July 24, 2008

From: Gary West
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 9:08 AM
Subject: Steps

The King is asked by the creator.

"Ask what you will and it will be granted to you"

The King doesn't think long, he knows what he wants. He says "Give me
wisdom"

The creator says "because of this request I will give you other gifts
that you have not asked for".

The most valuable gift was wisdom.

Wisdom is like a tool, we can choose to use it or not.

When we use it, it brings all the other gifts into our life.

When we exclude it, we exclude the other gifts.

Why would it be so important that a King would ask for it first?

Why would the creator place so much emphasis on it that the mere request
would spur the creator to additional generosity.

I find myself begging for wisdom, wishing for it. Needing it like my
life blood.

The King would later write "a man makes his plans but God directs his
steps"

When Allen would see life go in a direction other than he had planned I
would tell him "Son, God is in charge, he tells us that we can plan and
plan, we can push in our own direction but at the end of the day, God
directs our steps"

I can remember telling him that at his most disappointing times in life.

When he didn't get the call he expected.

When he didn't get the position,

When he didn't get the opportunity,

when he didn't get the favor that he thought he deserved.

When he had injuries, and on and on.

I always felt that God meant what the wise King Solomon wrote.

Our plans are subject to His directing our steps-

Now I am where my son was.

I had layers and layers of plans, layers and layers of opportunities for
Allen and Justin.

I had the road maps in my head, the vision was so clear. The plans were
fluid and subject to change based on the boys inclinations but they were
right in the middle of it all.

Now that stack of plans, the preparations for them, the mental, physical
and financial effort to see where it might go is wasted.

It reminds me of gearing up for a project. Drawings, equipment, real
estate, machinery, and all types of design is put forth.

Years of planning, nurturing, and caressing the plans. Hours, days and
weeks of training are lovingly poured in.

The adventure of a lifetime is before us.

And then "God changes the direction of our steps"

The steps sure turned from the plans, the vision, the security of our
dreams.

They don't allow time for modification.

The steps are swiftly and abruptly snatched in another direction.

The plans are melted in the heat of loss.

The steps turn us into a corridor that is void of any earthy plan. The
urge to create new plans is tossed by the fear of previous results.

So we are where we are because God has redirected our steps.

That is hard advice from a wise King.

It is hard when sermons and teachings bounce back up and hit you in the
jaw.

It is hard when the word that you taught, the toughness of faith that
you expected is now expected of yourself.

The steps that have been allowed to mirror my dreams are no longer.

They are crushed by the feet of the maker.

I find myself halted

Stopped,

My steps are not my own.