Que The Crickets

Easter Sunday my Sunday School teacher and friend asked me “How was your week?”

The answer to this question had lingered on my mind in the previous days. An overview of my week would be I had been sick, ending my week with a terrible headache. It’s one of those headaches where the turn of the head can result in a drumming session between the skull. Combine that with, well a very rude and demeaning customer and a perpetual mess at work. Then top it off with the usually responsibility of school and a car that is useless due to a dead transmission and you have my week.

So how did I answer my friend?

“Circumstantially it was one of the worst weeks I have had in a long time, but I was great because God is good”

It wasn’t one of those responses in which you are trying to convince yourself that it WILL all be okay. Reality is I have no clue what is going to happen. I am the cliché poor college student with no material resources at my disposal. BUT with all that staring me in the face I have total peace.

This my friend did not happen as a result of me. The end of February beginning of March was actually a really stressful time. I was worried about soooooooo many things and how I was going to pay for them all and get them all done. One day God asked me “Why don’t you trust me?”

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm (que crickets).That is a very good question. I had absolutely no reason not to. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again. DUH  you are being a big fat FOOL. I realized not trusting God was so very wrong and I asked for forgiveness and strength. I couldn’t do all I needed to do alone.

As the weeks passed by, God was showing me just how trustworthy He was and one day my professor at TMC said something that made it all clear to me.

In the Bible there are two kinds of peace. Both involve you and me and both involve God.

Romans 5:1 talks about the first peace; Peace with God. This we obtain through faith in Christ and it means that we no longer have to fear the wrath of God because of our sin. Christ took it we are redeemed.

Philippians 4:7 talks about the second; peace of God. This peace comes from God and it is a Christian calm that springs from the confidence that our resources in Christ are adequate.

I already had the peace with God, but I was struggling to live my life in light of the fact that I could live with the peace of God.

It hit me like a refreshing freeing wave of God’s love, provision, gentleness and power! My resources amount to zip, but because I am in Christ my resources are from Him, and they are adequate.

So I have no car, no money and I will return to work and deal with angry people, BUT The peace of God reigns in my heart. And these circumstances are an honor and blessing because though they are hard, they bring me closer to God, give me a chance to glorify His name, and in turn strengthen my character.

The world may look at it the result of a crummy life on earth but that is exactly what it is not and that my friends gives me every reason to rejoice!

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How Far Can You Throw?

So, I’ve heard this I don’t know how many times, that your vertical relationship with the Lord is more important than your horizontal relationships with those around you. Which makes perfect sense! However this last time I heard it mentioned something clicked.

I had a vivid image in my mind of an arrow going upward as I continue to pursue the Lord. And I realized that the higher I go up in that relationship with the Lord, the farther out I can reach those around me as His Spirit flows out of my life.

Think about throwing a ball from a tall building. You can throw it further out the higher you go. So the more I build my relationship with the Lord, the more people He can impact through me!

So yes, my vertical relationship with the Lord is way more important, and He can reach so many more people the more I get to know Him.

Praise God for that. 🙂

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Dying From Happiness!

In the movie Pride and Prejudice Jane Bennett has just become engaged to Mr. Bingly and while talking to her sister she exclaims “Can you die from happiness?”

Over the past few weeks I have said the exact same thing. In 2010 I graduated from the School of Dscipleship and right now I am back once again. Visiting everyone and volunteering in the office. Every time I am around this family (the Gospel For Asia staff) I am blessed far more than I could even begin to express. My mouth actually hurts I am smiling so much.

But I suppose it is deeper than happiness, rather it is true joy. Joy knowing that God has put such wonderful people in my life..ME! That out of everyone in the world (billions…so I hear) I was one of the few that got to be apart of their family. They teach me so much because their hearts desire to glorify God and they can’t help but shine because of it!

So thank you Jesus for my Gospel for Asia Family and letting me have these precious few weeks with them!

 

 

 

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An Unexpected Encouragement For An Expecting Mother

A few days ago a friend and I went to goodwill so I could attempt to find some clothes for a talent show As we were exiting this store we heard this quiet “excuse me,” but we ignored it thinking it wasn’t directed at us. Then twice we heard the “excuse me!” but a little louder this time, I turned around and discovered this pregnant lady trying to get our attention. So I walked back over to her and she looked rather nervous and kinda surprised that we had acknowledged her call. I asked what she wanted and she proceeded to tell Katie and I that the car she was using ran out of gas, and someone dropped her off at the Goodwill so that a church friend could pick her up and take her to another friends house so she could get money for gas for the car she was borrowing. She asked if we could maybe give her a ride to the CVS down the street so she could meet up with a different friend there.

