It’s the same with us. We think we are going to be left in the same place without help.
We try the same methods of changing – and don’t realise that Jesus is right there beside us. He’s willing to help but won’t ‘butt in’ without invitation.

We wear it around our neck, place it on the spire of old churches, and inside our newer ones.

What if we really treated the time coming up to Easter the same way Jesus did. Taking time to think, to wait, to pray, to meditate and contemplate.

What if the cross was more than a necklace, more than something decorative?

What if we looked behind the cross – and really saw what Jesus wants us to grasp and take hold of.

To go beyond the cross – to the resurrection.

Sometimes we glorify the cross and forget the resurrection power that Jesus promised.

We sing songs of the cross, songs of passion, songs to make us holy … then we leave the place where we sang and listened to them. The songs become a memory.

But what if we walked beyond the cross, through the tomb to the resurrection glory and took time to see Jesus seated on the right hand of his Father. To see Jesus crowned with glory and honour.

Would it make a difference to the way you live out your day?
Would it make a difference in the lives of those around you?

To know that there is life beyond the cross, life beyond the hurts and pain, the suffering and sickness. To know that Jesus came precisely so we (and those around) could also enjoy the abundant life he spoke of.

To know we can also have that same resurrection power in our lives – once we have dropped all (surrendered it) at the foot of the cross and walked through the darkness to the other side.

This Easter time, don’t linger too long at the cross – look at Jesus crowned with glory and honour and choose to walk in the resurrection victory with Him.

Do we choose to delay because we are pondering a decision, or do is it actually disobedience because we have taken too long and therefore our answer is taken as a resounding ‘no’.

When a child instantly obeys, is it because he or she has been trained that way or is it because they are naturally compliant and want to please?
When an adult hears God speak and delays a decision, is that classed the same way? For we are God’s children.
Ideally, we should hear and obey instantly, for we know when it is God speaking.

Many times though, we think, “Is it God or is it just some great idea of mine?”
This I believe, makes God sad.

As he says in the Bible, “My sheep hear my voice”.

As a child is trained to know their Mother’s or Father’s voice, we too, in our early christian walk should be also trained to hear God’s voice.

Its a part of normal discipleship – however I wonder if it is a part we have forgotten to teach.

Let’s obey and not delay!

God should not have to ‘count to ten’ to wait and see if we are listening and our ears are open!

Can we trust God enough to move on what he tells us to do?

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

“A few questions that can help discern one’s heart’s motivation are:

• Have I made the call the driving force of my life, rather the one who has called me?

• Where does my satisfactions lie, in dreams of the perfect position, or dreams of His fame and glory?

• Where do I go when I think about my call?

• Am I impatient?

• Am I willing to submit, learn, and wait? Is it difficult for me? Why?

• Do I see my life and time now as ministry? If you are not currently serving as a minister or reconciliation and serving the local body of Christ, you are not ready to embrace a call to pastoral leadership.
• The most difficult component of determining and refining the call to pastoral leadership is the “in between” time. This is truly a product of our culture, and one of which scripture continuously opposes. Paul, for example, received a pretty clear call to ministry in Acts 9, but he still went away for three years and did not really begin his ministry until he was confirmed and commissioned by his elders (Acts 13). Joseph’s (Genesis 37–50) life is another example of a clear call that took years to come to fruition.It is important to answer the questions above and keep this in mind: the call that you are wrestling through now, no matter where you are at in that journey, is first a call to prepare.

  What are you doing to prepare for this “call”?

• Any aspiration to pastoral leadership must come from a love for Christ that has birthed a sincere and sacrificial love the bride of Christ and a desire to serve her selflessly.                            M Driscoll.

For a person who has known and heard the call, yet decided to pursue other options instead, I know that the call was not the driving force, yet it was a force behind all that I did choose to pursue.In the back of my mind was the enormous feeling of ‘why am I doing this, when I know I should be doing that?”

I feel that I have been prepared for the call, through the many life experiences I have had.

For me the call is a call to surrender every facet of my life to Jesus Christ, knowing that there will be some tough times as I wait for the ‘right time’.

One of the questions posed was “Am I impatient?”  To that I have a resounding ‘yes’ – I am one of those people who once a decision has been made feels it very necessary to start the project immediately! I am finding that now I have decided, I just need to get going on it! But God will have his timing, and he is teaching me to wait on him.

The last point made was the ‘inbetween time’. What will I do with the time between now, and the day I begin formal training? Will I make every effort to be found in service to my Saviour, knowing that all I do, I do for His glory, and not for my own recognition.

Its all good. Its all worth thinking and praying about.  I suspect that a time of pruning, shaping and trimming is ahead. Branches growing wild will eventually get lopped off, and smaller growths trimmed to allow the new spiritual growth to flourish.

And lastly, in answer to the point above – ‘Where do I go when I think about my call?’  I find myself doing more reading, more writing, more praying and speaking with one or two I can trust. I go to God, wondering why He didn’t just choose someone else who was instantly obedient instead!

I’ve known that my calling is ‘edgy’ and that is why I never fully applied myself to it. So I found ways around it. Ways of doing what I thought was the ‘next best thing.’

Courses worked for me … dabbling in different areas used up time. I have just spent two years as a cookery student. I enjoyed it immensely but always knew that it was only going to be a small part of my future.
I also embarked on a prayer ministry course. This was over a two year period. I enjoyed learning and growing through that course. We dealt together with many issues. Powerful stuff. Spiritual growth, inner growth, dealing with past issues.
But once again, it would only be a part of what my future would entail. Helpful? Yes. The complete answer for me? No.

Prior to these I also attended conferences and courses. One I thoroughly enjoyed was the “Speaker 2″ course. This was essentially a communication course, and covered various areas of preaching and sharing with others.
The complete answer? No. Helpful? Yes, absolutely!

