Personal Update

Enough (Part 3)
By Mike Rule

It’s been a while since I have written. Life has been busy to say the least. I have had tons of counseling and other work to keep up with. I was in Canada March 27-29 to lead LCMI's Biblical Studies. It was a great weekend of seeing God movin in people and in His collective body, but it was a very quick trip.

Tomorrow I leave for Houston, Texas to do a week of intense counseling (April 8-14). My time there will be chock-a-block. The schedule is just starting to fill in, and there are many unknowns. But I know God has a plan for the time, and He is preparing the hearts of people who want to meet with me. (If anyone in the area wants to meet with me, please contact the LCMI office right away.) Houston is a new venue for us, and I am excited to show up and see what God is doing in that area.

I will only be home for a few weeks then I am off to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (May 4-8) Again, it will be a week of intense counseling. I am already receiving calls from people wanting to meet with me. I have worked in Milwaukee since 2000, and God has done so much there over the years. It almost feels like a second home to me.

But, that is enough of the updates. It is time to get on to more important things.

I am realizing more and more that our hope cannot be in what God is going to do in our situation. It cannot be in Him changing the circumstances; it cannot be in Him changing us IN the circumstances. Our hope can only be in Him, and Him alone. I teach, preach, and counsel that Jesus is enough, but in daily life I really struggle to believe it when God makes so little sense. Amen. I am glad to participate in His life, to be involved with a God who is not predictable, who really is not safe. But I am so thankful that He is good, all the time. However, there are SO many times when it does not FEEL like He is good.

Recently, as He and I were having a discussion, He point blank said, "Mike, I love you as you are. Flesh and all. Stop expecting yourself to change. Stop expecting me to do some miraculous thing to save you from your circumstances. Stop expecting me to do so miraculous thing to save you IN your circumstances. Am I not enough for you?" As I have continued to walk this journey and argue with God, I still continue to pray as He has led, "ENOUGH". During one of these discussion/arguments, He recently revealed something very profound. One of the Hebrew names of God - Shaddai - is translated into English as, "Almighty God", but it can also just as easily be translated to mean, "That's Enough." I find that interesting to say the least. The timing of His revelation is quite profound to me and not a coincidence I am sure. What does it all mean? I have no clue. In the past I would have made many assumptions about what it meant. Now? As I said, I have no clue. However, I trust Him to teach me in spite of all my kicking and screaming and cussing.

We all want so much attention from God. We want Him to make things go OUR way. We have huge temper tantrums when God does not do things the way we want, in the time we want. Most of us have made God into an idol, and we attempt to craft Him after our own designs, but He cannot be crafted. He cannot be forged. He does not play the game according to our rules, and so often He does not play the game according to our perception of His rules. Did it ever occur to you that your frustration is a revelation about your situation?

Can you take up the challenge to embrace this God who is untamable? It will be the greatest challenge of your life. He will not necessarily change you; He will not necessarily change your circumstances. Isn’t it arrogant of us to think He even wants to? We stress and fuss about our circumstances and think they are the problem. But the problem is rarely if ever the problem. WE fuss and stress about ourselves too, we conclude that maybe WE are the problem. Did it ever occur to you that it may not even be about your comfort or happiness.

Again, I ask, can you take up the challenge to embrace this God who is untamable? You will learn things about yourself that will make you shudder in revulsion. You will learn things about Him that you will not like. Yet you will also find encouragement and hope in spite of it all. Is it worth it? Honestly, I don't know. For me, the verdict is still out. But this I can say... just as the disciples said to Jesus, "To whom else can we go? Only You have the words of eternal life" Amen? Amen!

I am sure there will be a part 4 coming soon. Thanks for your patience as I work out my salvation and take my time in writing to you about my experiences.

Shalom!
Mike