When God says, "JK!"

Recently I wrote about a time where God called me to do something that I didn't want to do. While I will keep the details of what it is that I was being forced...err...asked to do, I will say, again, that I obeyed. Kicking and screaming the whole entire way, I obeyed. :) 

For a long while, I did what God asked me to do. To be honest, it wasn't awful. It wasn't even bad. If I'm downright truthful, I couldn't find anything REALLY negative to say about the situation. But...something just wasn't right. I couldn't put my finger on it. I couldn't name it out loud. I couldn't tell you what it was. Because I actually didn't know. 

Then, God opened up another door and told me to walk through it. So, I did. I didn't even kick or scream or throw up this time! What a complete improvement over the last task! While I was in the middle of my new task, wondering why I was in the situation I was in, and better yet, why my whole family needed to be involved, God made one thing VERY clear: My first assignment had ended.

I'll be honest, when you don't want to do something, but you put it all aside and do it anyway...you don't expect God to tell you, "JK!" This week, I felt like I got a huge "Just Kidding," from God. I couldn't understand it. I was frustrated. I was a little bit angry and confused, yet somewhat thankful and relieved to have it. 

As I was on the phone with my sister, yesterday, telling her of my predicament, I said these words: "I feel like Abraham. God made me take my kid all the way up to the hill. Made me pull out that knife. Then said 'JK!!'"

All of a sudden, everything made sense. For months I have been asking "God, what do you want me to do? What am I supposed to be doing? Where am I supposed to be going?"  I should have been asking, "Am I willing to do what you want me to do? Whatever it is...whoever it is with...I'll go." I think I threw up a little typing that. 

Obedience is hard. It's scary. Absolutely terrifying really. But, God showed me this week that sometimes if we will just obey, He will reveal that His plan really is greater than we truly think it is. Sometimes our greatest task from the Lord is not our picture-perfect final destination but the pain-staking journey we took getting there. Of course, foolish stubborn pride couldn't see that months ago when I went scratching and clawing my way into obedience...but I did go. And I think God will honor it just the same. "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."- 2 John 1:6