Comments on: #575. Refusing the gift of the desert road.

By: Dan Upshaw

Dan Upshaw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:34:22 +0000

Thank you for this.

By: @daniella721

@daniella721 — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:18:38 +0000

When I'm nervous I too talk a lot, and really fast and if I happen to catch myself saying something dumb I turn beet red, beggining with my ears. That's why I wear my hair down when I have to meet new people.

My dream is simple: To be a full-time worship leader. But I can't. I have two young children and married to a Marine that is constantly taking me through and TO the desert, every two years. No church will hire someone who can only work for 18 months and then peace out. Oh well. One day…probalby when I'm old and wrinkly. Until then, I'm wiping snot, changing diapers and taking names.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:17:31 +0000

Wow, soul punch of the day. Thanks.

By: Melissa Brotherton

Melissa Brotherton — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:23:46 +0000

Oh wow! I really, REALLY, needed to read this today. It took my husband and I 10 years to graduate from Bible college and we feel such a call to ministry. Yet no oportunity has presented itself, no one is championing us. I have been so frustrated, wondering why God hasn’t made it happen yet. We’re both going to be 30 this year and I feel like we should be so much further ahead in our ministry experience then we are. Your message that God loves us too much to throw us into a situation we’re not ready for is both new and hope-giving to me. I was feeling like maybe we missed a signal or had done something wrong. I’m going to have to have my husband read this! Thank you for this…it really encourage me.

BTW, “Don’t feel pity for me I’m reading a book” book? Brillant!

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:26:04 +0000

I still love this post. My family and I were kicked out of our situation onto the desert road last year, and even though it's a painful way to go, I'm beginning to realize the importance of it. However, I still have to come back and read this as a reminder of where I am, and where I need to be – right where He has me. He will move me when I'm ready. I just hope I'm listening that day.

By: Chris_Tomlinson

Chris_Tomlinson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:15:34 +0000

What? You don’t like sand?

I don’t like sand. The desert sucks. And is an immense blessing as you say.

From someone who is 2 months into the whole first book release process (resume), I wanted to share a few thoughts. It’s stuff you likely already know or suspect or figured out since the time of this post. I’ll basically be writing to myself and using you as an example if that’s OK with you.

I know very deeply the longing for relevance, not simply relevance in culture, but relevance in God’s kingdom. I know well the impatience of wanting to be an author and speaker. The progression has gone something like this:

1.I want to be a respected author and speaker because I want to feel good about myself
2.I want to be a respected author and speaker because I want to be more useful in God’s kingdom (slightly more spiritual)
3.I don’t know what I want (death of personal dream = a little more spiritual)
4.I want what God wants, but secretly because I think that if I want what God wants, He’ll give me what I want (slightly less spiritual, but realizing that is the case is slightly more spiritual)
5.I don’t know what I want again (death of the deeper personal dream = a lot more spiritual)
6.Still waiting for this one…

I suppose you know or suspect this already, but from my own experience over the past 2 months…

…The book launch date (resume) didn’t satisfy.

…The speaking invitations (resume) aren’t satisfying.

…The radio interviews (resume) haven’t satisfied.

…The reviews (resume) haven’t satisfied.

…The positive emails from readers (resume) are encouraging but aren’t ultimately satisfying.

Only God satisfies. Today, Apr 1, next year. Not for the sake of then getting what I think I want, but for the sake of getting what I need, which is more of Him. I’ll learn this and live this one day.

By: AMBER

AMBER — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:08:29 +0000

Good stuff!!

By: rebeccannb

rebeccannb — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:54:10 +0000

I needed to read this post today… this week… I just told a friend of mine that I am in a desert place right now. This is going to be my prayer a lot this week: “I’m on a desert road, what war are you protecting me from right now because you love me so much?”

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:54:08 +0000

crazy…just messed me up…

By: cherisemel

cherisemel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:33:53 +0000

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