Being Light

I was listening to some teaching the other day and heard something that stuck with me and has given  a new way of looking at things. Perhaps you will find something you can take away from it as well.

Family can be hard to share your faith with, they know you, they know what you believe, they don't want to hear it. I've heard the comment "Quit trying to save me" So I pray, Lord send another Christian into their Life to share their faith with them, share the Gospel with them.

What I never thought about though, is that there may be a family member of someone I have regular contact with in my day to day life that is praying the same prayer  for their loved one. We may be that person someone is praying for that will bring light into their family members life. Gave me a new perspective on being light in the lives of those I have regular contact with, maybe this will resonate with you as well.

Our Biggest Need

It seems we are being separated into groups, like Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, Black and White, Young and Old etc, etc etc. more and more these days

But something our Pastor said the other day has changed the way I view things

Basically he said There are only two groups of people in the world Those who need Jesus and know it and those who need Jesus and don't know it, pretty simple isn't it.

It  has changed the way I look at situations, gives me compassion for people and it reminds me to pray more, criticize less.

We all need Jesus, lets prays for others with that in mind.

Success

I'll bet you are wondering how our yard sale went...I know you are!

Well, you already know we were less than enthusiastic about having a yard sale, but I can happily say we were successful. None of the stuff we drug outside and set up on tables and bins came back into the house.

Now before you get too excited about how well we did, you must understand husband and I had made a pact, if it didn't sell, it wasn't going back in the house. When the appointed time for the yard sale to end arrived, we loaded up the wagon and carted what was left to the nearest thrift store. The car was full...no room for passengers and it felt wonderful...my definition of success.

I still don't like holding yard sales, and not sure if I will be doing another one anytime soon but this one provided me with a unexpected opportunity.

I met a neighbor who lived around the corner. She was looking through some of my cookbooks and asked me if I cooked,  I told her I did, but seldom used those cookbooks anymore. She suggested we get together and cook, she could teach me some of her dishes and I could show her some of mine. We talked grandchildren, and possibly getting together and walking in the mornings. Before she left we ended up exchanging phone numbers with a promise to meet up soon.  Just in case your wondering, something like this would be totally out of my comfort zone (making plans on getting together with a perfect stranger) but I am trying to be more aware of opportunities to share the good news of the gospel...maybe this will turn out to be one of those opportunities.

Our lives have been anything but predictable these last several weeks...God at work

Spiritual Lessons In The Ordinary

Don't you love it when God uses something in the natural to demonstrate a spiritual principle or scripture? I know this may be difficult to see but this is a petunia growing in a sidewalk crack. There were no petunias nearby so I figured the wind or some bird probably deposited a seed.

Now there are two ways that you can look at this little plant from a spiritual point of view. One would be that need to sow the "seeds of the gospel" wherever we go because we never know when there is going to be a little fertile ground where it can take root. Who would have thought there would have been any fertile ground here. It really isn't up to us to determine if the ground is fertile enough to sow that seed

Then another way of looking at this is that this is a plant that probably doesn't have a good root system, it wouldn't do very well in the hot scorching sun. It would need someone to help cultivate it, water it, perhaps chip away at some of that rock so it could develop roots. We are all to play a part in this process, sometimes we are sowers of the word, sometimes we get to play a part in the cultivation and sometimes we get to reap.

A scripture the Lord has been reminding me of again and again lately is Ephesians 5:15 "Be very careful, then, how you are to live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" A good word for distractable me

Be Sowers

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like, a man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.All by itself, the soil produces grain, first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come"  Mark 4:26-29

We are told to scatter the seed...we can't nag it to grow...or manipulate it to sprout...we just don't have that control. As I listened to yesterday's sermon I found myself saying yeah but....shouldn't we be watering...or fertilizing....or providing the right conditions..... my need to somehow control the sprouting of that seed....truth be told we cannot force a seed to germinate...it doesn't depend on us... it is God who does the work. His Word says the seed sprouts night and day whether we sleep or get up.

The application points from the sermon

1. We are to sow...then...
2. We are to rest (that means no striving, manipulating, worrying)
3. We are to believe (in the power of the gospel)

I won't tell you this is going to come automatically for me...especially the resting part...but I am learning.

Tunnel Vision

I was having a discussion with a sweet friend the other day, catching up on everything that was going on in our lives. We see each other regularly but don't often get into the "weeds" I was talking to her about my weariness of ongoing medical issues, we keep waiting for this storm to end, but the rain bands keep coming ashore. From my perspective this was all about me, this storm was someting God was using in my life to change me, show me things, teach me. Obviously I wasn't getting it, right?

She wanted me to see the bigger picture. Her thoughts....others are watching, they are watching my response to the storm, they are watching to see where I put my trust, where I get my strength, how do I let this effect my day to day. They are watching. I also have some opportunities I would not have had, people who would not necessarily cross my path had I not had cancer. Opportunities to let the light of God shine. Perhaps, just perhaps this isn't about me anymore but the people that God has put in my path. Just a thought 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven  Matthew 5:16

We Must Tell Them

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel"  Judges 2:10

This text was the basis for our sermon on Sunday. The generation this text was talking about was the "promise land generation" Their grandparents were the generation that was led out of Egypt, their parents were the conquers of the promised land led by Joshua. The "promise land" generation was the first generation who did not see first hand what the Lord had done.

How will the next generation know about the Lord if we do not tell our stories? We must tell them.

From my sermon notes:

1.We must tell them about God's character

2. We must tell them about our deep history (this would be speaking of our biblical heritage)

3.We must tell them the gospel of Jesus Christ

4. We must tell them about the history of the church

5.We must tell them our personal history (how did you come to Christ)

6.We must tell them of the mighty deeds of God in or life

I was a little discouraged at first, my children are grown and although we continue to tell them how God is working in our lives, they have heard our stories, but then the pastor reminded us it wasn't just our children that needed to hear the stories. Are there young people in your life? I have grandchildren. What young person do you have in your life that you can tell your story to. Is there a younger person you know that needs to hear about God's character, about  his mighty deeds? Do you know  a young person who needs to hear the gospel? The next generation needs to hear these things, it's up to us to tell them.