there is no faith if there is no mystery.  faith, in it’s most basic form, requires mystery, requires questions to be unanswered.  it requires us to believe when that belief doesnt make sense.  faith requires us to push beyond the safety of the harbor, even if we cannot see through the fog that surrounds us.

there is no faith, if you can see the end of your journey when you begin.

i’m thirty.  and even though i can look back and see some crazy leaps of faith, some moments where i sailed farther from the shore than i had ever done, i’d always had a backup plan.  i’d always kept a chart that showed how to get back to safety.  just in case this leap of faith didnt pan out.

i dont want to say the same thing when i turn 31.  i want to look back on my thirtieth year knowing that i took the biggest leaps of faith ive ever taken.  that i gave up backup plans and put it all on the line.  that i sailed farther from shore than i had ever sailed before.

and im not the only one im praying this for.  i’ve got a friend in florida who’s been on my heart a lot lately.  and i want the same for her.  i want her to push out from shore farther than she’s ever gone, find that her heavenly Father really is all she needs, and realize all over again how much He loves her for all of who she is.  that He created her.  specifically.  for this time in history.  that she’s important and has a very specific job to do while she’s here.

because she’s gifted.  and because she’s a gift.

and because it’s in pushing beyond the safe waters and into the unexplored that we find those moments of life.  that we find islands previously unknown.  that we experience moments of holy design.  moments that wreck our preconceived notions.  moments that take apart our boxes and show us that there is more to life than the safety of the cove.  it’s when we take those risks that we find beauty in its rarest of forms.

when we chose to follow the Author of this story, we arent promised calm waters or even  what most would consider safe passage.  but we were promised that He wouldnt leave us.  that we wouldn’t be alone, even during the loneliest of nights.  we were promised life.  full, abundant and above our wildest dreams life.  life, if we would trust Him enough to push-off from shore, and away from the safety of the harbor.

Matt Redman – When All Is Said and Done

life’s too short to be lukewarm
this i know, this i know
Jesus you can have it all
my every breath, my every breath
i need Your power to live this life
this i know, this i know
i cant do this by myself
You’re Christ in me
my only hope, my only hope

as i walk this broken world
tune my life to heavens song
for i am Yours
and when all is said in and done
tune my life’s to heavens song
forevermore, forevermore

i need your power to live this life
this i know, this i know
no i cant do this by myself
You’re Christ in me
my only hope, my only hope

as i walk this broken world
tune my life to heavens song
for i am Yours
and when all is said and done
tune my life to heavens song….