Awakening
Recently God
has been taking me on a journey of awakening.
He has taken my hand, walked me out of my comfort zone and with much
patience and tenderness has opened my eyes to see His heart. I need to be transparent and vulnerable with
you right now. I was not prepared to share this but in order to break my chains
of complacency, I must.
One morning in
my quiet time, I felt an overwhelming flood of Love wash over me. In that
moment, I saw my life and everything around me literally in God’s hands. The
fact I was alive that very morning is God’s gift. The fact I was even born is
God’s gift. The fact that I was born in America is God’s gift.
Can you and
I chew on that last statement?
I am in a
country where there is food on store shelves.
There is clean, drinkable water in the tap. There is a secure door on my
home. We have more than one change of clothes. We have a school my daughter can
attend. I have access to doctors if any of us are ill. There is not one but TWO
vehicles in the driveway. The list goes on and on and on…
I don’t know
why God purposed me to be born here and not in a slum in Africa or India or the
Philippines or any other part of the world where to simply live would not
necessarily be a given. What I do know is
what His Word says to me, “When
someone has been given much, much will be required in return;” (Lk 12:48)
I don’t know about you but
God is lovingly reminding me that I am an earthen vessel full of His blessings.
What good am I to sit still and not pour out?
I become like stagnant water. Instead, I can be life giving by being thankful
for what I already have and learning to live simply so others may simply live. I
am grateful to my Heavenly Father for this awakening. I am ready to celebrate,
share and declare the greatness of God!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
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Love looks like something
With Christ, greatness is all about love. And love looks like something. It looks like service.
"Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. " Mark 10:43
Several years ago while living in Cairo working as a missionary, we experienced a terrible ice storm. Many communities in southern Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky were without power for weeks in the bitter cold. Our staff had been trained to run a shelter through the American Red Cross and stepped in to help distribute food and manage the influx of people at our local elementary school while our community worked hard to get the power back on.
We took turns serving food and staying overnight running the shelter (a blessing from the arctic-like bedrooms waiting at home). On one of the nights I stayed over, I was presented with a unique opportunity to serve and love on one of the women staying at the shelter. This woman was older, brought there in a wheel chair, and suffering from some digestive ailments which left her crying out every 10-15 mins throughout the night for help to get to the bathroom and then back to bed. It was an exhausting night, but I remember the Holy Spirit encouraging me every time I'd hear her cry out, "Love her. I am blessing you with the opportunity to serve one of my children. I am inviting you to walk in greatness." God's grace gave me a joyful attitude that night to get up with every cry and help her to and from bed, and He imparted a lesson I won't soon forget. It is a privilege from heaven to love anyone God puts around you in tangible ways.
It's a lesson that still challenges me today. How am I doing loving those around me, Lord? How am I doing serving them? I confess, most days I think this kind of greatness still alludes me. But what I'm continuing to learn is how, as I step out and am faithful to serve as the Lord shows - I am not left empty. The love I desire to pour out, always ends up filling up my heart as well.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
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