Come on--step out!

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14, NLT)

Good Morning!

I had a friend who chose to purposefully live beyond daily pressures and problems. Her days on earth were spent with an unusual exuberance and passion for life. Unfortunately, I often missed the meaning of her life message. I would step back and observe her extreme enthusiasm and energy rather than actually experiencing life the way she did.

On one occasion I watched my friend stand perfectly still on a city sidewalk while experiencing the full force of a rain storm. She did not move towards shelter or open the umbrella in her hand. Meanwhile. . . I stood safely and comfortably under the roof of a building with my umbrella open. As I watched her get wet she coaxed me, “Come on . . . step out . . . experience the rain with me.”

I smiled but did not move.

After the rain stopped, we walked away as she explained that water coming out of the skies should be considered an amazing miracle. Wow, talk about a different reality . . . I viewed the rainstorm at the very least as an inconvenience and a nuisance.

Through out history there are individuals who break through the pressures and problems of living and experience life fully and wholly. The Apostle Paul described this kind of living as an upward calling, empowered by the indwelling presence of the Spirit. In Philippians 3, he compared his past life focused on rules versus his new life lived through a relationship with Christ.

Humanity is faced with the decision to step out from the perceived comfort and safety of rules to the miracle of being continually transformed by the ever-dynamic presence of Christ.

Come on . . . step out today.
Move away from perceived comfort and safety.
Celebrate the miracle of the ever-dynamic presence of Christ.
Come on . . . step out and experience Life with exuberance and enthusiasm.

Learning with you to step out and fully experience Life,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2007 All Rights Reserved)