Follow Me. Wholeheartedly.

It has been almost a week since the HCA winter retreat, I should probably jot down what the Lord has impressed upon my heart over this break before I get busy and forget. Interestingly enough the topics for the SCA and HCA winter retreats were quite similar this year so I felt that the Lord was really trying to tell me something. As I spent this last week reflecting upon all the message I heard two phrases stood out to me: follow me and wholeheartedly. What I'm sharing about is nothing new nor profound but it is something I needed to be reminded of as I begin a new year.

Follow Me. The Lord has a simple calling for us to follow Him yet the action of following Him on day to day basis is has proven to be much  more challenging. As I was reminded of His love for me through the sharing of the brothers at both retreats the Lord seemed to challenge me with a question...now what? As I reflect upon this past year I have clearly felt the Lord's love and I have had my own "first" experiences with Him but has been or what should be my response? As much as I have been blessed by Him this past year there needs to be a response on my end towards Him; I need to respond by following Him. This following is a simple heart of obedience that is ready to move when He moves and to be okay with waiting when that is what He's asking for. A disciple is one who follows the master and learns the heart of the master. In order for me to follow the Lord I need to learn the desires of the Lord. 

Wholeheartedly. What does it mean to do something wholeheartedly? Brother John put it very well when he said "a lover loves what his/her lover loves". When you put your whole heart into something it consumes your entire being whether it be academics or a friendship. There have been times where I could say that I followed the Lord but even then the following was only partially, I often did things reluctantly or had to force myself to obey. Maybe that is better than not following the Lord but He desires for us to follow Him wholeheartedly. 

Thinking about this can make me discouraged because it seems like an impossible thing for me to do but praise the Lord He knows that and it is His grace that constrains me. He knows that I am unable to follow Him wholeheartedly which is why He has placed eternity into my heart and it is He who is going to draw out the desire from within me. Taking up the cross daily takes courage but that courage doesn't have to come from me, we have been yoked with Him and He provides us with that courage needed to follow Him wholeheartedly. 

O to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be.

Let thy goodness like a fetter, bin my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for they courts above.