Yesterday Karina had the inspired idea to spent a day in fasting & praying. At first, in my thoughts I protested, but my wife at times can be like chewing gum, sweet and tenacious. And I can be a real knuckle head, considering only the pain and not the gain in such an endeavor. And really, giving up food for one measly day is not a hardship. The practice of it however did open me up to a keener perception of the Spirit’s voice. As the waves of hunger started in around noontime, I drowned them out with praise and prayer. We read our books, prayed together and took walks on the beach. Imperceptibly my thinking is starting to shift. The waves of my stomach folded on top of each other and my mind drifted back through the vision of the Nest and all the lives that God has entrusted to us to impact for His love.
We’re taking part in a whole world project here. The unstoppable tide of God’s love flooding into every crevice of the earth. Everyone qualifies for grace. Starting with me, and as I’ve been bending my knee and giving up my will, God’s ceaseless waves of love have been breaking on the shores of my heart with a sweet and gentle peace of mind that defies my understanding.
My truth is that I feel wholly unqualified for His service. I want to runaway like Jonah, wrestling in the mighty ocean waves, trying to convince myself that I’m puny and insignificant for this great task. I wanna play small. It’s just another form of pride really. But God is great ( obviously) and He’s lifting me outta of fragility and placing me on top of the waves, inviting me to move forward in His power and strength. This gives me tremendous confidence. Just obey He whispers , and I’ll show you how and where to go.
Karina and have been reading this book on how to ask God for supporters for the ministry. What at first seemed a scary task, has turned into an adventure of reconnecting with friends and family, sharing our story, the vision of the Nest, and offering them the privilege of partnering with us in God’s flood of love and redemption. I’m looking forward to it. In fact if you’re reading this then no doubt your on our list of future appointments. We’re so excited to share our vision and the stories of lives reborn and hope defeating enemy strongholds. It’s really cool, and I’m hoping you’ll jump on our wave for an awesome ride of a lifetime. This morning we get to eat our breakfast. Our plate is full, but not just with eggs, avocado, and big sweet chunks of mango. No it’s also full of possibility. Our name storm of supporters each get a healthy sprinkle of spiritual salt in prayer. We drown each task of our planning with a big gulp of orange juice and thanksgiving for what God is willing and able to do. And for dessert, we indulge in the goodness of Him, who has brought us out of our broken marriage, and revealed new horizons of hope and recovery. Of purpose and calling, to share the amazing things He can do with a willing heart, from Jesus, to us, to you, and the ends of the earth. Put that on your plate!
Author: James Beach, Co-founder