Image – Tattoo It On Your Heart

img277l-002

Dave is the worship leader at his church, a professional musician, writer, motivational speaker, my home schooled children’s music teacher, employer, mentor and friend. He’s only twenty-six. I’m old enough to be his mom. For me, he floats. Sometimes he’s like a son, or younger brother. He’s a fellow creative type. And sometimes he’s The Preacher. He’s always my brother in the Lord. He is also the person most responsible for pulling me out of hiding my writing.

I gave Dave the book Not a Fan, and, “Come and Die,” is his favorite quote from it. (Mine is, “God doesn’t do consulting. He does God.”) When Jesus said we must take our up our cross, He was saying we each have a calling, but there is a price. We will have to leave our comfort zone, be inconvenienced.

Jesus said,‭ “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew ‭16:25‬ NKJV. This means Jesus’ plans for our lives and the needs of others must take precedent over our own. We apprehend our calling and fulfillment as we serve Christ and pour our lives into others. We are created for Him, so we may know Him and bring others to Him. Jesus is asking us to exchange control of our temporal life, for an inheritance of eternal life with Him. He died for us, so He calls us to live, and even die for Him. The difference is, He is worthy of dying for; we are not. But he loves us anyway. He calls us to Him just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us to our own way.