A Glimmer of What Is to Come

The other day I was driving my usual route to work, when I came across the renovation of a local downtown theatre. On the outside of the theatre a sign was posted that said, "A Glimmer of What Is to Come". As I pondered this sign, I started thinking about my personal walk with Christ. How many times does Christ try to tell me these exact words, but yet, I don't hear Him because I allow the noise of everything else around me to get 100% of my attention? How many times have I been so focused on what I hope for in the future that I fail to see how God is using me now to make a difference?

As women, it is so easy to think thoughts such as:

· Well, if only I had … (fill in the blank) my life would be much better
· If I only had one more hour a day, life would be much easier
· If I could only get that other job, life would be great
· If I only had the house down the street, I’d be so much happier
· If I only had some extra money, I could accomplish so much more in life

So many times we tend to focus on the “if only” thoughts which cause us to miss out on what God is doing in our lives today and what it is that He is trying to show us. I feel that so many times the Lord is saying, “If you would keep focused on Me, I will give you a glimpse of what is to come in your life.” Yet, we tend to wonder why the Lord is not using us in certain ways or why we have to experience the daily circumstances that come up. We spend so much time focusing on what we don’t have and what we want, that we lose sight of what the Lord is doing right now in our lives.

One of my all-time favorite movie clips comes from the Karate Kid. In the movie, Daniel has decided to allow Mr. Miyagi to teach him Karate so that he can defend himself from some kids who are taking great joy in bullying him in a variety of ways. Well, Mr. Miyagi decides to have Daniel do a variety of “activities” including fence painting and car washing. At one point, Daniel gets so upset that he decides to let Mr. Miyagi know how he feels; he feels like a slave to Mr. Miyagi. It is then that Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel that in every “activity” he has accomplished, he has been learning a variety of Karate moves. Daniel ends up walking away ashamed for his outburst, yet he is amazed by his teacher.

How many times do we tend to act like Daniel? We get so fed up with our current place in life, that we yell out to God wondering what He’s doing in our lives. We get so fed up that we begin thinking about all those “if only’s” that we think would make our lives so much better and in turn, we try to take control of our lives; all the while, the Lord is whispering to us, “If you would focus your attention on Me, not only would I show you how I am using you this day, but I would also give you a glimpse of what is to come in your life.” Oh Jesus, how we have failed You! Daniel’s trust in his teacher began to fade, that is, until his teacher made it perfectly clear to him that he knew what he was doing. In the end, Daniel becomes one of the best Karate competitors; something he would have never imagined when he was painting fences and washing cars.

So, here’s my question to you; do you tend to act like Daniel? Are you willing to trust God and in that trust, allow Him to use you the way He wants to use you today? Are you willing to make yourself available to Him today and in turn, shut out all the noise around you and wait patiently for Him to whisper in your ear, “Hold on, I want to give you a glimpse of what is to come in your life?”