The Rest Is Just Details.

God speaks. We listen. We obey. The rest is just details.

That is the absolute easiest way to sum up what I have been trying to learn in the last few weeks. I finally was able to wrap my head around it all today. For all intents and purposes, I'll tell you a little story that will help explain this little concept I've discovered.

Let's say you felt God leading you to wear brown shoes. (Just go with me on this one okay...) You put on the brown shoes and wear them with pride. Every now and then you check back with God making sure you made the right choice and you just know the brown shoes were the right choice. Then suddenly without warning, you feel God leading you to take off the brown shoes. But wait... didn't God just say not too long ago to put on the brown shoes? And you dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's and wore them the right way... so why are you being asked to take off the brown shoes?

The point is not that God lead you to the brown shoes. The point is that He spoke.
The point is not that you put on the brown shoes. The point is that you obeyed.
The point is not that you went about it the right way. The point is that you kept seeking God.
The point is not that God told you to take off the brown shoes. The point is that God is speaking again.

God speaks. We listen. We obey. The rest is just details. The shoes, the length of time we wear them, when we take them off, if we ever put them back on again... those are just details.

Ultimately everything in my life boils down to this - it's between me and God. Everything else is just details. How I treat my family - detail. How I spend my money - detail. What church I attend - detail. What company I keep - detail. Everything starts and ends with my relationship with God. Where I'm at with God affects everything else in my life. Everything else in my life should not be affecting where I'm at with God.

It might sound complicated at first. I've wrestled with this all day yesterday and today just trying to understand why God would say "wear brown shoes" and then later say "take off the brown shoes". He's not contradicting Himself or changing His mind or whatever... or maybe He is... but that's not the point. The point is that He's speaking and I'm listening. And I'm going to obey. Not because it's easy or I like it or it makes sense to me. But because I told God I'd stop doing my own thing and start listening to Him. I hope you'll choose to do the same.

The Grand Canyon Doesn't Have An Ego Problem

"You've got to be more careful while driving. What could you have possibly seen that would make you swerve all the way into the other lane?"

"Quite possibly one of the seven wonders of the world."

I over heard this part of a conversation recently and not only did it make me blush, it got me to thinking - what does the world think is wonderful?

In reference to the seven wonders of the world, there are technically two categories - seven wonders of the ancient world and seven wonders of the natural world. The seven of the ancient world are manmade and are symbols of great architectural accomplishments, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colossus at Rhodes or the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. The seven of the natural world are formed by no man and leave little room for doubts of a Creator. These wonders include the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Victoria Falls and Mount Everest.

Interestingly enough, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the only of the seven wonders of the natural world that is still in existence. The existence of the other six have been proved by excavation, with the exception of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, the seven natural wonders of the world remain. In fact, great amounts of tourism surround many of the sights, such as snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef or hikes into the Grand Canyon.

By no means do I aim to discount the grandeur of the seven wonders of the ancient world. What they once were and even the remains of each are quite intriguing and are full of historical significance. But there is something to be said of that which remains - wonders not formed by the hand of any man.

It's as if the heart of God were to say - Do you see all that surrounds you? The beauty and the height of Mount Everest does not even reach close to the basement floor of the heavens. I have carved the Grand Canyon with my bare hands, each crack and crevice was planned and placed specifically. The Northern Lights that dance across the sky are painted new every night as with the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. 

There is no doubt that the purpose of all creation is to bring God praise. Even the rocks will cry out, right? May we stand in wonder of all His hands have made. May we stand in wonder of the grace He has shown and the mercy He has bestowed upon us.

To be counted as a wonder, what would you choose - made by the hands of man or by the very breath of Almighty God? Are people amazed by your skills and talents? Or are they drawn to the bigger picture that you use those abilities for? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want people to see the God in me.  

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 1:25, 31) May the life I live speak of God's glory, not my own. May it draw others to Him. Does the Grand Canyon have an ego problem? No, because he knows his sole purpose is to magnify the creative mastermind that is the Lord. The seven wonders of the natural world are merely vessels, messengers that speak of God's greatness.

May my life do the same. And may it be wonderful.