What was wrong with me? How could I still live on the edge after attending and being enriched by so many varied and interesting courses?
Still I struggled to reach the summit …

For I was doing it in my own strength. I wasn’t listening to God.
He called me to train in a place which encompasses all of those areas of learning.

Its taken me thirty years to realise that the time to stop running away (from the call) is now.
To surrender to the call of God on my life is to lay down my own agenda and interests and accept that He has a better plan for me.

So I have begun the walk to the summit. There are procedures which must be followed and I have to be patient and accept that these could take time.

It is me who has delayed things – because I lingered on the edges for too long!

Destiny – for a while I have pondered, just what and where is my destiny? Like William Booth, I think I have found it – or at least, am now on the way to where I am meant to be heading … for the journey has to begin in the mind. By making a decision and then to put into place the actions required to fulfil it.

For years I have struggled with feeling unsettled. I had put this down to having spent a lifetime moving around to different towns and cities. Forever destined to be a gypsy, or nomad.

I have tried to settle in different places, and almost succeeded – but then for some unfathomable reason I would either jeopardise, or manage to sabbotage (almost) my stay in that place. I moved from place to place, and therefore from job to job. Every job was interesting, they all had their good points, and by adding new abilities and skills to my repertoire, I never considered any of the moves a waste of time. In fact, I enjoyed the lifestyle.

But still, my spirit was ‘unsettled’.

Over the course of the last few weeks, and more so, this past week, this feeling has grown to a crescendo.

My job is going well, I managed to take back the old position of ‘second in charge’ of my department – the people on my team at work are great. I enjoy my job. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it isn’t where I’m meant to be long term … its not my destiny.

While I was away up north last weekend, I visited a place where I used to live (see previous blogs). During the course of my time there, one of my friends shared a picture she had for me. This wasn’t a physical picture –  more of a ‘word of knowledge’ for me.

The Cardigan

She saw a picture of me in a comfortable cardigan – it was old, but cosy and warm. Yet, there was a problem with it. I had the cardigan on inside out.

I was the only person who couldn’t seem to see this. People around me noticed that although the cardigan seemed to fit, it wasn’t quite right – it was in the wrong way. Yet, no one was either keen, or willing, to tell me about it. (Some did try but were rebuffed. I had good excuses! )

Once I took the cardigan off and put it on the right way, it would fit me perfectly and be just right, she said.

We walked on in the walk, and I pondered this for a few days, I prayed that God would show me what the cardigan was, and the steps required to put it in the right way.

Last night in conversation with another friend, it came to me like a bullet. Shook me to the core. I know what that cardigan is. I know my destiny. I know what I am meant to be wearing and it isn’t a New World uniform (well not forever, anyway!).

There are steps required to move me to where I am heading. Big steps, possibly some uneven steps, but I know that they will work out. For I will know when the cardigan is on right. The fit will be perfect because Jesus knows what size I am. Others will finally stop looking at me in bewilderment. Some may even clap and rejoice

They will rejoice with me – knowing that although its taken a good few years, at last I am moving in the right direction. For the peace in my heart and the joy in my spirit can only be a confirmation. Only Jesus gives that sort of inner peace.

“The steps of a good man (or woman) are ordered by the Lord and he delights in their way. Though they fall, they will not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds them with his hand.”  Psalm 37 v  23

God’s desire is to walk with us. He has ordered our path, watched our steps and kept us from danger. He wants communion and fellowship with us. When you are walking according to the will of God, He will direct your path and give you direction. God’s way is always the right way. He knows where He is going. He knows the end from the beginning. The greatest thing you can have going for you in your Christian walk is to have God order your steps.  (H. Maudlin)

Well, we tried to make it … but following the storm on Saturday, the landscapes and surrounds around South Taranaki were in a sad state. Many shop fronts in Patea were damaged, and roofs blown off.

Trees were uprooted, and branches lay strewn where they fell.

My friend and I decided to take a drive to where I used to live. It is definitely down a ‘road less travelled’ and was always that way. Following a 30km drive inland from the main highway, you reach a windy, dirt road.

This is a ‘no exit’ road and leads to the southern end of Lake Rotorangi, and the Patea Dam.

We made it most of the way along this road, keeping an eye out for the debris lining parts of the road. Trees down, slips, minor flooding.

At one point the road looked like a slush pond, but we drove through the first one, till we came across another and decided to get out and walk it – just to check for depth and slipperyness.

Ooh. Not a good idea to try this one, we decided to head off on foot before meeting the farmer with his tractor and front end loader. He was amazed to see us and thought (a fair enough conclusion) that we might be in trouble. We weren’t, and said that we had decided to walk along to the ‘ford’ a well known area where we had thought we might strike trouble getting through.

The ford was dry, but the slip just past here was unpassable. It was a shame as we were so close, yet so far away from the destination.

Too far to walk the extra, being that time was no longer on our side, and we had already taken an hour to get to the ford, we turned back.

Although I never visited my old home, I felt comforted in how far we had been able to come. The day was glorious, the company great and maybe next time I am up, I will get to revisit one of my favourite places … the road less travelled!

Their expressions are so real.

The museum is full of ‘old’ things, but has the twist of having very ‘real and alive’ people made as part of the displays. Even the little child crying looks so lifelike.

I would recommend that anyone visiting Taranaki takes the time to visit Tawhiti.

And yes, there is a cafe on site for those requiring a coffee fix!

Care has been taken in displaying the NZ maori wars, and these are documented with accuracy on the written boards nearby.

A museum? Yes, it is called that, but to me it is more – it is an experience not to be missed, and definitely not to rush through.