Proclaiming Salvation by Grace Through Faith in Jesus Christ, 856-667-7110

Father God, here I am. I’m resting in the pasture that you’ve provided for me. Yet, I’m still restless. I feel underutilized. You know me, better than I know myself. You know that my ability to be patient requires that you have patience with me.

Lord, there are so many things I can do…or not do. I can sit and “be still” and know you are God while I focus on what you’ve given me for right now, such as learning how to be a better father, a better husband, a better son, and a more disciplined disciple. Or, I can attempt to do much more, beyond my daily responsibilities. Lord, won’t you please help me. Show me, dear Father, what you will have me to do. I give you all that I am and all that I hope to become. Mold me into who I need to be so that you can work through me to accomplish Your will.

And, along those lines, convict my heart to understand the difference between trying to be successful as opposed to being faithful. Whether my purpose is to accomplish something small or great, I know I can’t do anything without you. I’ve been there, tried to move ahead of your loving hand, and made others suffer the consequences. I’m sorry. Forgive me.

What is your plan for my life? Guide me. Teach me. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21

I spent years in preparation for one vocation only to end up doing something completely different. I’m not alone. Perhaps this could be said of you. Sometimes, no matter what we have in our minds to do, no matter how strongly we believe that decision to be the right decision, we find ourselves in the midst of a course correction. And, in my experience along the way, that course correction usually coincides with a major crisis that forces us into an area that we would have never considered.

Samuel Morse was born in 1791. As a child, he desired to be an artist. He nurtured his passion and eventually became internationally known for his talent. In his day however, it was difficult to make a living as an artist. To complicate matters, he experienced the loss of his wife, followed soon thereafter by both of his parents. In grief and frustration, he booked passage to Europe. I liken his flight to Europe to be “running away” to escape the here and now in order to reflect and renew.

On his return trip aboard ship, his story says that over the course of dinner one night, he learned about new experiments in electromagnetism. He was quoted as saying, “If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted by electricity.” In the heat of the crucible of trials and tribulations, Samuel Morse perfected a new invention. In 1837, he applied for a patent that is essentially known today as the telegraph. He also created Morse code.

Samuel Morse said, “The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: ‘If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?’ Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence.” Morse went on to create several other inventions and today can be recognized as having the creative inspiration for faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet, and other electronic communication.
["Glimpses," Issue #99 (Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute, 1998).]

God’s plans may not always seem to follow a straight, logical path. As for me, my only hope along the way is that my prayer for His divine guidance will be answered. And, if my impatience leads me to wander off the path, I pray that He reminds me once again to:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take – Prov. 3:5-6