Skipping

     I have been sharing my journey with you my beloved reader for a while now...The most recent game changers for me have been foundational concepts like GRACE and HUMILITY.  These have been life changing for me as I live by the truth of them fueled by God's word.  As exciting and freeing as these have been I had no idea that next God would teach me something that would bring a new level of adventure and peace all at once.  FAITH.  We know that without faith it is impossible to please God, we must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb.11:6)
     This too changes everything.  The first time I took a "spiritual gifts test" I was 19 years old and in the Horizon School of Evangelism.  I scored a whopping 0 on the faith section. (these tests aren't the end all be all but they can be a helpful tool if implemented properly).  While we were serving at the Church in Sacramento and I was 27 years old we took one of these test.  Again 0 on faith.  That time it bothered me.  At 27 I have been walking with the Lord for many years and knew that faith should be something stronger in my walk with God.  So I prayed.  "Lord, I don't know how to get more faith but I don't seem to have much.  Would you change that."  He said yes. I just didn't know when I prayed that that God was going to need to unravel my entire belief system so He could put it in His order.  We went through the darkest days of my entire life for about 2 1/2 years.  I learned things about His goodness that I don't think I would have ever believed unless He aloud be to get to the end of myself.
     So now that I understand His grace (more but not completely) and see the value in humility it is time to trust His goodness.  As I have been coming to Him in active, right now belief, things are changing in how I interact with Him.  I read scripture and its different...it is real and alive like never before.  When I read about Jesus when He was here on earth its like reading about a dear friend and enjoying the wonderful things about him a new and fresh.  When I pray I am like TALKING TO GOD!  I must explain.
     Growing up in a christian world and being so insecure of my own identity I learned "how to pray" with out actually talking to God.  I figured out the right things that sounded good and could "pray" something beautiful without actually connecting with God in my heart/mind while the words would grace my lips.  Eek, that was a vulnerable confession, hopefully there is at least one reader who relates and if not I'm OK with revealing how sallow I could be at times because God has changed and redeemed me in this area.  It is so fun to go to God in prayer now.  I finally understand things like praying scripture and why that's powerful.
     Huh, when I sat down to write my plan was to share about how to have more faith and the advantages.  Who am I to know exactly how this would come about in someone else's life with God. Here's what I do know.  If you desire the things I have shared about with prayer and scripture being alive to you....you can have it!  It is part of what God says is ours in Eph. 1:3.  "He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."  The thing I didn't realize is that  Faith is a fruit of the Spirit already living in me.  I really have all the blessing I need right now to live an exciting victorious life with Jesus this side of heaven.  Am I going on and getting them?  Jesus is always ready to lead us by hand into His treasure room. Are we by grace with humility and in faith grabbing His warm hand and as a child and skipping along side Him to got get and enjoying all that He died to freely give us? I want to more and more.

2 Cor. 2:14