Making Tracks
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19: 1-4
The kingdom of Heaven is like.....
Well, according to God, it's like a lot of things. It's like a fig tree. It's like a mustard seed. It's like hidden treasure.
God speaks to us so clearly through the things we see in everyday life. I love how Jesus used parables to teach people on earth about His heavenly kingdom. I really think that is the way I learn best.
It was no surprise at all that one day, as I stopped by the home of a dear friend for prayer, God sent a message loud and clear through the means of a modern day parable. I was literally at the end of my spiritual rope, (to use a parable.) After decades of serving the Lord, I had tapped out. I was tired, empty, and possibly a lot of crazy. As this sweet friend began to pray for me, we heard a loud stirring in her backyard. After the amens, we went to check out what all the commotion was and we saw, gathered on her patio, a huge flock of quail. When I say huge, I mean at least twenty. They covered the patio. Neither one of us had ever seen anything like this in our area and I think we both knew there was a deeper meaning in their visit.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like Quail!
There are a few really unusual things about quail. They don't like to fly. Unless they are in danger, they prefer to run. They don't migrate. They pretty much find a home, hunker down and live life in one area. They have unique and varied forms of communication known as quail calls, and their unusual nesting technique leaves very distinguishable tracks wherever they have been. God truly has a sense of humor because it seemed the more I considered the odd little birds, the more I could see that the Lord had provided a perfect picture of ME! What a great parable.
How sweet is that, I thought. I am like that Quail!
I really hate to fly and yes, I also prefer to run. I have never considered myself the type of Christian who would physically go into all the world so the migratory thing well, it doesn't even sound like me. I believe that up to this point in my life and through the grace of God and his gift of shall we say, unique communication, I have been able to leave a distinguishable mark in my community that points to Jesus.
Yes, I could clearly see how the Kingdom of Heaven is like this, run with perseverance, build community where you are, and find ways to communicate the gospel in your unique way. I could sense there was a much deeper meaning in this for me and so I curiously asked God to show me. My heart just about stopped when I heard His response...
"Julie, it's time to fly!"
Wait...I don't fly...I run God...remember, I'm a quail!"
Well, I soon learned that there are several different varieties of quail. They are found all over the world and apparently, God had decided that the Julie quail is in fact, a flying quail. The call to go into all the world was unmistakeable and it honestly terrified me. I don’t like to be uncomfortable, I don’t like traveling all that much, and I am the pickiest eater on the planet. There was not a cell in my fifty one year old body that thought this was a good idea.
Nevertheless, I was willing to be willing if that is what God wanted.
I had no idea where or when, I just knew when the time came, my answer would be yes! Of course, it did not take long for an opportunity to present itself and after much prayer, and a final surrendering of my heart, I am off on what I believe will be the first of many missionary migrations. On this first journey, I will join a team in Cambodia who works to rescue little children from Human Sex Trafficking.
My heart is compelled to go.
I believe it is time for God to expand my understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a perspective that I have been longing for and I know it is necessary if I am to fulfill my God inspired destiny here on earth. It is my intention to blog my way through the journey. This is yet another thing, I have not really had a desire to do, but I sense in my heart it will be really important. It will be a permanent marker of all that is about to happen. A quail’s track that will remind people of what happens when you decide to be, not who you think you are, but who God always inspired you to be.
It is my hope that when I take my final flight, the one straight into the arms of my beloved Savior, that we can both look back upon my life and see the distinguishable tracks of the gospel having gone forth into all the world because this old bird has decided, in the varsity season of her life, to trust the leading of her creator and fly!
Looking forward,
Julie
