Have you ever received an invitation and you really didn’t “feel” like going???? I understand. Many times I get an invite and I am soooo tired or have been so busy that to dress and go…is the last thing I want to do. But have you ever done it anyway and regardless of how you feel, you “push through” those feelings and make yourself go?!!!! I have done that….and 99.9% of the time I am GLAD I DID!
Let me encourage you to push through those feelings sometimes…always going to God and saying, “Should I go?” God does have the helicopter view and sometimes “NO” is a good answer, but many times God has something Great at the other end of that invitation and it is Satan’s voice…..feeding your fatigue! Allow me to share a recent example…………
It had been a long day the day before…..and on this particular day…I was tired, I got up early…very early…quiet time, much reading and writing…some cleaning, cooking…returning dozens of emails…returning phone calls, working out (a must for guarding my heart and stress level), delivering some books to a friend and catching up, and working on a long-term project–my next book scheduled to be released this Thanksgiving…It was 5 p.m. I was in my office editing….and I hear a car in the driveway…the front door open and footsteps coming closer to my office…a smile comes immediately across my face…I know it is someone in my family…seeking me out…I LOVE IT!
My initial thought is, “Awwww…I get to have a pleasant, comfortable conversation with one of our kids in my office.” I was very comfortable in my chair, not to mention cool and away from the heat and hustle and bustle of the day…..that was true for only 5 minutes before the invitation came….It was Thomas and he said, “You wanna go fishing?” My thought was, “It’s way too hot!” But I asked, “NOW?” And he said, “Yep!”……inside I was feeling ….”No”. I even suggested a few people for him to call but they were all busy.
It was 5 o’clock…there was supper to prepare. I was tired and it was hot as Hades outside…but I prayed, “OK God, is this a yes or a no?” I was sure God was gonna say no. It was almost supper time and I knew my job, but God said, “GO!!!!”
I then said, “Of course I do. I would love to!” I was kicking and dreading it inside….just saying….! But I got up…went downstairs, quickly packed a cooler and went!……..Long story short….we said hardly anything…I couldn’t talk…What??…it would scare the fish….In fact, even without the talking we/he didn’t catch a thing………fish that is, but I CAUGHT A VERY SPECIAL TIME…..time with our son….time to just watch his back, most of the time, as he patiently cast over and over again….
Occasionally he would turn and ask me….”Did you see that?”…I would say “yes” even if I didn’t….now he knows…hee hee! But God spoke to me while Thomas had his back to me and He called me to pray specifically over Thomas’ life…….! It was a special time with T, but an even more special time that God had appointed for me to pray for our son.
It was quiet…much to my dislike…but it was a God-appointed time for me! It reminded me of the story of God telling the fishermen to go back out after fishing all night…to cast their nets in deep waters on the other side of the boat. Read the story in Luke 5. For me, I was quite surprised to be asked to go fishing…and even more…to me it didn’t make sense (since I am NOT the expert fisherman/woman! LOL). It. was. hot. The only thing biting were the bugs…but God’s appointment for me far outweighed the bug bites I came home with……a.special time of being with our son, which was mostly just being, but it was also designated time for me to pray specifically over his life, dreams and future.
Point of the story–Go to God with every little request of you and every invitation you receive.
Don’t immediately say yes or no….STOP…PRAY… AND LISTEN…FOR THE ANSWER. Realize it may not make sense…..to me/you…but if it makes sense to God, that is all that matters. Luke 5:5-6, “Simon answered,’Master we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”
Do you get it?? God knows where to tell you to cast your net….every yes and no to invitations and to your daily comings and goings. It may require being hot or a few bug bites….but the reward of “casting your net”–spending your time where God tells you–brings “ABUNDANCE”………. It can make you drop to your knees as it did Simon Peter…Go read the story in Luke 5:1-11.
Happy Casting!