(part 2, pages 77-128):
The problem, of course, is that we often assume that our personal goals and God’s goals for us are at opposite ends of the table. We do not trust that our dreams come from God and that God has the power to accomplish them. Instead, we act as though every idea we have is born out of self-will, and even in the most willful of us, this is never the case. God inspires us with desires and dreams. God gives us goals and agendas.
God dwells in coincidence. God dwells in serendipity. God dwells in synchronicity. God dwells in lucky breaks. . . . It takes faith to act “on impulse”, to follow “a hunch.” (Not to mention “to listen to guidance.”) And yet guidance, the impulse, and the hunch are the inner promptings that keep leading us where we are meant to go.
It is by counting our blessings that we begin to be able to see our blessings. It is by seeing our blessings that we begin to fathom the possibility that God could actually intend for there to more of them.
Faith requires risk. Risk requires faith. In order to be faithful, we must move beyond what feels to us like our safety zone. We must move out on faith.
Part of faith is that it makes us more independent, but another part of having faith is that it gives us the courage to be more interdependent as well.
We must rightly relate ourselves to God in order to rightly relate ourselves to anything else. Faith is no luxury. It is the cornerstone of a meaningful life.
“Thy will be done” becomes a prescription for adventure. We are willing to let God control the ebb and flow of our life. God will put people in where needed. God will take people out where needed. God will give us meaningful work and God will move us on to other work when that is what is called for. In all arenas, including romance and finance, we allow God to call the shots.
