Cross That Jordan

Dear lovely people,

When you have worked hard and have to wait a long time for a new turn of things, such a time might also bring about a certain amount of anxiety because of the turbulence you might face. For months, weeks, and days you worked hard and waited, and then finally, the day arrived. Can you then imagine the anticipation and excitement the children of Israel faced as they stood before the River Jordan the evening before they were to cross over into the Promised Land?

A simple truth is that, everyone of us will experience turbulence at some point in our life. It's a fact of life - especially for those of us that are trying to do something great, something of value. When you decide to change your world, then turbulence will usually surface its obnoxious head, and, if you're not careful, it can prevent you from doing what you need to do to get there.

If there was excitement among the Israelites that evening, there must also have been some anxiety as they observed the swollen river and thought about the fortified cities that lay on the other side. Life is like that. Often, with our hopes at their highest, there are accompanying challenges and problems that we face at the very same time. Along with our hopes and joys there are always problems for which we simply have neither the strength nor the wisdom to meet the challenge. We need strength from above. The battle is really the Lord’s and this is what Israel was being taught in this chapter.

But you have to solve your part of the equation before leaving the rest to God. The Israelites needed to get to the riverside before leaving the crossing over to God. It is my experience that those who don't like change may feel very uncomfortable, sometimes threatened, when they see someone close to them actively doing things to improve their life. What is really happening is that your action is reminding them of what they are not doing. You are moving forward, and they are not. This creates tension and stress within them. So the resistance you may experience from those close to you really has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them.

Whatever the circumstances, shake up your world! Rock your world! Go ahead, and make those around you uncomfortable. You're actually doing them a favor. Meet any form of turbulence head-on. Deal with it, and move on. Yes, it really is rising time!