"Learning to be compliant clay"

Donna Carter reveals insight on becoming soft and yielded, as clay to the potter. May this blog help you on your journey with our Father, the potter, and launch you into an amazing new year! (She will be one of our featured speakers at our upcoming Sharing the Journey seminar on April 4-5th in Saskatoon).

Learning to be Compliant Clay

Nelson Mandela has long been a hero of mine. On a flight to South Africa five years ago, I read Mandela’s lengthy auto-biography, Long Walk to Freedom. The context the book provided made my speaking tour there fascinating. I recognized the street and building names as comrades and prison mates of the great man.

Recently, as I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about his redemptive life, I can’t help but think of parallels with the life of Joseph. Both began as young, arrogant men with big dreams. Both suffered hardship as the result of convictions they couldn’t deny. Both spent years in the crucible of prison and both emerged with a 24 carat character and the moral authority to lead. There is one other thing they share: Joseph and Mandela chose forgiveness and reconciliation over vengeance once power was in their hands. They allowed the hardships of prison to bring out the best in them, harnessing passion into self-discipline and distilling frustration into patience. But most importantly, refining anger into love.

As a result, Joseph saved a nation and his own family from starvation. Mandela saved his nation from bloodshed. Both left a legacy of grace.

When we enter a new year, we tend to do it with optimism and hope. We plan to lose weight and save money, have a regular quiet time and work out, then eat sensibly and travel. It’s going to be better than last year. 

We should set goals to accomplish noble things. But in many cases, we have no control over our health or wealth. We can’t avert economic recessions or corporate restructuring any more than we can prevent a tragic accident or diagnosis. We can’t control the infidelity of a spouse or the betrayal of friends. 

What we can do is allow even the huge injustices of life to make us compliant clay in the Potter’s hands. We can determine that whatever comes our way in 2014, we will humbly submit to our Father’s leadership in our lives and allow him to use all things to mould us into the likeness of Jesus. He does this for the good of our family, our church, our nation and our world. He is still in the business of restoration. He still tenaciously twists every cruel plan of the enemy into a redemptive outcome. God will never waste our pain or our tears. If we will let him, He will use them to lead us to our place of highest influence and fulfillment. 

Lay your hopes and plans for 2014 at the feet of your Father. Consciously submit to his will in all your relationships and endeavours. And claim his promise: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

~Romans 8:28 NLT

 Donna Carter has a unique ability to synthesize life experience into digestible life lessons. She is sought after as a speaker internationally because of her passion, humor and the light-bulb moments she triggers for people seeking help on their spiritual journeys. Nothing excites her more than participating in the restoration of women’s hearts, and their relationships with God and others. Author of 10 SMART THINGS WOMEN CAN DO TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE (2007) and FRIEND ME Turning Faces into Lasting Friendships, along with the accompanying DVDs and conversation guide, was released February 2013. They live in Calgary, a thriving city in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies. www.wjof.com/speakers-ministry.php

Website: http://donnacarter.org   Facebook:Donna Carter

"The Wisdom of Sowing Sweet Peace" by guest blogger Donna Carter

Sharing God's Wisdom for the journey!  We'd like to introduce you to Donna Carter, one of WJOF's recommended speakers! Love what she writes this week on seeking God's wisdom to "sow sweet peace"...

     We often find ourselves embroiled in conflict. Each of us approaches the world with a unique perspective based on the lessons life has taught us. Those lessons are as individual as our DNA, family of origin, and the particular roads we have traveled. How can we expect to agree on matters of importance when we bring such divergent histories to the table?
Even Christians who attempt to base their important decisions on God's Word disagree much of the time. If you don't think so, count how many distinct Christian churches you pass on the way to work tomorrow and explain that to yourself.

     Earthly wisdom is rooted in pride and personal agenda, but when we employ Heaven's pure wisdom, we are more concerned with learning and listening than winning. We seek to understand the lessons that others bring to the disagreement and are willing to learn more about every perspective offered. Sometimes it means being less sure of what we have always been so sure about. It means tugging down those defences that seem to erect themselves so quickly when our opinion is challenged.

    Recently, I had to wade through several complicated and heart-breaking conflicts. In a season of profound loss, I had to deal with the complexity of hurt feelings, indignation (righteous or not), and positions on an issue that made no sense to me. The temptation was to retreat into my shell and waddle back to the swamp. Human wisdom told me that I held the high ground and shouldn't have to defend it. Human wisdom insisted that I really didn't need those kinds of people in my life. It told me that in my fragile state, I'd be better off investing my energy in healing relationships and write out those who couldn't understand my heart in this chapter of my life.

    But James- actually God, wouldn't let me. Knowing what these words from James and other scriptures say, I had to ask myself a question. After the bruising Jesus took to his heart and body to reconcile me to himself, how could I think it was okay to not "Do all (I) can to live in peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18)

    It’s not okay! Heaven's wisdom insists that I be a peacemaker. I am required to enter the danger zone of conflict and painful emotions in order to plant peace. It was hard. Very hard. I shed tears, endured intestinal rebellion, and interrupted sleep. But I planted those seeds. I took responsibility for the portion of the relational damage I had caused even, though it was unintentional, and asked questions about how to better negotiate the relationships involved. I listened to other perspectives on my choices and behaviour. In two cases, I was not forgiven or asked for forgiveness right away. It took time for those seeds to germinate. But restored relationships eventually resulted, even in those cases where I initially thought my efforts to humble myself and obey God were in vain.

    We can't ignore God's instructions and expect to enjoy God's blessing on our lives and relationships! Employ the wisdom that comes from Heaven, in your family, in your church, your workplace and all your relationships. God promises that those who plant seeds of peace will reap a harvest of righteousness. I can tell you form personal experience that it’s worth it! 

 Donna Carter has a unique ability to synthesize life experience into digestible life lessons. She is sought after as a speaker internationally because of her passion, humor and the light-bulb moments she triggers for people seeking help on their spiritual journeys. Nothing excites her more than participating in the restoration of women’s hearts, and their relationships with God and others. Author of 10 SMART THINGS WOMEN CAN DO TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE (2007) and FRIEND ME Turning Faces into Lasting Friendships, along with the accompanying DVDs and conversation guide, was released February 2013. They live in Calgary, a thriving city in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies. www.wjof.com/speakers-ministry.php

Website: http://donnacarter.org 
Facebook:Donna Carter


* Visit us online at www.wjof.com/2013 to learn more about our "Wisdom" Conference!