Smack dab in the center of God’s will.
If I had to guess, I would say that’s where we all want to be. We want to be exactly where God wants us and, when we’re there, we want to know it. We don’t want to have to wonder if we’ve chosen the right path or made the correct choices. When the going gets tough, we want to know it’s because it’s part of God’s plan for us. Knowing we’re right where He wants us makes even the toughest days more bearable.
A few weeks ago, at the City Gates Conference, I listened to Dr. Richard Swenson talk to me about leaving margins in my life. OK. The truth is Dr. Swenson was talking to the crowd of people gathered for the conference, but it seemed as if his message was fit for me.
You know how you know something, but you’ve never really been able to articulate it, and then someone walks into your world and speaks the words you didn’t even know you’d been missing? Well, that’s what happened in the Lincoln Theater in Columbus, Ohio, when Dr. Swenson was on the stage.
Of course you know we need margin in our lives. We need space to breathe and to rest and to worship and to play and to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Just like the margins on the college-ruled notebook filler paper we kept in our Trapper Keepers back in the day, blank space around the edges gives us a place to doodle and to be creative and to color outside the proverbial lines.
That day at the City Gates Conference, Dr. Swenson reminded me that margins also give us freedom to step right smack dab into the center of God’s will.
God is not constrained by time and He is not affected by the calendar on my iPhone. God is much more interested in the way my one life — and yours, too — when under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit, can influence the world for good and open up rivers of justice, pointing straight toward the Kingdom of God.
So, He taps us on the shoulder in the middle of the night, or on our way to the board meeting, or in the middle of changing a diaper, or while we’re swinging our legs over the side of the bed at the start of the day. He taps us on the shoulder with an invitation to join him in His great adventure, and to put two feet squarely in the middle of His plan for us in that moment.
But, if I’ve said Yes too many times, and left No unsaid too many times, I might just miss it. Too many yeses in the wrong places might cause me to schedule myself right out of God’s plan for me. The Bible tells us — and we repeat it often — to be still and know that He is God.
I read those words and I imagine all those blank margins in my Trapper Keeper, and I want to turn the colored pencils and the magic markers and the ballpoint pens right over into the hands of Jesus, and accept His invitation to step smack dab into the middle of His colorful, adventurous, and spectacular will.
Image by DSLimaging. Used with permission.
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This week if you buy a copy of Lysa Terkerust’s The Best Yes, she’s giving every dime that would normally come to her as an author to a wonderful organization called 99 Balloons. You can learn more about the campaign here, or head to DaySpring to purchase your book now {psst…buy two or more copies and use code BLOOMBOOK at checkout for FREE shipping!}.
Leave a Comment
Marty says
“Knowing we’re right where He wants us makes even the toughest days more bearable.”
Yessss. Thank you for sharing your heart today. 🙂
Kerry brasher says
Having those “margins” in the trapper keeper of life enables us to see what “the teacher” writes in red about our work. Be it encouragement and a smiley face or correction through suggestion…we are served best to have those comments to ensure us we are writing something in life worth reading.
Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God says
Deidra,
I can’t count the number of times I have talked to my children about “coloring inside God’s lines”. The closer we get to the boundary lines, the more likely we are to step over them, but if we stay within the margins we are much more likely to remain in the center of God’s will for our lives. Will definitely be sharing your post today! Well said…
Blessings,
Bev
karyn says
I’m dab smack in the middle of God’s will …..
🙂
Thank YOU LORD JESUS and I’m so happy about it.
🙂
Kathy says
Margins or “boundaries” are so essential in remaining in God’s will. When we venture beyond the safety margin, peace and joy flee and we find we are becoming targets for the enemy of our soul. May each day start with a prayer in my spirit and a song in my heart to keep me refreshed in my spirit and strong to resist the pull of the world and Satan. Wonderful post and so important to keep me on track with Jesus.
Lysa TerKeurst says
Thank you for this post, Deidra! It is so important to have that margin. I love how beautifully you highlighted that today… much love ~ Lysa
Kate Carman says
Great post and fun read, I appreciate your mention of and ministry to women on all areas of the spectrum, thankfully, God lovingly scooches us all back in the center 🙂
Brooke says
Deidra, you always manage to bring me inspiration while making me feel at home with your words. You had me at “trapper keeper.” Thank you for the reminder about the margins. I’m currently praying to be smack dab in God’s will for my life!
Renee Swope says
Oh friend. This is just what I needed to read today as we I head into a new season. A season of writing and listening for me. A season of changes for our kids schools and schedules. A season of less YES and more time to “be still” and fully present in the yes’es already said.
Love the way God speaks through your beautiful “yes” to Him!
Julie says
You inspired me so very much this morning after reading “SMACK DAB IN THE CENTER”- that’s just exactly what God had planned for me me to do ….read on more & more. We can never learn enough, we always must keep an open mind & eyes wide open. Thanks for sharing ~ so gratefully blessed !
Beth Williams says
Deidre,
Yes and AMEN! I read a blog post from Bonnie Gray earlier this year on Spiritual Whitespace. I continually read and hear posts on margins and space. God must be trying to tell me something!
This has been a tough year for me as I moved my dad into assisted living, he then had medication issues that landed him in hospital and rehab, back at assisted living and now finally content. Through all this I worked a job I hated and dreaded going to. Also hubby had iffy job news–fortunately it turned out ok–not great! I’m going to take some spiritual white space/margins and start saying no a little more often so I can rest, Sit and listen to God for our next move!
Blessings 🙂