… Ok, maybe I’m not, but I’ve recently become completely mesmerized by the way God created these Sea Stars. So, while I may not be a starfish, God has spoken to me through their ways and mere being. Isn’t it amazing how He uses all of creation to move us? Let me help you understand by taking you down the trail that lead me to this point.
It all started while reading Craig Groeschel’s book, “Weird”. There’s a section in the book that’s titled, “A Weird Blessing”. In this part his states, “If you listen, God will show you something that makes your heart ache on behalf of His. He will bless you with a burden.” I read this and immediately thought… wow. I KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. As frustrated, angry, tearful, emotional, passionate, fiery, and loud that I get about certain things God has burdened me with, I now understand WHY! It’s a blessing. And because I’ve been given that blessing, I need to pursue it with a vision and act upon it. How amazing to be allowed a window into the heart of God on something specific?! Instead of being sad, mad, or plain out disturbed- it’s time to take that passion and make a difference.
Craig tells a short story titled “Every Starfish Matters” (you see where this is going?) The story is written below:
“One day an older gentleman was strolling down the beach and saw a young boy frantically picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. Noticing hundreds, if not thousands, of displaced starfish washed up on shore, the polite gentleman laughed softly as he approached the eager boy. “Hey there, youngster,” he said compassionately. “You really shouldn’t waste your time. There’s too many of them. You’ll never be able to make a difference.” Looking up, the boy held a single starfish in his palm and suddenly hurled the creature full force back into the ocean. “I made a difference to that one!” he said and continued on his mission.”
To that boy, every starfish mattered. This story spoke to me in huge ways and being the NERD that I am- I researched starfish to understand them better and this is what I found most fascinating:
--The starfish...displays one of the most unique reproduction abilities in the animal kingdom. Cut off the leg of an octopus, and - amazingly - it grows back. Cut off it's head, and it dies. However, cut off a leg or two of a starfish, not only do the legs grow back, but also the cut-off pieces grow back into an entirely new starfish! ...A starfish is a brilliantly designed decentralized neural network, carrying its DNA in every part of its body.--
-Starfish Manifesto
This is what God spoke to me through the anatomy of starfish:
As these things come along that may “cut off my arm”, so to say, I can look at those trials, testing and sufferings and know that God will grow that arm back and multiply and strengthen me in the process. When he reproduces me, he is reproducing himself as we are made in his image. "Imitate me as I imitate Christ". (1 Corinthians 11:1) Also, that piece that was cut from me may very well grow into a completely new “starfish”. This reminds me to be aware of what my spiritual body puts off…. I must always be aware of the witness and testimony that I live, for I would never want what I leave behind to be regenerated to something of filth and failure. I want to leave behind pieces that fuel regeneration. Pretty amazing stuff if you can get past my weirdness and strange analogy. ;)
So back to the story:
I for one do not want to miss the opportunity to “throw starfish back to sea”. God has blessed, yes, BLESSED, us each with a divine burden, an ache within for something specific. He has allowed us a peephole into his hurting heart for things in this world. Do not allow anyone to squash that holy, fierce passion instilled within you for whatever it is that you feel burdened for. Don’t waste time trying to understand why others may not understand it or on people who think you should “tone it down” or change because they believe you’re too passionate for your own good. That’s absurd. In most recent months I’ve been made aware that I will face people who will try to do just that. Stand firm. You are you. God made you a certain way, for a certain purpose, with a certain passion concerning a certain burden. Now act on it.
Ask Him how to act on your burden blessing.
Psalm 57:2 “I cry out to the God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.”
Make a commitment to see it though.
Psalm 37:5”Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this.”
Know that he will see it through to completion and that his plans stand firm forever
Phil 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 62:5 “but the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
Isaiah 46:10 “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
Remember, weird is ok. The little boy with the burden of saving the starfish was looked upon as weird and misunderstood by the old man but he knew he was on a mission to make a change. I want to make a change. Do you? Now-think of the life of the starfish. I want to remember that through pains God will rebuild and strengthen me. I want to leave behind traces of myself that will witness and renew.
This all brings me full circle back to your burdens being blessings. So I want to end with a prayer someone wrote. I’m calling it my starfish prayer.
Starfish Prayer
“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May God bless you with the weirdest blessing possible- His divine burden. “
Disturb us, O Lord!
Woo! Unleash the passion! ;)
-Kate
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