A letter from Allen Ha, Lay Director for Men's Walk #35
"...one thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple."
Psalm 27:4
There is a season to be like Mary, just being still next to the Lord. And there is a season to be like Martha, doing many things. The lesson for us is to practice full reliance on the Lord, and not to get weary and frustrated like Martha did.
2007 is a season for me to be Martha. Callings to serve all came in at the same time. It called for great discernment to sense which callings are truly from the Lord, and which callings are really meant for somebody else. The call to be Lay Director came in at the most unworkable timing, it seemed. Every fibre of my being was telling me there is just no way. There is no way for me to dedicate the time and energy to get the job done, I thought, amidst all the commitments I’d already made in the season.
Just when I was ready to decline the invitation, the still small voice came. It called for full obedience, as well as full reliance on the Lord. So despite the external circumstances, the journey began a few months back as I accepted the calling to call together a team, lead the team, and get ready for the weekend. Despite the occasional challenges, time and again the Lord demonstrated His faithfulness, once again showing us that He is the master planner afterall. We are called to journey along with Him and simply agree with what He is doing, and also to enjoy the experience along the way.
I sensed strongly that the Lord was showing us to be rooted in prayer and servant-hood at this Walk 35. We emphasised prayer, and even kept a detailed journal on line for the team to access regularly. Through this journal it became even more evident how time and again the Lord would just open doors, just when we thought in human terms there’s no way out.
I thank the Lord for a great, I mean “great” team of men. We can truly sense the leading of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Lord will do a mighty new thing, that He will outpour His Spirit, replacing our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, to usher in unity and revival. We believe the Walk 35 weekend will be powerful, and that it will be a move of the Lord to unite and revive men of strategic influence.
While juggling between various commitments, I am learning that the one thing we all need is to be still to know and enjoy the presence of the Lord. If in a particular season He’s calling us to do nothing and just be, it’s one thing. If, in another time He’s calling us to do multiple projects, it’s still one thing. That one thing is the Great Commandment, to love the Lord with all our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our strengths. The Great Commandment must always come first, before the Great Commission.
In Psalm 27:4 the scripture says, “...one thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple.” In Luke 10:42 the Lord said of Mary, “…one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that.”
May we also choose that one thing that is needed.
De colores,
Allen Ha
March 2007
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