|
|
The Long Walk 2010
|
Raven Rock state park... again
|
|
Last year was my first Long Walk. I went to Raven Rock state park in NC and it was awesome. I have grown so much in the past year. On my walk last year God planted a seed that became an incredible mountaintop at Christmas. But since then I have been in the valley feeling mostly lost. I couldn't help but think about how high and low I have been this past year, to pretty much end up back at the same point on that scale a year later.
So I sensed God calling me back to this same location this year, and He didn't dissapoint. The 6 mile walk was beautiful, but the hour spent at this one location praying and hearing from him was incredible. The Casting Crown song "Here at Your Feet" has been heavy on my heart for a few weeks and God brought that back to my mind. The song talks about us laying down at the feet of Jesus our past, present, future and lives, and then dwelling at His feet. So I prayed through each one of those and he revealed some very specific things.
On my past, I prayed for clarification on the past year, and He told me once again that I had indeed heard clearly His voice over that time, and "I am free...". I then prayed "God what do you want to show me about today?", and he showed me that I am grieving a loss, and will continue to do so every day for a while, but that in His strength I have "all I need". Praying about my future is tough right now because my wife and I have been praying about full-time ministry for a while and we continue to hear "wait", and that has been difficult. God revealed to me that, much like our children, waiting is difficult not because we don't trust the Father, but because we don't see what He sees. Hearing this cemented the words from the song "I find peace". Lastly I prayed about my life. The song talks about laying down our lives for our King and then "my soul sings". This was incredible to me because back on the mountaintop I would wake every morning already singing a praise song, I mean right in the middle of it, like my soul was singing even while I slept. Entering the valley I lost that for a while, and while it has come back some it is still sporatic. He showed me that the problem is that I am not focused on Him like I should be. So that is my plan, to focus on Him like I was on the mountaintop.
I hope God spoke to all of you as clearly and personally as He did me on my long walk. It's been a long year, but God is still God and He still wants to do amazing things in and through our lives. And I needed the reminder that at His feet I am free... at His feet I find all I need... at His feet I find peace... and at His feet my soul sings... Have a great day...
Todd <><
|
|
Todd Sorrell 07/08/2010 07:26 |
|
| |
Brian Hardin
|
07/08/2010 09:21 |
This is a great story Todd. Cool to visit the same place one year later. It may seem that you've ended up in the same place after a year but you've moved forward with Christ in ways that you may not yet realize. Watch what God will do as you obey Him
Blessings
Brian
|
| |
Calico
|
07/08/2010 10:39 |
Amazing, Todd,
All too often, for instance, on things "Christian TV ministry shows," or at spiritual retreat gatherings, we see a shiny, polished testimony AFTER God has done the things He's done in a persons life. But imagine the impact that you can have HERE, with others, RIGHT NOW as they see and read of your circumstances that you continue to experience here IN THIS MOMENT.
It sounds like you, of all people, especially through your account here, will know that we often LOVE the mountaintop experience - we have experienced it, we crave it, we want to hold on to it (Peter did!). Yet most often in our lives we come to see that the WORK is done down in the valley. AFTER the mountaintop experience, life is quieter, sometimes even "mundane," or at least more subtle in the ways in which He leads and guides us. The smaller, steady plodding of steps may not be "leaps and bounds" in the life of faith, but they do, as Brian has stated, "(move you) forward with Christ in ways that you may not yet realize."
And we can know, from the Biblical account, that even Jesus left the mountaintop, and returned to the valley below....
:-)
Thanks for what you shared, brother...
Hugs,
Tom
|
| |
Millynne Brown
|
07/08/2010 23:41 |
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your comments on how it's not always so easy to pray about your future - I think that is a common feeling but because we think "If I say I'm having a hard time praying about my future or trusting God about it, then I must not be 'spiritual enough'." Well I say that's not necessarily so -- Look at Elijah's (or is it Elisha, I get them mixed up) -- he had that great "mountain top" experience praying down that fire -- but then he was this shaken up coward a day later... but he didn't stay that way forever... when he did get re-focused on who God was then he was able to "get back in the thick of things".
And thanks too for the reminder that our soul can sing -- it should sing!
|
|
