What is YOUR Spiritual Geography?

A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a great blog by Michele Perry...

she had just started this new series entitled The Inspired Life and I have been LOVING it!

(Click on the link and check it out... jump in and play with us!)

Seriously - check out the blog... the first blog with an 'assignment' if you will,

prompted us to buy a child's watercolor set and play around with color combo's

and come up with some creative color names!

I loved the suggestion to purchase a kids' set of watercolors

- it truly DID make it easier to just relax and play!

The second 'Assignment' was more of a writing project, which is more in my comfort zone!  The task was to find your voice... and Michele went on to talk about how to find your authentic voice you must find where 3 areas overlap... those areas are #1 - your intimacy with God; #2 - Your spiritual geography; #3 - your DNA (What you Do well & love, what is most importaNt to you, and what fuels your pAssion!)  The author has you ask Jesus to tell you 3 words or phrases that describes what He likes about you... (such a fun exercise!) Next she asks you to describe your everyday world.  She says that often, your natural geography will give way to a metaphor of your spiritual geography.

Now here was my chance to look around and paint a picture with words... 

Here is a portion of what I wrote in my journal:

"I live in a Valley.  I am reminded of this every day

as we are surrounded by 'purple mountains majesty'

I watch the snow capped tip of Mount Adams transform

from white to blue to pink and back again as the sun rises.

I am only minutes away from orchards & farms... fruitful, blessed lands.

While there is great beauty - (both in literal landscape, and in small town life of

family bonds, history/heritage and familiarity)

there is also great darkness (empty store fronts, gang graffiti, and drug houses.)

There is a battle raging... and yet I see the glory of the LORD

pouring out over the hills, filling the Valley! 

During my walk, the route I take starts out at a slight incline,

but soon there are three hills that must be conquered.

My body is sometimes reluctant, crying out for a break, or to turn around 

- but I know I can make it to the top... I have made it before...

so I now have experience that tells my body to just keep going...

I tend to keep my head down at the steepest parts,

but when I am tempted to stop I glance up to the skyline

to see I am almost cresting the top.

And what is at the top? A beautiful orchard... 

and beyond that, views of the entire Valley below!

These hills bring me to the top - to  a 'Scenic Drive' 

- an affluent, prosperous neighborhood with gorgeous views, emaculate landscaping,

and a nice straight flat portion of my route that stretches on for miles.

The climb down leads back into town.

I enter more traffic, more people. more distractions...

less rural and ritz, more urban & middle class."

So the Spiritual Metaphor for my life right now is that I am called to climb up higher... to spend time at the top, and to go back to daily life and share what I have seen and heard! I am declaring and decreeing that the Glory of the Lord will come and fill my Valley with His Presence, His Power, and His great (creative!) Purposes!

(Next... was to paint a picture with watercolors:)

I believe next up (before I move on to the next post) will be to capture some of these scenes with my beloved camera!

So... all of that to ask you this:

What is YOUR Spiritual geography?  Look around... I mean REALLY look around you.  What is surrounding you in the natural and how does this create a metaphor for your spiritual geography?  I invite you to go outside... open your eyes to see on a different level...  and ask the Lord to show you where He is taking you!

~Karrilee~