Encounters from Get Real
God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience.
Quote taken from My Utmost for His Highest Devotional
It is so funny when we, mere humans, think we have God figured out. I mean, we really do. We think we know exactly the road God is taking and so many times try to jump ahead and lead Him. That is what I am saying. Presently, I am not preaching to the choir, I am preaching to me, too. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s thoughts and understand them. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s plans and vision and understand them. My self has tried to hurry God up to meet my desires. My self has tried to move God faster than He had planned.
In 2001, Get Real was born. It all started with the first rally. It was evident that God was there. It was evident that He did not want things to stop with that single night.
Here we are in 2008 and He is still moving. 2001, however, was an interesting year. God was speaking to *two country girls* and showing us things that He desired for the future. We could feel it in our bones. It was just after the rally in ’01 when we felt the need to have a place of our own: A place to hold events for young people and all people. We even went to look at a place that was for sale. In reality, what was happening is that God was birthing a vision on the inside of us. God had to put enough desire and vision on the inside of us to keep us moving ahead. Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
Without vision in your life, chances are you are spinning in a circle. Chances are you are bored. Chances could be that you are hung up doing something that is not even what God called you to do. With vision there is a constant need to move ahead….move forward….find Him in the places He is walking.
In 2005, God began to renew on the inside of us His plans. It was not a surprise but it was placed in the forefront of our minds and rooted deeply inside our hearts: We need a place to hold events. We began sharing our hearts with people. We shared it in the newsletter, in emails and in every way we could. There had to be land or a place for Get Real. 2005 closed and there was nothing. 2006 started and there was still nothing. We were walking through the valley following the Shepherd and He continually dropped crumbs of bread to keep us with our face toward Him. 2006 came-no land again but significant things were happening to keep us moving ahead. 2007-nothing. There were many times we could have really went out on a limb and got ourselves into messes. Places were for sale but God never said to move any further.
2008. January 1, 2008 was a remarkable day. Most of the day was spent with the Lord refining our vision. He was showing us what we *needed* and it was somewhat different that our original intentions but it was 100% right on. We began sharing with others just how He had changed our vision. There was a verse that was so evident, too.
NOW faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I had heard that all my life, I guess, but it really took on a new meaning this time. It was like God was placing the emphasis on NOW. NOW FAITH. What did He mean?
A short time later we ran into a man in (Get Real Favorite) Cracker Barrel. He wanted to talk to us. We met a short time later. At our meeting it was shared with us that the gentleman across the 4 lane from the Get Real office had 300-400 acres with a facility that he desired to be used for ministry.
…………………………………………………………………………
Let that sink in.
Across the road. (I am pausing as I write this because it is so real.)
Use of the facility across the road? There is a log cabin. There is a huge building. There are baseball fields. There is a lake.
Everything that had ever crossed our minds is located on that property and this person says ‘use it’. How could that be? It has been 7 years. It is that simple? We thought we were going to have to build something. We thought we would need land. We though we would………
NO. (Pausing again)
For those of you who read this: be encouraged.
Suddenly, everything we had dreamed about was just across the road and there waiting on us.
Why didn’t God do this in 2001? 2002? 2003? 2004? 2005? 2006? 2007?
Go back to the top of this email and read the quote.
We were not ready nor was God. We were not capable of handling His plans. He knew that. He took us through dreaming, hoping, shaping, battering and readying us for what He had planned.
Be encouraged. Dream. This is not just a Get Real story-this is what (in one way or another) God desires to do in all of our lives.
A wise man once said:“FAITH is believing in advance something that is logical when seen in reverse.”
I think we have just tipped the iceberg of what He desires to do.
God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience.
Quote taken from My Utmost for His Highest Devotional
It is so funny when we, mere humans, think we have God figured out. I mean, we really do. We think we know exactly the road God is taking and so many times try to jump ahead and lead Him. That is what I am saying. Presently, I am not preaching to the choir, I am preaching to me, too. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s thoughts and understand them. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s plans and vision and understand them. My self has tried to hurry God up to meet my desires. My self has tried to move God faster than He had planned.
In 2001, Get Real was born. It all started with the first rally. It was evident that God was there. It was evident that He did not want things to stop with that single night.
Here we are in 2008 and He is still moving. 2001, however, was an interesting year. God was speaking to *two country girls* and showing us things that He desired for the future. We could feel it in our bones. It was just after the rally in ’01 when we felt the need to have a place of our own: A place to hold events for young people and all people. We even went to look at a place that was for sale. In reality, what was happening is that God was birthing a vision on the inside of us. God had to put enough desire and vision on the inside of us to keep us moving ahead. Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
Without vision in your life, chances are you are spinning in a circle. Chances are you are bored. Chances could be that you are hung up doing something that is not even what God called you to do. With vision there is a constant need to move ahead….move forward….find Him in the places He is walking.
In 2005, God began to renew on the inside of us His plans. It was not a surprise but it was placed in the forefront of our minds and rooted deeply inside our hearts: We need a place to hold events. We began sharing our hearts with people. We shared it in the newsletter, in emails and in every way we could. There had to be land or a place for Get Real. 2005 closed and there was nothing. 2006 started and there was still nothing. We were walking through the valley following the Shepherd and He continually dropped crumbs of bread to keep us with our face toward Him. 2006 came-no land again but significant things were happening to keep us moving ahead. 2007-nothing. There were many times we could have really went out on a limb and got ourselves into messes. Places were for sale but God never said to move any further.
2008. January 1, 2008 was a remarkable day. Most of the day was spent with the Lord refining our vision. He was showing us what we *needed* and it was somewhat different that our original intentions but it was 100% right on. We began sharing with others just how He had changed our vision. There was a verse that was so evident, too.
NOW faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I had heard that all my life, I guess, but it really took on a new meaning this time. It was like God was placing the emphasis on NOW. NOW FAITH. What did He mean?
A short time later we ran into a man in (Get Real Favorite) Cracker Barrel. He wanted to talk to us. We met a short time later. At our meeting it was shared with us that the gentleman across the 4 lane from the Get Real office had 300-400 acres with a facility that he desired to be used for ministry.
…………………………………………………………………………
Let that sink in.
Across the road. (I am pausing as I write this because it is so real.)
Use of the facility across the road? There is a log cabin. There is a huge building. There are baseball fields. There is a lake.
Everything that had ever crossed our minds is located on that property and this person says ‘use it’. How could that be? It has been 7 years. It is that simple? We thought we were going to have to build something. We thought we would need land. We though we would………
NO. (Pausing again)
For those of you who read this: be encouraged.
Suddenly, everything we had dreamed about was just across the road and there waiting on us.
Why didn’t God do this in 2001? 2002? 2003? 2004? 2005? 2006? 2007?
Go back to the top of this email and read the quote.
We were not ready nor was God. We were not capable of handling His plans. He knew that. He took us through dreaming, hoping, shaping, battering and readying us for what He had planned.
Be encouraged. Dream. This is not just a Get Real story-this is what (in one way or another) God desires to do in all of our lives.
A wise man once said:“FAITH is believing in advance something that is logical when seen in reverse.”
I think we have just tipped the iceberg of what He desires to do.
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