We of course said that we would give her a ride and asked if there was anything else she needed. As we walked to my car, she kept repeating “thank you Jesus” and “thank you so much girls” and such. Once in the car she started talking a lot, and said that she was talking so much so that she wouldn’t cry. So in an attempt to keep conversation going and encourage her, I asked what church she went to. She answered and asked why I asked about church and if we were Christians. I gladly answered, “yes we are Christians, and I asked because I noticed you saying ‘thank you Jesus’ and was just curious”. She smiled and kept talking a bit more and then asked where we went to church, so I told her about the church I attend and about Gospel for Asia. By this time we had reached the CVS and her friend wasn’t there. She was starting to get really nervous and panicky and without thinking I offered to take her where she needed to go and help her out in whatever way I could.

She was overfilled with thankfulness and happiness that she was literally speechless. After she regained her composure, she asked if we could stop by Taco Bell to get her some food for the baby. We of course went to Taco bell’s drive through and paid for her meal. I gave her my contact information and kept encouraging her that it was the Lord’s answer to my prayers that I am able to help her out as one of my sisters in Christ. She kept marvelling over how calm and peaceful Katie and I were the entire time. After Taco Bell, we drove to her friends house so she could get her friends debit card to get gas, but she needed $25 so she could get gas. We didn’t have cash on us, so we went to an ATM and I got her some money so she could fill up the car she was borrowing. After that we went back to her friends house, she got the debit card, then we drove her, I’m guessing to her house.

I invited her to Gospel For Asia’s prayer meetings on Tuesday night and she said she might come. I’m hoping to hear from her again, and I’m so glad that we were able to be there to help her out. God is so good! I had been praying for an opportunity to obey Him without hesitation, and He gave me this! I’m glad this sister is safe, and I’m glad we could be a light and encouragement for her. God’s timing is so perfect. 🙂

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Dry Bones

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

I was at Gospel For Asia for a week of interviews. I was confident I was ready to be on staff. Thursday morning I was praying, and God said “Wait.” “Wait? For what? I’ve been waiting for over six months already.”

I went into my last interview with David and he asked me how I felt. I answered “I feel like God is telling me to wait a little longer to get some more life skills.” This answer was not easy. In fact, the whole day I cried about it. I felt like God had abandoned me though, in reality He was a lot closer than I felt at the time.

When I got home, my parents were getting all over me for my decision, just as upset as I felt.

The next couple of weeks were tough. Satan kept on taunting me for the decision, even though my parents came to realize I had made the right decision. I honestly did not feel that way at the time.

During this time God had to keep on reminding that He is in control not me. There were a couple of verses that kept on popping up at the time. The first one was Philippians 3:12-13, where Paul writes about pressing on and keeping our eyes on Jesus despite our difficulties. The other one was Philippians 4, where Paul writes about bringing our prayers to God.

Almost immediately I started looking for jobs. I applied for one job, and I got a rejection letter.

The second job I applied for at a nursing home to do food service. I got an interview for this job.

I was in church this past Sunday, and the pastor did a sermon on Ezekiel 37:1-14 about the valley of dry bones. He talked about how when things seem hopeless God comes and renews us by His spirit. The past two weeks I had felt like a bunch of dry bones walking around. I didn’t know what God wanted me to do next and nothing seemed to be happening.

On Wednesday of this past week, I got a call from the employer from the nursing home I applied for. She wanted to know if I had a third reference, since she couldn’t get a hold of my references. I gave her a name and she said she would call me back after getting a hold of the reference. That same afternoon, I got a phone call asking me to do a drug test the next morning, which I agreed to do.

A few hours after the drug test, I got a phone call. I didn’t get it till around 4:20 when my mom came home because I was in the pool.

I called back once I got it, and found out I was hired for the job at the nursing home.

It is amazing how God has been working this past month. God has taught me so much about contentment and what it means to seek Him.

God knows all our needs and will provide for them in his timing. We just have to continue to seek His kingdom before anything else.

I am thankful to God, because he has given me a job I never expected to have and I’ll get to share His love with the nursing home residents.

 

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