do you talk out of both sides of your mouth?

God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible ~ what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves. ~ AW Tozer

Buckle in.  I think this post has been brewing in my heart for awhile, & when I was reminded of this quote by A.W. Tozer (thank you, facebook), it was the catalyst to birth this baby.

I find so much courage, encouragement, & challenge in this one brief quote.  It is powerful.  It is truth.  How many times have *I* had plans all worked out?  Yes, control freak.  But then, I learned surrender.  And then, *gasp* what a leap of faith looks like.  It looks like God using a completely inadequate human being (insert picture of my face) that was simply willing to say, "Yes, Lord, I trust you.  Yes, Lord, I'll follow you.  Yes, Lord, I believe YOU created me, therefore these things that I am passionate about are from you.  I know I can't do it by myself, but if You say go, I will go." 

Easy?  Nope.  Don't think for a minute that it was like flipping a light switch, & I was on my way.  I've come to determine that it is a daily wrestling match of control vs. surrender.  Of listening vs. making a bunch of noise.  However, I know that I know that I know that He does do the impossible through the least likely of people.  There is story after story in the bible of Him using the least likely of people so that He can be glorified.  And it doesn't stop there.  It continues on in history through this very day where He has used people to go outside of the lovely boxes we like to construct.  Think about it.  What movies tend to be the most popular?  The ones where the least likely person overcomes this world's definition of who should be able to do what.  He overcomes.

As I try every day to gain a better understanding of exactly who God is, I find that one of our biggest stumbling blocks are other human beings, including those that are Christians.  I reposted this A.W. Tozer quote on FB, & if you saw it, you would also have seen that I added a bit of my personal feelings to it:

. . . what I might add is what a pity when people try to decide what others can & can't do instead of cheering them on in the way the Lord created them to be.

I said "what a pity" in reference to the quote.  What I really feel is that it ticks me off.  There.  I said it.  And I'm not just talking about adoption related things here.  I'm talking about any time someone doesn't fit into the mold that people seem to clutch onto like a security blanket.  We become uncomfortable with what we have created as gospel, so we throw out criticism, we question, we doubt.  Christians are some of the worst offenders, & it ain't pretty.

They can't possibly handle that.

They don't know the 'right' people.

They dream too big.

They aren't the right size, shape, etc.

They don't have the resources.

What are they thinking?

That doesn't make any sense.

The list goes on.  See yourself in any of those, be it on the giving or receiving end?  I'm sad to say there have been times I've done the eyeroll & shake of the head wondering what in the world.  But really, who am I? 

Exactly.  Who am I?  I am not Him.  He is the One that has a plan for everyone's life, and my job is not to be saying out of one side of my mouth that I believe in Him, but then spew out of the other side of my mouth discouragement & doubt when He chooses the least likely person/people to adopt children, be a missionary in an impoverished land, be the catalyst for a community outreach, be an Olympic athlete with no legs, be a leader in their middle school/high school/community, be a world changer with one act of kindness at a time....  If I am critical of someone following the passions God has given them, I'm basically criticizing God.

People, we've got to get uncomfortable in this life.  Instead of finding comfort in everybody fitting into a neat & tidy picture of some worldly definition of normal & acceptable, I want to cheer on the underdog.  I want to look at people through a different lens.  I want to see people that are being courageous enough to step into who God has created them to be & then be in the front row rooting them on.

Because if I am rooting them on, I am really saying, "Go God!"