Rise Above

“Picture rows and rows of uniform poppies in fields and gardens. They’re all the same height, except for some who grow taller than the rest. The practice by those tending the tall poppies is to come along and whop! chop them down to size. ‘No tall poppies, we’re keeping uniformity.’

“But what happens if God’s created you to be a tall poppy? What do you do? What do you do when you really begin to live and do your thing? To stretch and grow and rise?” - Meant to Live

One of my greatest joys is to see people come alive! I mean it. To get that spark of life in their eyes. To let go of something they’ve been lugging on their backs for years. To ditch the thing that tied them down. To breathe, release and fly! I’ll go out of my way to tell anyone doing a truly excellent job that they’re special. I don’t care if they’re serving me at Starbucks or on a plane; preaching an empowered sermon or quietly speaking words of life in the lobby of a movie theater. I love LIFE. Any sign of “it.”

Given that, I can’t tell you how sick I am when I see people getting in the way of that life. Chipping away at something special. Needling. Bellowing. Undermining God’s work.

Sometimes it’s so clear that it’s the Enemy. Sometimes it’s not. 

Here’s one thing I’ve learned and man, do I have to practice my own words daily as I navigate this new world of Christian speaking:

DO NOT turn to the right or the left. Do not get distracted. Do not get messed up by silliness and small-mindedness. Rise above.

Moses instructed the Israelites (the people of God) as he’d heard from the LORD: 

“So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” - Deuteronomy 5:32,33.

There is nothing that will bring you to life more than locking eyes with the LORD God, the God of all LIFE - and being drawn into whatever He has for you. I’m so sorry to say, but these are the unusual ones - those tall poppies that stand out above the rest. The ones that respond to God and don’t deviate from His call over their lives to Come! Live!

I’m real because God is so real.

~ Nancy

CALLING

What’s holding you back from doing what you know you need to do to rise? Come on, get honest: what is it? God has what you need, my dear friend.