The creativity of God knows no limits. I believe that He is One who sees what we perceive to be impossible situations and says, “I can work with that.”
I believe He is One who sees things that appear to be dead ends and says, “Well, that’s a start.”
I believe He is One who looks on darkness and sees no problem…who sees hopelessness and announces a new beginning…who looks at discardable things and says, “Wait a minute…I can use that.”
There isn’t any other explanation.
There is no other explanation for how it is that I – a socially anxious and agoraphobic young woman – could stand up in the middle of an open-mic worship experience and announce that I – the one who had been terrified to even leave her own home – was being sent to minister to Belizean women in their homes. There is no other explanation for how it is that I – the wife of a church audio tech who just wanted to hide with her husband behind the sound board on Sundays so no one would see her – came to be standing in front of her church every week, speaking onstage. There is no other explanation for how it is that I – the woman who just wanted to write privately from the solitude of my home – came to be writing sermons and ministering in person to my church community.
There’s really no other explanation. He is an infinitely Creative Creator, and what we see as His creation in Genesis is just the beginning. His Creation was not complete on day seven.
After I got off the stage at my very first speaking engagement – one that I had decided ahead of time would probably be a one-and-only time – I made a beeline for my husband, who was running the sound for the conference that day. As he reached to undo my wireless microphone from my lapel, I looked him in the eye and said, “I have GOT to do that again.”
Not just deliver that particular talk, which I have, but I had to get onstage and speak again. Not to redo what I perceived as a mistake, but to fully embrace what I was coming to understand was no mistake at all.
On stage that day, I felt more alive than I had ever felt before.
On stage that day, I felt the Spirit of God coursing through me and flowing from me in a way I had never imagined.
On stage that day, I came to understand one thing very clearly: I am called to speak.
To speak boldly and prophetically over my generation. To speak words of life and truth to women. To speak about my experiences of God with transparency and honesty so that others can come to know Him as He pursues them.
Yes, our God is infinitely creative.
He could have left me tucked in my cocoon of isolation and fear. He could have said, “Okay, Jess….if that’s how you feel, just stay here. Hide. Be invisible. That’s okay.”
But He knew what He had placed inside me, and He knew it could not be contained.
As I look around at the world coming to life around me, I have to proclaim the faithful creativity of the God who calls a dead world back to life….who drew a dead soul into the light…who called a dead body into the role of Savior King.
He knows what He has tucked into secret places, and He knows that those things were meant to be in the light.
He could have left the world in a colorless hibernation.
He could have left me in the darkness.
And He could have left His Son in the cold tomb.
The Creator could have done so many things to make things go in so many other ways. But instead, as He always faithfully does, He shone light into darkness and paved way for a brand new beginning where the world said it was impossible.
But for this Creative God of ours? That’s all pretty standard.