I would like to record a dream I had last Saturday that I believe the Lord has given me for this time in our journey to Mexico City.
I only remember one specific part but it speaks into my life very loudly. That day I had been going through some emotional ups and downs in my mind over leaving friends and family here in Canada. I kept thinking that once our “honeymoon” days are over in Costa Rica, I am going to be missing my good buddies, my close friends, my brothers in Christ…. deeply. Sandra the girls and I will be alone, we’ll think of the luxury of once having close proximity with our friends back home and then wish we were else where away from the gruelling days of language acquisition. That was my focus the whole day. It made me appreciate my friends a whole lot more and value the importance of relationships in whatever context I am in, but it made me sad and somewhat alone at the same time.
That night in my dream I remember sitting in my old sanctuary at Sevenoaks Alliance church. The unknown pastor who was speaking was teaching us the importance of taking up our cross daily—Matthew 10:34-39, Mark 8:34-35---I was to love Jesus more than friends, parents and brothers and sisters. The pastor was speaking directly to me. I looked out and saw multitudes of people but they were indistinguishable…except one, my former pastor, Rick Porter. His eyes looked toward mine, though we were sitting about 100 feet apart we were face to face. He did not move his lips but his eyes were speaking to me. They said, this is what you were created for. God has chosen you to take up your cross, deny yourself leave your family and friends and follow Jesus to Mexico. In my dream I remembered the many times Rick had spoken to me and to others that I needed to keep following my call to the mission field. Whenever I strayed he asked me what I was doing. Get going he would say.
All that was spoken through his eyes and into my mind which became a sea of words and memories and voices of the past that were building up inside my mind. The pressure mounted to the point where the floodgates of tears burst open and poured out of my eyes uncontrollably, no one noticed in the masses, but I had an epiphany—God was calling me to Mexico. I was gong and He was with me—He was going to bless me and my family and the ministry he had for my family there. He said to me, when you walk in faith filled obedience you will be blessed, I will fill you, I will fill your empty and lonely hearts and during those times I will carry you, and you will accomplish many things for my names sake.
I awoke from the dream and felt like I had encountered God face to face. His presence was amazingly close and I realized that God was helping me understand that He really has called me and my family to Latin America—
This is not just something that the weakness of man, me, has come up with or planned, this is not a self focused adventure that I am taking my family on to other parts of the world, what I am taking my family on, God has taken us on, we are just following him. God has been preparing my heart, Sandra’s heart and our kid’s hearts for a very long time. If this were up to me, we would not go. God in his grace and compassion and love for my family knows how to speak to me and knows what it will take for me to listen. This God is the one I trust, I put my faith in the one who has been faithful through the ages.
Why would I do this? The question of why has come up from those who don’t know the same God I do.
To the one who does not know the God who speaks to me, who knows the hairs on my head, who understands the cry of my soul, who guides my steps and loves me for who I am…I pray you open yourself up to Him, you will not be satisfied with what this world gives, you will run dry on figuring out which way leads to life, without the spirit you can't know and understand who Jesus is as revealed in His word—His way is clear—without him you will continue to grope around in the darkness and confusion of this world; A world that sends all kinds of messages of how to gain worth; through power, money, possessions, and beauty—but in the end…how is your heart, is it empty, are you deceived?
This God is not only your creator—whose thoughts are higher than yours and ways are mightier than yours but he is a God who is near and will embrace you, he embraces the broken, the shattered, the lonely the lost, the humble the weak—He wants you to live free and full and abundantly in and through his son Jesus All he asks is that you follow him….
I only remember one specific part but it speaks into my life very loudly. That day I had been going through some emotional ups and downs in my mind over leaving friends and family here in Canada. I kept thinking that once our “honeymoon” days are over in Costa Rica, I am going to be missing my good buddies, my close friends, my brothers in Christ…. deeply. Sandra the girls and I will be alone, we’ll think of the luxury of once having close proximity with our friends back home and then wish we were else where away from the gruelling days of language acquisition. That was my focus the whole day. It made me appreciate my friends a whole lot more and value the importance of relationships in whatever context I am in, but it made me sad and somewhat alone at the same time.
That night in my dream I remember sitting in my old sanctuary at Sevenoaks Alliance church. The unknown pastor who was speaking was teaching us the importance of taking up our cross daily—Matthew 10:34-39, Mark 8:34-35---I was to love Jesus more than friends, parents and brothers and sisters. The pastor was speaking directly to me. I looked out and saw multitudes of people but they were indistinguishable…except one, my former pastor, Rick Porter. His eyes looked toward mine, though we were sitting about 100 feet apart we were face to face. He did not move his lips but his eyes were speaking to me. They said, this is what you were created for. God has chosen you to take up your cross, deny yourself leave your family and friends and follow Jesus to Mexico. In my dream I remembered the many times Rick had spoken to me and to others that I needed to keep following my call to the mission field. Whenever I strayed he asked me what I was doing. Get going he would say.
All that was spoken through his eyes and into my mind which became a sea of words and memories and voices of the past that were building up inside my mind. The pressure mounted to the point where the floodgates of tears burst open and poured out of my eyes uncontrollably, no one noticed in the masses, but I had an epiphany—God was calling me to Mexico. I was gong and He was with me—He was going to bless me and my family and the ministry he had for my family there. He said to me, when you walk in faith filled obedience you will be blessed, I will fill you, I will fill your empty and lonely hearts and during those times I will carry you, and you will accomplish many things for my names sake.
I awoke from the dream and felt like I had encountered God face to face. His presence was amazingly close and I realized that God was helping me understand that He really has called me and my family to Latin America—
This is not just something that the weakness of man, me, has come up with or planned, this is not a self focused adventure that I am taking my family on to other parts of the world, what I am taking my family on, God has taken us on, we are just following him. God has been preparing my heart, Sandra’s heart and our kid’s hearts for a very long time. If this were up to me, we would not go. God in his grace and compassion and love for my family knows how to speak to me and knows what it will take for me to listen. This God is the one I trust, I put my faith in the one who has been faithful through the ages.
Why would I do this? The question of why has come up from those who don’t know the same God I do.
To the one who does not know the God who speaks to me, who knows the hairs on my head, who understands the cry of my soul, who guides my steps and loves me for who I am…I pray you open yourself up to Him, you will not be satisfied with what this world gives, you will run dry on figuring out which way leads to life, without the spirit you can't know and understand who Jesus is as revealed in His word—His way is clear—without him you will continue to grope around in the darkness and confusion of this world; A world that sends all kinds of messages of how to gain worth; through power, money, possessions, and beauty—but in the end…how is your heart, is it empty, are you deceived?
This God is not only your creator—whose thoughts are higher than yours and ways are mightier than yours but he is a God who is near and will embrace you, he embraces the broken, the shattered, the lonely the lost, the humble the weak—He wants you to live free and full and abundantly in and through his son Jesus All he asks is that you follow him….
1 comment:
WOW!!! Nathan, God bless you son.
love Dad & Mom
Post a Comment