A Metaphor

There is a promised land in the distance.  It is not what you may expect. My promised land is not wealth or fame, and even though my final destination is a better place than the planet on which I live, it is not the Promised Land I am speaking of.

The promise is this:  (John 15:16) "I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last."

Jesus made this promise to his disciples just before he departed for that "better land."  My hearts desire is to "bear fruit," to leave this world better off because I once lived here, to fulfill my destiny, and to influence others with the Love of Christ, to share my heart and my healing with those who need to know that God loves them even when bad things happen to them.

That is my "promised land," and I believe that everything I accomplish is part of the fulfillment of that promise.  I have come to realize that everything I write is guided by that promise.  Every book, every blog, and every encounter with strangers who hesitate long enough to hear my story, is a response to that calling and appointment.  I want to make a difference.

Sometimes storms arise on the Sea of my Life and my boat gets rocked.  It is then that I lose sight of the Promised Land and wonder if all of this, everything I do, is just a fantasy--like the many fantasies I created to keep myself alive during the twenty-eight years that I was held hostage to my father's depravity.  I fantasized then that I would be a missionary to Africa and lead multitudes of people to Christ.  I dreamed of witnessing to strangers and seeing them turn to God, even though I believed at the time that God had little use for me.

I woke up this morning with this metaphor in my head.  I am on the Sea of Life and my ship is plunging into deep troughs between seas, the storm is raging.  I cannot see the Promised Land and I wonder if it even exists.  Then I realize that an old cliché can come to life when we need it.  I remembered the one about, "Keep your eyes on Jesus.  He is the Captain of your Ship."  Yes!  If I remember that He is at the helm, then I know that I am not merely dreaming.  He is taking me to the Promised Land. After all, He is the One who made the promise in the first place.

He has chosen me, and he has chosen you.  All of us are called to go in his Name and make a difference in our world.  If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will maintain stability and purpose no matter how hard the winds blow or how wild the seas toss.  Maybe, we will even get the courage of Peter and take a hike across the water!  Now I am dreaming!

Have a wonderful day my friends and Keep Your Eyes on Jesus.

Linda Settles, Author

Quest for the Other Kingdom (series)

and Redeeming Our Treasures: Finding Joy in the Shadows of an Abusive Past