It’s Tuesday of Holy Week. A time to once again slow things down and remember our commitment to reflecting on this very special week on the Christian calendar.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been privileged to walk alongside some very special people as they try to figure life out. One significant thought keeps coming to the forefront. Each one of them is at a significant crossroads in their lives. As I write below, experts call this a “life shift.”

I’ve spent some time really examining this little five-letter word and have found it to really be eye-opening:

Thoughts from the Archives (2009)

Listen to your life.
What is is trying to say?
Both eyes wide open.

Life Shift

Writing is hard work. I’ve never denied it or tried to pretend otherwise. In light of this, I have been avoiding putting finger to keyboard (or in the olden days—pen to paper) due to recent overwhelming sensory overload.

I’m in the midst of what experts call a “life shift.” After a surprise “30-days alone with my husband” anniversary trip to Europe and an even more surprising “2 Trips 2 Thailand” in November, I have found myself on an interesting journey, which I lovingly call, “The Process.” Dictionary.com defines process (v):

1. to handle (papers, records, etc.) by systematically organizing them, recording or making notations on them, following up with appropriate action, or the like: to process mail.
2. to require (someone) to answer questionnaires, perform various tasks, and sometimes to undergo physical and aptitude classification examinations before the beginning or termination of a period of service: The army processes all personnel entering or leaving the service.

I particularly like #2. Why? Because I feel as though the last 4 1/2 months have been preparation for the beginning of a new season in my life. Prior to leaving for Europe, I sensed God saying he was going to “alter the landscape” (see July 10th post) of my life; meaning life, as I had previously known it, was going to change. Never in a million years could I have dreamed or imagined the process.

Allow me to ramble. Before 2 trips 2 Bangkok in November, I had started blogging on “30 Lessons in 30 Days.” I felt as though I had finally processed my surprise, whirlwind anniversary trip to France, Italy and Switzerland. Finally able to put down on paper (or keyboard) my thoughts. Well, I made it to Lesson 3 before I had began preparing and packing for Bangkok. Hence, no time to blog or journal. Only time to prepare a new teaching, to an international audience, entitled, “Every Valley has a Mountaintop.”

The Gemmipass in Leukerbad, Switzerland (in the Swiss Alps)
The story of this arduous climb became part of
“Every Valley has a Mountaintop”

So many emotions surrounded my journey to Thailand: joy at seeing my oldest daughter and minister side-by-side with her, sheer wonder at seeing my dear, dear friend, Kim, and her family (who have lived and ministered in Thailand for over 20 years) and minister side-by-side with her, overwhelming gratitude and humility for an opportunity, an open door,  to share the Word of God with women of over 22 nationalities, and trepidation that I would disappoint and not meet the expectations of such an audience, which comes from “you-know-where” (John 8:44, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father‘s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”)

All this to say, that I am still processing, but at the nudging of my friend, Nancy, last night at a Christmas party, I will try to process here on my blog. If I have learned anything in my walk with God, I have learned that sometimes God moves in a whirlwind. He stirs us up in order to move us out. He appears in a burning bush. Speaks through a donkey. Parts a red sea. Leads by a cloud or a pillar of fire. Moves in out-of-the-ordinary ways.

I don’t think I am alone in saying that I like a neat and tidy life. Clear directions. Creature comforts. I don’t like ruts, but I seem to always end up in them. God has severely disrupted my ruts. It is my earnest prayer that my processing of God’s movement in my life will somehow help you process his movement in your life. Together, we can move forward and do great things for him.

Sincerely thought that climb would be the death of me.
It became a metaphor of our life together.
My husband became my life coach:
“Short steps. Short rests. Keep the momentum.”

I can’t promise my processing will be my greatest writing, but it will be honest and it will hopefully make us think. Lord Byron said it this way, “Words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.”

Here’s to the process of understanding God’s movement in our lives!