This morning I clicked submit on an assignment, which marked the halfway point for my master’s program. Pursuing a master’s has been a desire, but never practical for my life until this year. My first session of classes I felt like the old woman in the class that was reminiscent to my undergrad wondering when she would comprehend what the professors were really asking for in assignments. While I struggled, I still learned and I began to shift in my perspective. Our perspective is the reality in which we live and in that we need to ask questions of our self. Through our perspective, we also realize we are living from a set of values. I also have a calling, which is my mission. The assignment of this mission may change, but it is still my mission. Many times, one’s mission and values are not articulated, but we function in their reality nonetheless. The consequence of losing sight of mission is to wander. If we lose sight of our values, we compromise and find ourself lost and wandering more. The past year or so, my core values and mission have been important to keeping me on track. Several years ago, I was guided through the process of articulating them, which I have been thankful for, especially during this past year. This has been important in remembering my why and my how as I approach each day.
Over the next few posts, I’m going to take each value and explain advantage of having articulated them. Why do my values matter to you? Well, they do and don’t. The main purpose is to encourage you to articulate your own values and mission. And if you don’t know where to start (okay, business promo for a hot second), I’m available for coaching sessions to help you walk through the process. The other purpose in this series of posts will be to chronicle where I have seen God at work. Sometimes unless we see a change in our circumstance, we don’t see God at work. But what if we look everyday expectant to see Him at work? I want to share where I see Him working to help carry you in your times of unseeing.
Several months ago, I was at a crossroads. Life had shifted dramatically and almost instantaneously. I had choices to make about almost every aspect of my life. And given the circumstances, I could have justified any direction I wanted, but I was undergirded by these values and keeping on mission. The current assignment of my mission was changing but I didn’t know where it was changing. I knew I could quickly become lost unless I lived on mission with values in place.
And following my values and mission led me to Crossroads. (ha! Do you see what I did? I didn’t do this intentionally, but recognized it, chuckled and kept it.) My mission is to live a loud fun-filled life in God’s heart so that I can serve families and individuals in in a way that points others to a deepening faith, freedom knowledge and love of God. I wasn’t clear on the assignment of which families and individuals outside of my immediate family, but that is assignment enough.
The first value we’re going to discuss is “attending to life with purpose and determination.” So, if I am wanting to live a life in God’s heart, serving MY family attending to it with purpose and determination, for starters I was going to continue going to church. It just had to be a different one. The logical choice was a local church called, Crossroads. My husband had attended there before we were married and we attended periodically on Saturday nights as he worked on Sundays frequently and it was good to walk-in and worship without thinking of anything else. So, the first Sunday we went. I had to be purposeful because I could easily just say I needed a break. I had to be determined because I was wary and was dealing with anxiety and hurt. But we went. I sat in worship with my husband and sons, something that was not common. The first song? My Firm Foundation. Well God, You hear me! You see me! I hear YOU! One of my sons kept watching me, going could it not be more pertinent to us?! The third song? Same God (I don’t remember the 2nd). The looks from my son continued. But you know who else was seeing me? God. I felt seen and being touched by Him into the recesses of my soul. These had been songs I had been clinging to for months. Then the worship pastor started preaching and the message could not have been more pertinent to start healing my heart if they had known my exact story. And thus began the journey of this church speaking into my heart in a way that carried me when I was weak. God’s word spoken with truth, love, tenderness. My attending to mission of running towards God was sometimes more like being carried, but in the process God was working and moving in me.
For me, attending with purpose and determination was having goals each day. Sometimes I met them. Sometimes I didn’t. Whichever the case, I still set them which gave purpose for me. There was lots of grace, but still purpose and determination. When I don’t have purpose, I wander. When I don’t have determination, I become lazy. Both lead me towards mental health struggles that are not healthy for me or my family. Thus, getting me off mission.
Knowing what my mission and values were kept me on track towards what God is calling me to, which is still yet to be determined long term. I know the right now assignment. I’m in grad school, working for INCM as their volunteer coordinator and being more present with my family. But I don’t know what’s next.
Here’s the caveat with purpose and determination and it ties in with one of my pet peeves of most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” This is Moses, not God speaking. When God speaks in the next verse, what does it say? “The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” Upon further examination of the text, be still does not indicate in Hebrew to hide or sit idle. It is not the same word used in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” That is different. In this Exodus passage, the word indicates a posture of standing ready for battle and when God says, GO, you’re ready. This is a different posture that sitting in a place of reflection and quiet, knowing God is in control and being restored, which is more of the Psalm 46:10 context. That is biblical and there is a time for it. We need to be ready (with purpose and determination) to go into the assignment God is calling us to next. I stand waiting, not knowing, but ready to take the step towards his next assignment. All the while, being present where my feet are planted right this minute. Or at least trying to recalibrate towards that posture.
What is it that you see that drives you?
What is the guard rail that keeps you moving forward?
Sometimes it’s when this is missing that we realize what it was that we value.
Remember this, Philippians 3:12-14:
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
Again, if you’re interested in walking through articulating your mission and values with someone, I’d love to partner with you. I’m available for coaching sessions to help you walk through the process.
And if you’re wondering, I’ve gotten straight A’s minus one class, which had an average of 89.5. Why couldn’t they just round up? I guess I’m not that old lady who can’t comprehend as much as it felt in the beginning. Lol!
Journeying with Jesus Everyday 