Finding the right path.......

One of the things that I always question is "am I on the right path?"  I am currently at the Objective in Nashville and I find myself surrounded by lots of different looking, and sounding, Christian artists, songwriters and musicians, who all have the same heart, but, very different paths.  There is no "cookie cutter" definition of anyone's path with the Lord, and finding it can be the hardest thing that we ever do.  From lessons learned, I know that walking your own path doesn't work, and in fact, leaves you without peace, leaving a striving after things that our soul wants, but is not in the plans that "He" has for us.

There has been a lot of teaching about that in the last couple of days, and while I was glad that "seeking the Kingdom of God" was the first and foremost thing that all of us should do, especially thespians and musicians, artists of all kinds, I was saddened that this teaching had to come so strongly in a seminar setting, and not necessarily from the pulpits of our home churches.  As a "called" artist, singer/songwriter, speaker, whatever, I know how easy it is to be lost in a large congregation where my particular "calling" is not necessarily the largest concern in the church.  Yet, shouldn't "seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all things will be added to you" be a strong teaching for everyone?

Both Rog and I learned this lesson very strongly some 21 years ago when the Lord called us to the USA. There is no reciprocal agreement between Australia and the USA for work, so for us to come here and earn a living to support four children, it had to be God.  We did seek, and we did knock, and the door did open in a miraculous way, and yet, I still have to watch that I do not put both hands around something I want, and wait upon the Lord for His best, not mine.  How many things have I missed in trying to direct my own paths?  I am sure one day I will see them, and will be glad that I did learn the lesson of "waiting upon the Lord", well enough to not miss so many of God's opportunities just by heeding his small voice inside my heart.  In saying that, I might add, that this lesson is one to be reviewed often, if not daily, because how much more could we do, and how many lives could be touched if as a body we all moved in this direction.  I don't know about you, but I have to check myself all the time that I am not walking by sight, but am walking by faith in what I am called to do, even if it is the hardest thing I have ever been asked to do.

As an artist, singer/songwriter I live with feelings of inadequacy, as well as thinking just how does this work for a mother with fourteen children?  Well, lucky for me, that is not my problem.  The Lord did the calling, and the Lord will order my steps on the path he wishes, even if I wish he would hurry up.