The Ripple Effect
It started with a “Kingdom Vision Board” I made a few years ago. I wrote on this visual goal-board an intention to have a ripple effect for God’s Kingdom.
Since then, I’ve been encountering answers to prayers in ripple effects. A seemingly random occurrence happens, followed by another…and another…all from different sources but having something in common that unmistakably correlates to what I’ve been praying about.
I’m beginning to think of prayers as pebbles dropped into still water. The more I set my sights on living my life God’s way, the more ripples in the water my prayers generate!
In my blog titled Signs, Sealed & Delivered, I shared about how two different friends of mine (who do not know each other) gave me gifts bearing a matching Celtic symbol. Both were delivered within days of asking God to confirm that projects I’ve been working on are what He has chosen for me to do. These projects include a Scottish [eh-hem, Celtic] worship album.
And so it began… with two Celtic ripples in the water, manifesting as circles of answer around my pebble of prayer. And then… there were three. (Heyyyyy… That’s a TRINITY)!
Before I share about the third ripple, I’ve gotta be honest about why I was asking God to confirm that I’m on the right track. My prayer was from a place of extreme insecurity — a place I’ve visited often since I made the decision to go all-in-on-line with the launch of my website and social media platforms.
In a nutSHELL (pun intended): I’m a turtle tech! It just seems so unlikely, so illogical, so improbable that God would want someone like me to put my faith and life story “out there” in this way. I said yes to what I heard His voice call me to do, but quite frankly, I have NO idea what I’m doing in this blogging-posting-socialmedia-Youtube-video-virtual world!
My first blog was titled Tech Transparency, and I can’t say it has gotten any easier being vulnerable and transparent to an audience of, quite literally, virtual strangers. In fact, it has become increasingly more difficult.
Just keepin’ it real here, folks – I often wanna go back into my turtle shell. When social media ‘Likes’ and ‘Follows’ seem lackluster in response to what I’m sharing online – especially when OTHER people’s pages and posts are decorated with a ticker tape of emoji love and a flourish of flattery – well, let’s just say it makes me want to pack up my cyber crickets and call it a day. A Ninja Turtle, I am NOT!
So while I’m mastering this game of “crickets”, my frequent prayer has been a lot like this:
God, did I really hear You right?
Is this really where You want me to be and how I should be spending my time?
I’m a stranger in a foreign land, and I don’t know how to speak this language!
I’m a turtle tech lost in this cyber-sea!
So there you have it. My confession — the rest of the prayer I uttered when I asked God about all these projects I’ve been working on. It wasn’t just about the actual projects. On a deeper level, I was feeling invalidated by the world in which I’m now spending so much of my time and creative energy. Bottom line: I’ve been craving the world’s stamp of approval, and wanting to quit when I don’t get it.
But God knew what was underneath the surface of my prayer. He knows what’s in each of our hearts. He knew there was an underlying spirit of insecurity trying to derail the track He has put me on. So in answer to my prayer, He not only sent me a Celtic symbol (twice) to affirm the Scottish music I’ve been recording, but He sent it in the form of an insignia “stamp” of His approval. A “seal” of His royal confirmation. AND… it’s also an actual “shield”!
WOWza. God sure put a lot of RIP in those two ripples! And He wasn’t done with the ripples. I was about to receive the third (and perhaps most important) one that would expose the sneaky insecurity behind my prayer…that thing that He could see was poisoning the well of my heart toward His plans.
The day after the Celtic symbol made its way into my hands on the cover of Amie Dockery’s book, I was telling another friend about the book I’d just been given. She stopped me mid-sentence and said,
“Wellllll this is very interesting! I was just about to text you the link of a message I just heard, spoken by none other than Amie Dockery!” She picked up her cell phone and sent me the link.
You can probably guess (if there’s anyone out there reading this, ha!ha!) where this third ripple went: straight for the insecurity in the well of my heart. Having not yet read Amie Dockery’s book that had been gifted to me the day before, I was now hearing her audible voice speaking words that were exact echos of what I’ve been hearing in my head on a daily basis.
“I don’t measure up to the miracle God has put in my lap.”
“He’s calling me to this thing, but I don’t have what it takes.”
And although Amie used an illustration that was not about ripples or water, she even talked about three rings outside of a bullseye circle! And here’s the REAL kicker – the one that blew my mind after just receiving two “Celtic stamp/seal/shield” answers to my prayer the day before. Amie actually spoke these words verbatim:
“…that seal of identity that was just given to you…that assurance…the NO DOUBT that you just received…”
“…I know your limitations [and] I’m going to work THROUGH your limitations.”
“You’re intimidated by all the blanks…God is saying EMBRACE the emptiness!”
OK God, I hear You! Message received, LOUD and CLEAR. Downloaded in my heart. Reprogramming my mindset.
I don’t need a ticker-tape parade from the world on social media to validate who I am. I’ve got the seal of approval of The Great I AM!
Thank you, God!
And thank you, Amie Dockery. :-)
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31b
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” – Proverbs 30:5
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reSOURCEs:
Hear Amie Dockery’s audible message at The Belonging Co. church.
Read Amie Dockery’s book UNFOLLOW YOUR HEART: https://www.lisahentrich.com/resources/
This Josh Baldwin song has given me comfort on my heavy days. “I will sing out, until I believe now, You’re faithful to carry me….”