What Now?

Here I am, I haven't even written up four posts on individual countries and the injustices within them (specifically to children) and I got stalled. I am kept on pause from writing any more posts. Why, I'm not entirely sure, but I have chosen to surrender the blog series to the Hand that has kept me from proceeding and in the meantime I am keeping my ear tuned to His guidance.

Its been a few months now since I wrote about Brazil and the plan was to finish up in South America, cover Mexico and Haiti and then head over to Europe, etc, etc. You could call the pause writer's block but that's not entirely the case because I could continue to whip up facts and broaden your awareness of the physical conditions for people but this series is deeper than that. Each post that I have already written was inspired, the Lord impressed upon me what to boil them down to, and I don't aim to snatch up the pen and keep writing just because He's put it down. Remember, the vulnerable children of the world and the commission of the Church is much more important to the Lord than to me and His timing is perfectly laid out.

You could say I got bored and developed a terrible case of procrastination but that also is not accurate. The series is very exciting when my Jesus is leading me through it step by step, but when I try to "run on ahead" through my own efforts it loses its shine and does in a sense become boring. Procrastination is putting something off until the last minute, delaying until you are near your deadline. I set a deadline for myself but as this series is from my Jesus for me (and other brothers and sisters in Him) He is the one who gets to set the deadline and for now He hasn't set on before me. He has asked me to wait patiently to continue and as I do He is leading me deeper than before.

He has given me some dreams and while I have tucked them away in my memory and have carefully considered them it wasn't until just recently that He revealed to me what they meant (at least in part). Very few people in America or the Church here in America are aware of the need all around and have chosen to remain unaware so they can keep living in comfort instead of taking to heart the commission and heart of our King for the lost and the least. I wanted to attempt to broaden the awareness of anyone who came across my blog by offering a taste of the injustices around the world. However, that's really as far as I had gone: spreading awareness. Sure I had found great websites for donating to excellent ministries that are working daily to end specific problems for those in need and I myself was praying about how the Lord desired to use me, personally, for His kingdom work (because He has a very specific call for me -- and you -- and I want to only do what He has planned; after all, He desires my absolute obedience, not my efforts/works/deeds), but He wants YOU to be seeking out Him and His kingdom too! Awareness is only the start of YOUR journey. Once you are aware of the homeless and the orphans and the sick and the vulnerable, what will you do about it? Once you are moved by His grace from blindness to awareness and you have tasted of abundant life you can't do nothing, you must do something. The beautiful part is that you aren't the one to figure out what that "something" is, He already knows and you have to draw even nearer to Him to find it out. I love how He works.

I have studied and researched, read books and watched videos, had dreams and heard stories and I desire to go and visit the place the Lord has laid on my heart and wash the feet of the children He has burdened me for not for further head knowledge but to "pound the final nail in the coffin", make it so that there is no returning to ignorance. Once I have seen I will be forever responsible, and as soon as my Lord leads me that next step forward I know He will also fill me even fuller with Himself to bear the burden He will then place upon my weak, willing shoulders. But I can tell you right now that you don't have to go far to see and be made responsible. I pass homeless people on a regular basis. There are poor and sick in my community. There are children being aborted in my town. I cannot turn a blind eye, but must instead ask the Lord how He specifically wants to reach out to them the Hand that heals and makes lives whole, the One who makes all things new, through me. This is where He has brought me during this time of stillness and this is my plea and prayer for you:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

(Romans 12:1) 

[Steven Curtis Chapman - What Now]
I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl

She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart
Didn't you say you wanted to find me?
Well here I am, here you are

So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me
What now?

And I saw the face of Jesus down on Sixteenth Avenue
He was sleeping in an old car, while his mom went looking for food
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my soul
Didn't you say you wanted to know me?
Well here I am, and it's getting cold

So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me

So, come and know
Come and know, know me now
Come, come and know, know me now
Come and know
Come and know, know me now
Come, come and know, know me now

What will you do now that you found me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me
What now?
What now?