Israel is perpetually in the news. In a striking synthesis, it is interesting to note that the nation of Israel began with Sarah, the wife of Abraham, Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, and Rachel, the wife of Jacob all barren. The Lord had to intervene miraculously during these formative years of God’s love affair with His people. It is as though God was preparing for the miracle of the virgin birth.

In much the same way, spiritual life is a miracle of God, as he births new life into those who receive Him. It may not be too much of a stretch for us to see the miracle of our awareness that we are not our own, but the Lord’s.  For it is He who works in us and through us for His good pleasure. The miracle of a surrendered life brings abundance and great joy.

When completing a profile to find a compelling niche for service, we simply ask for honesty and transparency. There are no wrong answers. A question is posed regarding your faith journey and provides for the following responses:

1. Ready to observe Jesus and the nature of His mission using me.
2. Ready to interact with Jesus and serve Him and others.
3. Ready to stretch my experience of Jesus working through me.
4. Take full responsibility for assignments the Lord sets before me.

We find ourselves stepping through each of these phases in our journey, and sometimes we move up and down the scale. Moving to Step 1, or from Step 3 to Step 4, seems to have the same dynamic.  In each case, it is a miracle—a work of the Lord in our lives, moving us from barrenness to fruitfulness. Moving to Step 3 brings great joy until we realize there is even more.  At each stage, our assignment is to spend time with the Lord, making eye contact with Him, and trusting Him with more and more of our time, talent, training, and treasure. Where are you on this journey from desert to bloom? Here is a place to start.