Do you ever have those moments with God, when He asks you a tough question, and you know He’s about to reveal something mighty to you? I just had one of those moments. It’s not first time this has happened. He and I have journeyed together for 50 years as Savior and saved, so this kind of interaction has become normal for us. He’s asked me this question before, and I know the answer. What’s the thread of your life?
Often when Jesus is about to reveal something to me, He’ll stop me from doing what I’m doing and redirect me to do something else. He’s quite clear when He redirects. This is one of His greatest strategies on this journey with Him, redirecting us with empathic language.
As I was singing and dancing, He redirected me right in the middle of praising Him. I was to finish the song of praise, then open up Erwin Raphael McManus’ book The Last Arrow, and begin reading where I left off.
Jesus has used McManus’s, The Last Arrow, mightily in my life. I first heard McManus speak at the Global Leadership Summit in August 2018, and he shared about the purpose of The Last Arrow. My friend Jill wanted his book, so I surprised her and purchased it for her birthday, which was that weekend.
The next Monday, she told me she had already finished it and loved it. I immediately purchased it on Amazon Audible and began listening to The Last Arrow that very day. I’ve listened to this book probably four times. I also purchased the hard copy. Over the last couple of years, I’ve read his book, referred to his book, and flagged his book.
The First Thread
Today, the very first paragraph I read captured my attention. McManus shared a part of his personal journey. I noticed his thread of life: the thread of fear.
McManus listed fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of rejection. Fear, he determined, was the number one cause for him losing ground or giving up at times in his life (p.135).
Now, let me share a part of my personal journey. In October 2018, just two months after I first listened to The Last Arrow, I was trying to write my first book. One afternoon, God redirected me to stop writing and start reading my personal journals.
I was looking for a specific story to note in my book. I never found the story I was looking for, but I found something much more significant: the thread of my life.
After hours of reading my journals, I noticed all the sorrow in my life: sorrow of an unhappy marriage, sorrow of death, sorrow of unfulfilled dreams, just to name a few. There was so much sorrow thread throughout the pages of my personal journals; it made me cry.
Discovering the thread of sorrow made me realize just how powerful sorrow is. Like McManus’ fear, I can attest that sorrow has stifled me and caused me to retreat and lose my bearing. What I also know is that pain is attached to sorrow, and I hate pain.
The Second Thread
Like McManus has been familiar with the thread of fear, I’ve been familiar with the thread of sorrow. But there’s good news. There’s a second thread of life.
For McManus, the second thread of life is the thread of courage. He writes, “If people have never known fear, they have never had a need for courage…and courage has been demanded of me more often than I have wanted” (p. 135).
Our first thread of life is going to demand a second thread of life. If we do not want to lose ground, give up, get stifled, or only be fearful or sorrowful, we have to embrace our second thread of life. We need to weave it tightly together with the first thread of life.
On that fall afternoon as Jesus led me through the pages of my journals showing me the thread of sorrow, He also showed me this beautiful thread of joy. Always woven in the pages of my journal and life is the thread of joy. My heart leaped with joy when I discovered this.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
~ Psalm 30:5, NKJV
Like McManus has needed courage to combat fear, I’ve needed joy to combat sorrow. One demands the other. We can’t weave our life with just one thread.
The Tapestry
Our threads of life weave together creating a tapestry that one day we will get to see its full glory. Right now, we may see both threads, or we may only see one thread and very little of the other. The second thread of life requires something of us.
McManus chose courage. I’ve chosen joy. I’m so grateful I have. I didn’t have to and neither did McManus. He could have lived his life full of fear and never conquered it. I could have chosen to be a sorrowful soul, taking on the attitude, woe is me, look at all the sorrow and pain I’ve lived.
Friend, Jesus doesn’t want us only living our life with one thread. He provides the other thread. But we get to choose whether or not we are going to also weave it into the tapestry of our life.
Are you willing to choose the second thread of life that Jesus provides? It will require something of you. But I’m confident it will change what your tapestry of life looks like.
One day, when God reveals the tapestry of my life, I hope to see it held together with strong threads of joy that contrast the threads of sorrow so mightily it illuminates a beautiful life lived and brings glory to God.
Challenge
What’s the thread of your life? When you look back at your personal journey, what two threads weave together?
If you only see one thread, ask Jesus to reveal what the other thread is. I promise He will because He wants you to choose it.
Begin paying attention to the things you face and struggle with. Write them down. You may not discover your threads of life right away, but the more you live, they are sure to be revealed.
If you know, what they are, I’d love to know if you’re willing to share. I’m sure others would like to know too, so that they can be encouraged.
This was a good reminder Michelle! I’d not thought of it that way before. I’d agree with McManus – my two threads are fear and courage. Courage doesn’t always look like anything big either to onlookers if they don’t know the inner struggle. I appreciate your battle to choose joy, Michelle, and I’m so glad you are!
Pearl, thank you for your vulnerability to share your threads with us. What you say is so true. Courage comes in all sizes and it doesn’t have to be like jumping off a cliff. I’ve experienced fear and courage myself. I remember sharing my writing publicly the first time. That took courage. I was scared to death!
I’m so happy God chose joy for me too. Now, I believe He’s given me a ministry of joy. I hope as I continue in this personal assignment from Him, others will know that joy comes at a cost too, just like courage.
Love you, friend,
Michelle
Oh Michelle – what an inspiration! A great reminder that for every thread of sorrow we feel – there’s a counter thread of joy! We just have to look for it!
And we have MANY threads!! I’ve got a whole quilt over here!! 😉💕
Cris, I love that. “I’ve got a whole quilt over here!” 🙂 Imagine what it’s going to look like when it’s done and we finally get to see it in heaven. Beautiful!
Thanks so much, Michelle, for this post. I think, too, that there may be many threads in our lives. As I read your blog, I was reminded that one of my threads may be discontent. I’ve told myself many times to quit striving for more — more and better things, more joy, more perfect family times, more perfection in so many areas. Paul says he “has learned to be content in all circumstances” and that is what I’m working on. The opposite thread I think is gratitude, to be grateful for the many blessings God has given me, both material, family, and spiritual. I am blessed beyond measure and I believe that as I focus on the gifts I’ve been given, I will more and more learn to be content. Thanks for your beautiful words.
Julie, the thread of discontent and the thread of gratitude. Thank you for sharing. I agree, I think we do have many threads. Isn’t it interesting how God revealed yours to you as you read my blog post though? I just love your message.