The Call of God

There’s nothing quite like the call of God to catch the attention. Well something certainly persuaded these two love birds to sit up and take heed! Probably not the Lord, but who knows… yes I’ve discovered that when the Lord has something he wants to say he’ll always find a way. No problem. And if I ignore him the first time he’ll simply allow his word to come back to me time and time again until I do respond. But it’s always a surprise to hear him speak in a way that I don’t want him to speak. Yes I’m quite capable of working stuff out for myself, I pretty much know what I want out of life. My needs, hopes, desires could be listed quite succinctly and articulated for presentation in any prayer time you like. Problem is, the Lord knows me better than I know myself and is more than able to direct my paths, provide for my every need, and yes basically sort me out with little input from myself. So anyway, he more often than not answers my prayers by ignoring them. I have to say that’s fine ‘cause I’d probably be in a right mess if I was actually in control of such power. Yes it is power I’m talking about. The encouragement and enabling release of the power of God to fulfil his every desire. His anointing of authority over every hindrance is a precious gift never to be spurned.

Lord show me your way, strengthen me to do you will. Direct my paths according to Godly purpose and pleasure!

Over the past few years I’ve been reading a lot. Usually fiction… though different genres, each for a season. Like this past year I’ve read over 80 sci-fi novels, maybe a tad too many, but wonderfully escapist. Which is exactly what I’ve needed.  Anyway over quite some time now I’ve kept having thoughts about writing my own novel. Sort of a near future thing, though bordering on what might be deemed fantasy or maybe apocalyptic, but with more than just a glimpse of heaven to enthuse. Still just a novel, no other claims whatsoever. Last year I tried to make a start and ground to a halt almost immediately. Seed ideas kept popping into my head, but words wouldn’t flow. Yesterday was different, dialogue appeared without forethought, simple structure began to form and… I avoided the whole thing! It’ll go away; I’m too tired, a waste of time and all the rest of it was my conclusion. Oh and other writers have covered similar ground already. But isn’t that always the case with every book ever written? I even made an exit by keeping busy all day, eventually collecting my son from work at 8pm as a favour on a rainy day. One hour later an angel stood in front of my bedroom door, blocking the way… all right that might be my imagination, but stranger things have happened! I was really tired, ready for bed, but that’s normal. So a few steps to my spare room, now my home office, and I fired up my laptop to start typing. I already had an opening sentence, though I stubbornly avoided that as I fiddled around for half an hour trying to grasp a title. Still puzzling today. But once I started work for real the words simply flowed. I couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with the ideas that just flooded in. Occasionally I’ve read a book that is so gripping that I can’t stop reading until finished. Last night was one of those occasions, I couldn’t stop writing. Not for writing’s sake, but rather because I wanted to know what was going to happen next! Yes I’m writing the thing blind, with no idea what is going to happen next. At least beyond the next sentence, which always seems to pop into my mind. How cool is that? Ok, I couldn’t finish the whole thing, but 4am this morning I was just about collapsing with exhaustion and felt released to retire to my bedroom. 3,000 words is a pretty good start I reckon.

Numbers 22:21-31

‘So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.

Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.

“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”

“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”

“No,” Balaam admitted.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.’ (NLT)