I AM A LABORATORY FOR TRANSFORMATION ALCHEMY - Part 1
God has me right where He wants me! I have been waiting on Him for a greater understanding of what causes transformational change in the lives of individuals. My theory is that there is a general process with specific elements that can be identified and once identified - can be encouraged and nurtured along by a sensitive, visionary facilitator - if God allows.
Last year I participated in a think tank simply called THE CHANGE PROJECT sponsored by Steve and Barbara Uhlmann. Our group of thinkers met several times over the course of the year. Our first assignment was to read six books selected by Steve Uhlmann and then use them as a jumping off place for our discussions.
We recently concluded our journey together by preparing a one-page summary of what we learned. Our summaries were presented to Steve and Barbara at a one-day retreat in early February.
As I prepared my summary, God revealed to me that the Center for Women with Vision is my own personal laboratory to test my theory of transformation alchemy. I did not need to yearn for one or build one. It already existed. And not only did it exist, but it actually was intended as a gift from my Heavenly Father to me so I could watch Him work. And, as if that was not enough, in the wee hours of the morning the day before my presentation, God also inspired me to look into my own life to see if my theory of transformation alchemy was validated by my own personal experience. My week turned out to be a heady revelation of insights.
What I shared in my summary was that my personal involvement with the Uhlmann think tank offered me a fresh opportunity to explore a philosophy that I have ascribed to for years. Early in my career as a pastor's wife, I became inspired by comments I read in a book entitled, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman. The book was written in the 1970's by an older, more experienced pastor's wife named Anne Ortlund. Anne manifested an appreciative, joyous, effervescent approach to her life and its many demands.
Here are her comments that specifically gave me INSPIRATION:
"As a woman your eternity-oriented task is to affect others, to move them to God through the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Your temporary task, for the years you have them, is to affect the members of your physical family, by whatever means you can, to be "born again" into God's eternal family and to grow within that family to spiritual maturity. Your lifelong task, at least from conversion on, whether married or single, is to influence everyone you can, by whatever means you can, to the same ends - to help them become temple material of gold, silver and precious stones." Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund (Inspiration Press: New York) p. 74-75.
I wholeheartedly adopted this statement of purpose as my own. It was as if a secret had been revealed about what I was supposed to be doing with my life and my role as a pastor's wife. Relief flooded my soul. A fresh, very welcome sensation welled up - HOPE!
Inspiration can be defined as divine influence on a person to prepare them for sacred revelation. This kind of revelation provides the power and energy to move the intellect and emotions. Inspiration in the Scriptures actually refers to God breathing His very own thoughts into individuals. His thoughts are, by their very nature, higher and loftier than our own. When God inspires a person - He actually infuses them - trusts them with His divine insight.
As I thought about it - it seems that inspiration thrives in an environment of lack. It arrives when I am not full of myself, my own answers, my own confidence, my own success. Inspiration fills the void and something new bubbles up in my soul - a new way to think, a new way to live - and I aspire to change.
The bottom line is that God loves me enough to care about inspiring me. He lives outside the box and moves in mysterious ways to provide motivation for change. Often I am inspired by His Scriptures which speak to my deepest needs or through people who demonstrate what is possible by their example. When I see something I want - that I am attracted to - then the transformation process begins. Inspiration is only the beginning of the process, however. There is more to come.
Praise God for glorious inspiration! Praise God it begins the process of change!
