The Ostrich and The Call

I think God called me an ostrich today.
Let me explain ...
I have been chosen to take part in a new opportunity.
An adventure.
A journey.

I believe God is calling me out of myself, after years of not hearing clearly, or maybe just years of necessary growth which brings me to this place.
There is a call on my life that surprises me a little, and stuns me a lot, yet peace flows over and through me in response to this call. It is a call that I don't even know the full details about yet. They will be revealed in time. But I know the call is real. It has happened. The ball is rolling.

That is the opportunity.

I am being trained to help others with the wellness of body, mind, and spirit. Trained in fitness, in thinking, and in scripture. In God's way. The only way.

That is the adventure.

And, in this opportunity and adventure, I find myself on a journey. To the depths. Where it hurts. Where it is raw. Where there is a glimmer of light that will grow in hope. Where there is a change of mindset. And growth in spirit.

It is often a hard place, responding to God's call. We have an enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He whispers discouragement. Lies. Mocking.
But God.
I am learning how to push the lies away. To call them out for what they are.
And then God can use me.
He can and will lead me, give me strength, empower me.
All towards His goal.
And step one of this journey is working on my heart. My spirit. My identity in Him.
He is bringing me to a place where, when the time comes, He will use me to help others. To reach others. To be His hands, His mouth, His heart.
I am in training. I am in a shaping phase. To be more like Him.

Today I read something in my training, regarding the calling. Regarding the fact that we are to be a light into the world, bringing Jesus to the people. To be a shining light. To offer and direct them to hope. To show them love. To show them the Source.
And for me, to be an ostrich.
To not be and to be, more precisely.

I laughed at that one. Although, upon thinking, I realized that so often I am an ostrich. Or the image we all picture when we think of one. You know it. The one where the ostrich is standing, long neck curved over, head buried in the sand. Yup. Me. Head buried in the sand. Living in fear of my calling. Hiding my face from truth. Feeling ashamed that I can't do it.
I was hearing, "Don't be an ostrich."
But God.
I felt led to look the ostrich up online and found that an ostrich doesn't actually bury its head in the sand. It digs a hole and then sticks its head in the sand to turn its eggs over. To protect. To nurture. To help them grow and be healthy.
Kind of like me stepping out into this calling. The sand is unstable, but I go out with willingness, to obey the call. To help others. To nurture others. To care for others. To help them grow. To point them in the right direction.
So then I was hearing, "Be an ostrich."

It was a two-fold message for me today.
Don't be afraid. Stand with head held up, confident in my identity in Christ.
Care for those whom this calling will touch; the lives to be (and that already are) impacted.

Interesting.
God works in pretty cool ways sometimes.
I am a woman of words.
He gave me a word.
He called me an ostrich today.