Welcome the Inconveniences

And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."  Luke 5:18-20

As I sit here at my desk, I am fighting tears.  I have not been this overcome with a desire for a touch of God in a while.  In fact, even though I pray many times a day, talk with God regularly, pray and intercede for others, I have felt an emptiness in some areas.  Most of it is because I have been trying to live life as I wanted it, rushing things along, trying to figure it all out.  It is also because I have not allowed God to refill me.  THAT will drive you crazy.  Things fall apart, people change their minds, people don't comply, and things simply go awry.  But today and honestly the last few weeks I have had a renewed desire to seek God even more intently than before, especially with some things on the horizon.  I welcome it all.

I began reading a new book a few weeks ago.  It's titled "The Grave Robber" by Mark Batterson, author of the Circle Maker and its corresponding prayer challenge, Draw The Circle (which I LOVE!!).  It details Jesus' ministry via the book of John, walking through the miracles detailed therein.  And it has honestly ignited a love of Jesus in me that I never knew.  How He transcends time, distance, space, states (solids, liquids, and gases--as a math/science lover this is spot on for me), laws of physics, lol, in performing these miracles, it truly reveals who He is as God incarnate.  Between reading this book, finishing up the prayer challenge and starting over, listening to the sermon series by my home church pastor (IT is AWESOME!) and then yesterday listening to TD Jakes' sermon at the recommendation of one of the ladies I pray for...I have just been full.  Oh and let me not forget listening to Fill Me Up, sung by the praise team at the Potter's House, then listening to Tasha Cobbs sing it and then listening to the original by Jesus Culture...okay yes I'm there.  But today, I read something that stuck out.  Are you willing to be inconvenienced?  I can't lie, I have NOT been willing.  I have been tired, burnt out, upset with God, frustrated and confused at why I have been having to pray for this person, listen to that person, stay up late, wake up early, read this, confess that, and most of it was not for me at all!!  I literally wished at times He would stop being cryptic with me and just tell me! Haha I was being selfish, because I have my own things going on.  But the truth is, like I have done time and time again, I have not been trusting God and I have been dodging Him in acknowledging the answers to prayers He has shown me.  

Not too often do we want to be inconvenienced.  The homeless person on the corner asking for food or money, the family member or friend that just wants to spend time with us or in need of a listening ear, or the complete stranger that needs prayer...these things...not happening or getting our time.  But I was reminded today that it is in the inconveniences that we experience the miracles of God.  The Roman official who WALKED 20+ miles to have his son healed, the woman with the issue of blood that fought through the crowd to merely touch the hem of his garment, the Good Samaritan that spent his own money to take care of the man who had been beaten and robbed, and these four friends that carried their paralytic friend to the roof of a house, opened it and lowered him down so that he could be healed by Jesus...these stories, all these instances represent inconveniences that people endured to go after what they wanted.  As I was reading, it was like the story was on loud speaker like I was at church and I was thinking, yep, faith without works is dead.  

Sometimes, well most if not all of the time, the touch of God we seek will require us to step outside the bounds of comfort.  How often do you look beyond the immediacy of what is going on in your life to be inconvenienced?  Even in your own needs, you give up after praying a few times, right?  You question what God spoke to you.  You doubt.  You contemplate turning your back on your faith.  You.give.up.  You run back to Him and repeat the process again.  In these days and times, we live for instant gratification.  Microwave society as I love to call it.  We cannot have a microwave faith.  As one of my blog readers/youTube channel subscribers wrote me, if God healed us or delivered us instantly in some cases, we would no longer have a need for Him.  I know this to be true.  I realize now if God would have completely healed me in college, I would not have sought Him in prayer before my transplant, where many of my family, friends, and church members gathered together to intercede for me and my brother.  But if you look around and even in your own lives, its apparent, you thirst for His touch too.  You long for His presence and you long for His impartation.  So today, be inconvenienced.  Extend yourself.  Talk to your friends, pray for your family and coworkers.  Respond in faith, however God leads you.  So many things that I have been seeing are now making sense...welcome the inconveniences today.  You never know, the miracle you (or someone else) seek could be waiting for you past the inconvenience.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."  Luke 5:20