Whatever...

"Dear Friends, God is good.  So I beg you to offer your bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing.  That's the most sensible way to serve God.  Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think.  Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him."    (Romans 12: 1-2)

I've been sitting and staring at my lap top for over a half hour.  It's blog day and my mind is going ten directions but not at the speed of light.  More like the speed of laundry drying outside on a muggy day.  The only word that keeps popping into my muggy mind is the word "whatever"...
Not very spiritual sounding at first glance; it actually sounds more like what teenagers say when you tell them to make their beds.  But in God's vocabulary the word whatever is the hallmark of utmost maturity.  Only those that have given their lives over to His holy touch can utter this word with complete abandon. 
Whatever isn't a sign of lazy indifference, it's a sign of release and trust.  When we say whatever to God we are stating "You're in charge--I'm not.  You're the point--I'm not."  What freedom the word whatever brings!

Recently I had a whatever moment that makes me feel a bit shaky as I've watched it play out.  The picture above shows me dancing with orphans at Musana Orphanage in Uganda.  I was there two years ago leading a teacher's in-service on reading comprehension, but in all honesty, saying yes to that trip wasn't easy.  My doctor begged me not go, fearing my immune system wasn't strong enough to handle the immunizations needed to travel there.  To further complicate things, we moved from Colorado to Houston just days before I flew to Africa.  It was a flurry of boxes, sweat, and prayerful whatevers that pushed me onto that plane, resulting in a glorious time of holy release.

Sitting in a cafe overlooking the dusty main road where the orphanage was, I met with a local pastor named Nicholas for lunch .  He knew my background in ministry, and shared something that nearly broke my heart.  He said "Gari, we have thousands of women who would come to hear you speak God's Word.  They are willing, but we have no women teachers to lead them."
I wish I could say I instantly jumped on that opportunity.  It was the end of a long, hard trip and I was tired, broke, and ready to see my family.  I was polite, but wondered if I'd ever see him again.   So here comes my big whatever moment...

This fall I began to pray about Uganda.  Was I supposed to go back?  I was in the middle of my first big book contract, writing my head off, teaching like crazy, and preparing for another year of insane travel with my husband's beloved Houston Astros... but suddenly the word whatever began to circle a the rim of my spirit.  One day I literally said to the Lord "This is the day.  I need you to either close the door or open it, because if I'm going back to Uganda, it needs to be clear." 
A half an hour later I opened my messages on my phone and there sat a message from Pastor Nicholas.  He simply wrote "Have you forgotten your friends in Africa?" 
Nothing like getting your prayers answered so clearly...

So in 14 days I head back to Africa to speak at a conference that has already grown beyond capacity.  As a matter of fact, they've had to change the venue because they know the crowds will be too big.  The local pastor's have met and decided to open the conference to both men and women, and they've named the event the Miracle Crusade.

 I know the real miracle occurs when we simply say whatever--and you don't have to go to Africa for that to happen.  Whenever you choose someone else's needs before your own, you say whatever.  Whenever you choose to trust God instead of settling into panic, you say whatever.  Whenever you dare to hope for good rather than tolerating evil, you say whatever. 

Whatever is what Mary uttered when Gabriel told her she'd birth a Savior.  Whatever is what Moses said when he led a nation out of captivity, and whatever is what Jesus brilliantly uttered from the cross. 

So here's my question to you:  What's your whatever?  I'd love to hear about it sweet friends. Let's keep saying it together; daily, hourly, minute by minute...whatever.  Watch God take your whatevers and turn them into forevers.

Blessings!
Gari