31 Words!

The challenge began yesterday...and I wrote 31 words in my book.  Not even 31 good words, but 31 simple, unintelligent words.  They were:

"To understand the shock I faced, you have to understand where I came from.  Remember how I said my town was small?  Well, it was more than that, it was dinky."

Yes, I even used the word "dinky."  I guess I felt like keeping the word from going extinct.  However, even though I laugh, and I want to berate myself and say I'm a pathetic writer, I...am...not...going...to...do...it!  As I look at those words, I tell myself, "That's 31 words more towards my goal than I had before."  Plus, if I break it down, that is one word for every day this month!  AND, because I chose not to throw out my computer and give up writing all together, I wrote almost three times as many words on my book so far today - and the morning has only just begun!  All of that to say, on the path towards pursuing our dreams and visions, friends, sometimes we make it one step and sometimes we move leaps and bounds.  But one step is still on more step than before - it is still one foot closer to the goal or vision God has placed in your heart.  Just as my 31 words is 31 words more towards finishing my book. 

Looking at the topic of the 31 words now, I realize their significance to this topic.  The fact my first sentence suggests is relevant to any dream-seeker or vision-pursuer:  

 "To understand something in the present, we have to comprehend the past."

Another words, it's an echo of that famous quote by Maynard James Keenan, "We must know where we came from to know where we are going." Now, I am going to seemingly contradict myself and say I also agree with the quote, "Your past does not define your future."  How can both be true?  Am I going nutty from too much writing and Hawaiian sunshine?  No.  At least I don't think... (insane laughter inserted here).
What I do know is that our past is erased when we come to Christ and we are completely NEW in the Lord.  So that part of "where we came from," is not significant to pursuing our futures, and in this way the past does not define what will come.  BUT, the past we do need to keep in the forefront of our mind in order to throw ourselves into life fearlessly and passionately is our ORIGINAL DESIGN.  We must understand we were CREATED...

                 we were DESIGNED....

                                  we were PLANNED...

                                        for and by a loving God who does not make mistakes.

You were created to be a conqueror (Romans 8:37); to reach nations (Matthew 28:19); to be fearless of everything but God (Isaiah 41:10).  You were created for today, for right now, to love and honor God with everything He has created you as, designed you to possess (talents, etc), and planned for you to do. 

I just have to say another unintelligent word - "WOW!"  Wow because when we understand that God has purposefully created and designed us the way we are in order to succeed in all He's planned or our lives, we know that as long as we are using when He's given us for HIM, we can not fail.  I'd rather write 31 words than none at all.  Because at least I'm allowing the fingers God's created to operate how He's designed them to so that He can carry out the dreams He's planned - and planted - within my heart. 

Now, understanding we came from a God who made us with a purpose causes us to face the future accurately, because we then live with this purpose in mind.  AND, this is far from "dinky," for our purpose is a role in showing SALVATION to other people...

How has God asked you to pursue this purpose? 

What has God given you specifically and uniquely that He wants to use?

What are your deep passions?  For behind your dreams and desires rests the God-given calling you were designed to fulfill....even if it's one word, one step, one note, one test, one drawing, or one picture at a time - take the one. 

Because, if I write 31 words a day for 30 days, that becomes almost 1,000 more words than I had before.  And, I know I was designed by a CREATIVE GOD who CREATED ME to be creative, so regardless of how I feel about these words, I have to keep typing because He has designed me to write...