Called...

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THE LULU CHRONICLES

Long before I met LuLu I wrote a book. Twelve years later, I’m still very proud of that work. I remember once traveling to York, Nebraska and taking a pit stop at one of those gas stations/restaurants/gift shops. In the wee hours of the morning as I’m making my way toward the ladies room, I walked past a display and did a double take. Right there in the middle of store was my book. It was a nice moment. If it’s okay, I’d like to share a few paragraphs with you….

Have you ever been called by God to do something really hard?  Like forgive someone when you didn’t want to.  Love someone you didn’t like.  Smile when you’d rather stick your tongue out?

You see-- being chosen by God usually means tough stuff is ahead.  It usually mean you’re going to have to take a few hits, endure some pain, and get your hands dirty.  Being favored by God means you’ll eventually have to follow him to the river, through the valley, across the desert and finally to the hill.  In other words, being favored by God is a privilege that will most likely break your heart.

On the other hand, being favored by God should bring you to your knees in thanksgiving, have you skipping along the roof tops with joy, and dancing in the streets with the most delicious abandonment.

Yeah, you’ll be tired, dirty, sweaty, and achy, but when you sit down at night your heart will be busting to sing.  It will be dipped in a sweetness that can only happen when one has walked directly behind Jesus--footprint for footprint.

Being called means you’ll love a betrayer.  Forgive an adulteress.  Feed the hungry.  Clothe the poor, and have only one pair of sandals.  But it also means that at the end of the day you’ll eat a hot dinner prepared by the Christ, himself. And if need be, he’ll even spoon feed you and wipe your chin.

God only calls the great ones.  Great by his standards--not ours.  He’s partial to grandmothers, mothers, daughters, cousins, aunts, housewives, widows, seamstresses, queens, slave girls, and shepherd’s wives.

A pliable heart and willing spirit seems to be the only qualifications.  Even then, God has a way of softening the hardest of hearts and coaxing the most stubborn spirit to His way of thinking.

Being favored by God will hurt.  But in the end, heaven’s gate will open when it sees you approach, angels will applaud your entry, and God will call you by name.

Hang in there, the best is yet to be.