"Learner's Permit"

Stepping Out in RED Shoes!

 - Day 86 -

I'll never forget turning 16, 

getting my learner's permit and 

my Dad teaching me how to drive!
That's such a special time in any teenager's life.

As a kid, I couldn't wait to learn how to ride a bicycle.  Once I mastered that, I could go off my street and just about anywhere in the neighborhood.  The world was ready to be explored!  Turning 16 was much the same thing, only at a higher level -- Four wheels this time, and I could go a lot more places -- day or night!  Getting the keys from Dad on a Friday evening to go somewhere on my own, was a sign of maturity.  I was taking on more responsibility.  I was growing up.

The challenge of it all, was learning to drive my Dad's LTD Ford.  It was a BIG car.  They didn't have those little Smart Cars, let alone "compacts"  in those days.  They had big, heavy duty cars.  To this day, I can still remember the feeling of driving on the highway for the first time and my Dad telling me to accelerate.

The power of it all was intimidating!  

I don't know about you, but practice was essential -- especially in that LTD.  As a teenager, I needed to get the hang of operating that powerful vehicle.  I needed to be comfortable and not fearful of handling that massive piece of steel.  In those days, everything was closed on Sundays.  That made the local shopping mall parking lot a  good place to practice.  

It gave me the opportunity to mess up 

without creating any major destruction.  

My dad would tell me where to go and when to turn.  I'd stop at the stop signs and practice parallel parking within the lines.  If I hit the gas too quickly or didn't step on the break fast enough, I didn't crash the car.  I practiced turning the corners without the fear of sideswiping a another vehicle.  It was the perfect outdoor classroom.  Once I mastered that, I was ready for lessons on the open road!

One of the things I love about The Bonfire is that it's a classroom of sorts.  It offers opportunity for people to practice the spiritual gifts God has given them.  Just like my Dad would give me instruction, correct me as needed, and provide support and encouragement, the leadership at The Bonfire does the same.  My church is like that too!

That's so important, because without it, many people 

would just be afraid and refrain from doing  anything.  

They'd never operate in the gifts of the Spirit. 

They'd never speak a prophetic word.  They'd never offer up a prayer of healing.  They'd never testify or preach a sermon.  I'd much rather see someone try,  make a mistake, receive correction and try again, than never try at all.  When no one makes an attempt to use the gift God's given them,  you end up with nothing but dormant gifts.  They're hidden, under cover, unrealized.  They're there, but they are not utilized.  Pity.  You could be sitting on a gold mine and not even know it.

A lot of places are like that -- Hidden gold mines.

The reason why many churches don't do this is because things can get a little messy.  Sometimes people  make mistakes.  You can count on it!   The other day there was a public display of the gift of tongues with NO interpretation.  My sister just needs to be praying for the gift of interpretation to go with that gift of tongues God has given her.  When I was young in the Lord, I had the gift of tongues two years before I got the gift of interpretation.  But it's not just that... One of the gals who was in attendance when the tongue was given, confided in me that she thought that she might have had the interpretation.  I exhorted her to speak it out next time!  You see... people are learning.

Last night, the evangelist spoke on stirring up the gift within you -- specifically the gift of tongues.  He had everybody practice.  One of my students asked me about that.  He was a little confused.  After explaining some things to him, he commented to me that his newly discovered gift of tongues is a whisper.  I smiled.

"The evangelist is trying to get your whisper 

to become a confident roar!"   

Don't get me wrong, one can always whisper, but when you're whispering because you're unsure of what you're doing -- because you're intimidated by the power of it all --  because you're not quite sure you're doing it right -- that's a different story.

One of the greatest lessons I ever learned was this:

Eat the meat 

and spit out the bones. 

That means that you should glean everything you can from something that's good, and toss aside the stuff that's not good.  Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Just because a part of something isn't quite right,  you don't necessarily discount it all.

This lesson is important because it teaches us to 

look for what God is doing or saying in everything

 -- grab a hold of that -- 

and let go of all the nonsense that may surround it!

When people are practicing, they're going to make mistakes.  That's okay.  They'll learn.  I can handle that and so can you.  

Expecting continual perfection is not fair.  It shuts 

down learning and robs people of the opportunity of discovering, developing and displaying their divine gifts!  

There may be times when I step out in these RED shoes of mine and stumble.  If and when that happens, I'll get up, brush myself off, take a deep breath, and try again.  I hope you're there to help me to my feet.

Gail