I had the privilege of teaching at my home church here in Boston a couple of Sundays ago. I used an illustration that I thought might encourage all of you, too.
I was teaching about how God wants us to plan and dream big in his kingdom, but to hold those plans and dreams loosely, and to trust him for their outcome.
Point A is where I am today, and point B is where I want to be in the future (my goals, dreams, the person I want to be in Christ, etc.). The distance between point A and B is never a straight line with God. He wants us to dream and plan and look ahead to where he wants us to go, but getting there is never a direct trip with him. He takes us on winding roads with detours and side trips. We eventually get to point B and we get our hearts desire, but along the way he changes our hearts and lives and we realize that the dreams we made were so small compared to what we actually reach. My point B, in God's hands, becomes richer, deeper and very different than what I had planned. In fact its better, more life changing and world changing than I could have imagined.
No matter where you are on the path with God, moving toward your dreams, don't get discouraged. It's not going to be direct or instant. It's going to be a great adventure, a deepening experience, with challenges you will have to trust God for, and when you get to the end you will have changed into the person God wants you to be, and he will have given you your heart's desire.
I hope that is an encouraging word for you all. We continue to work on preparing for the first week of school. In three weeks the students will return to Boston and we will meet all the new students that God has been preparing for us. Please continue to pray. Thank you.
