Women of Reverence welcomes guest blogger Nadine Judge.
Nadine Judge is married to Francis Judge and together they lead Venture Church in Fairlands, Johannesburg. Nadine and Francis serve in the NCMI Global Apostolic Team.
They have 3 children, 2 of whom are married and one more who is currently in high school. Nadine and Francis also have one granddaughter who blesses them both abundantly.
Nadine has extensive corporate experience in Leadership development, business and executive coaching.
Nadine is proficient in English and Afrikaans, and has vast experience operating in multi-cultural contexts. She has developed leaders in South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Iceland.
When she isn't inspiring leaders and assisting Francis in leading a church, Nadine is often found where coffee, books and internet converge.
Come with me and take a moment to see what I see: a beautiful lake; it’s early morning, the sun is shining and everything is quiet and serene. As I look across the lake, the trees and mountain on the other side are reflected in it. It is breathtaking in its perfection. A camera can not capture the precision of each tree and the perfect outline of the mountain. The colours can even be seen in the reflection of the lake. I want to hold my breath, as it is just too beautiful to even speak.
As I enjoy this beautiful picture, a fish eagle swoops down to catch a fish near the surface of the water, and boom! That beautiful reflection is gone.... I know that tomorrow morning, at almost the same time, it’s possible that the reflection will be there again, but I’m not sure it will be exactly the same.
Psalm 144:4 (NIV) says, “They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.” Wow, just like that refection is fleeting, and tomorrow might look completely different, so we, too, are but a fleeting shadow.
James 4:14 (NIV) says: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
How does this make me feel? I am but a mist, a fleeting shadow? Well, it makes me want to ensure that each and every day is lived to its fullest. I don’t want to miss a single moment or opportunity that God brings to me to do something more and big for His Kingdom. My prayer is that when God looks to the “reflection of my life”, He will see a perfect picture, each moment defined and beautiful.
Psalm 90:12 (NIV) goes as follows: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Will my life look perfect? I can guarantee you that it won’t! But the amazing thing is that as we seek to walk in obedience to God, to hear His voice and respond instantly, we gain a heart of wisdom, and so we learn to live each and every day, more and more for Jesus.
That beautiful picture of the reflection on the lake, needs a certain angle, a certain time of the day and the right weather conditions to be able to see it clearly. But when that angle is right, the time of the day is right and the weather conditions are right, that reflection takes our breath away.
In the same way, seek to know where God wants you to be, seek God at all times – day and night, and in-between – and ensure that the condition of your heart is such, that when others look at your reflection, they see Jesus.
Love
Nadine