiced with time and time again in the fields was more successful, than trying on someone else’s armour. Your boots are designed, and hand crafted for you, go and try them on, they are waiting for you.
I said ‘yes to walking in big boots’ ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN ME ON THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE.
If you’ve said yes, then check out my courses on-line, I’d love to empower you, support you and mentor you through your journey. I’ve built a team around me, and I around them, we cheer each other on, into the more. Start asking God who your cheer squad is, that in itself is a great starting point. We cannot do this life alone, it takes team. You can go fast on your own, but endure and go further with others. (African Proverb, still rings true today)