It’s spring—the time of year for fertilizer.
Perhaps that’s why the fertilizer word came to mind a year
ago. It was spring.
Restlessness, spiritual restlessness and desire
characterized my then and birthed the metaphor of fertilizer. What would it look like for me to sow
spiritual fertilizer into my life at this point? I want to grow spiritually, strong
and healthy like the welcoming green of our front yard.
Not a new desire, but it was a desire I wanted to give
attention to; a desire I could voice.
Bill laughed at my metaphor but supported my desire. Bless him.
So the journey began.
Have you ever visited a gardening store in the spring? The
choices, the brands rival the cereal aisle at the grocery story! The closer I
think I am to the decision of which will satisfy morning hunger, another grabs
my attention. It can be overwhelming.
And so it was as I began answering the question, what is the best spiritual fertilizer at
this point?
I researched. I prayed.
I counseled with trusted friends.
I
considered many options.
Possibly a certificate in Spiritual Direction. I knew of
several programs. Friends had followed this course for their spiritual growth
and spoke so highly. It was tempting.
Maybe a certificate from Denver Seminary (just an hour up
the road) in Spiritual Formation. Many things attracted me to this possibility.
Spring gave way to summer. June, July, August … nothing
seemed quite right. Reluctantly, I put my search to rest.
Then in mid-October the invitation arrived.
was starting a certificate program, CHTL. The Certificate
in High Trust Leadership, primarily an online program, involving
three videos a week, participating in a cohort discussion, connecting with a
local friend weekly to discuss the topic, and reporting to a cohort leader. I
was invited to be part of the Beta group.
Even though I was aware that this program was being created,
it never occurred to me that I would be asked to participate. Surprisingly (to me), I
was neutral.
It was three weeks before I said yes, count me in.
CHTL started in January; and after a spring and summer
break, it will conclude in November.
Flashback:
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and
grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They
are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and
green, to declare the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness
in him.” Psalm 92:12-15
Okay, I’m not that
old.
This is a scripture I’ve prayed for myself for 15 years. It
expresses my heart, to continue to bear fruit … even in old age.
Just before our CHTL spring break, we were listening to lectures
from Romans and pondering the truths espoused there particularly that as a
believer, I am righteous.
I am righteous.
WOW! Although true since the day of my salvation, I never
noted it.
I am loved, consecrated, chosen, purposed, and more. But
righteous?
The light bulb almost blinded.
I want to grow.
I want to bear fruit.
And who is it that does that? The righteous.
How
had I missed that?
Five months after deciding that CHTL was God’s fertilizer,
the tentacles of truth reached from Romans and many other scriptures and bore
fruit in my life.
CHTL was the fertilizer and the answer to my prayer. As I
discovered many verses where God calls me righteous, Psalm 92 included, God
spoke, Sue, you want to bear fruit. It is
the righteous who do that … even in old age. Sue, you are that righteous one.
CHTL is being a phenomenal growth opportunity for me. The
next session starts in September. Might you be interested in joining me on this
incredible faith-stretching journey? Check out this link for a glimpse, http://vimeo.com/user20289772/
“and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which
comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on
faith—“
Philippians 3:9
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