With All My Heart

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

One of my favorite books is Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. I don't remember how long ago someone loaned me a copy with instructions to 'Read this!', but I read it, went out and bought my own copy and read it again. And again. And again.

I still find lessons in that allegory for my life. The current one stems from the little scene in which Much-Afraid sees the road leading to the High Places and runs joyfully along it, only to be surprised by a 90-degree turn that takes her, not towards the High Places she has been promised, but towards the desert. She doesn't understand but, at the Shepherd's assurance that this is indeed the way she must go, she resigns herself to the journey and heads off in the direction of the desert.

It may be a stretch, but this fits the scripture that has been on my heart a lot lately...as I cringe from some aspects of the new job because they aren't what I really feel like I will thrive doing. Not that I don't think I can learn to handle that particular responsibility -- I'd just rather have my teeth drilled. But I didn't plant myself here, so I can only assume that this is, indeed, the way the Shepherd desires me to walk.

I also look at the verse when I regard the pile of costume/volunteer sewing that is occupying my sewing space at the moment, when I have some projects from my own sewing stash that need some attention. It is a service to the community, to folks for whom I am a representative of the body of Christ in some capacity. I didn't ask for that, either, yet here I am. Obviously, the Shepherd is working here, too.

My verse is Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (NIV)

If I am serving Him, then I need to give it all my best shot.

Now I'm tempted to go edit today's sewing blog post so it's not quite so whiney. But, on reflection, maybe I'd better leave it as is. Just to prove I really am struggling to do what my heart knows I should do...it ain't easy and I don't always get it.