I feel like I have just come through one of those times in life where for months on end you feel like you are just snowed under, and you wonder if you will ever catch up. You also begin to wonder if anything you are doing is making any difference in the world. Fortunately God has been there and at just the right moment has given me just what I needed.
It all began back in October. With several trainings that were coming up in October and November that would take me out of town for days at a time, I began to feel overwhelmed. Add in my regular duties at New Life, the work in Sebewaing, and one really difficult Graduate level class, and I really began to question how I was going to get through the next two and a half months. Last week after I finished my class, gotten through all my trainings, and taken care of several events at the church, I felt a little worn out.
Then last Thursday night God gave me one of those moments that just encouraged me and made me look beyond self. In our Thursday night group we have been looking at Jesus' encounter with the women at the well (John 4). Our goal as we have studied this passage over the last 3 weeks is to learn how we can approach people who are putting up walls. As we ended our time of study, one of the ladies in our group (this couple has only been coming a couple of weeks) asked the group for prayer and direction with a situation in their life. After a time of discussion, I asked the couple if they would be comfortable if the group gathered around them and laid hands on them to pray. They agreed, and we had a time of prayer where I believe the entire group could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in a mighty way.
In those moments I felt the weight of the world lift from my shoulders, and the Lord reminded me that He was in control. My job is to take care of what is in front of me each day and to give the future to Him. I was greatly encouraged by that time of prayer and the Lord's reassurance that I don't need to worry about "catching up" if I simply trust Him and take care of what I can each day.
Praises: God is good!
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Opportunities
The last couple of weeks have afforded me some opportunities to share God's wisdom. Two different places and two totally different situations, yet the same truths. Let me share those with you.
The first opportunity to share God's truth came during my time with the alternative high school class I hang out with for a couple of hours each week. The class had watched the movie "August Rush," and Rudy started a conversation with the question; "Do you think we all have a unique calling in life?"
The conversation that followed for me pointed to the fact so often people simply live life from one day to the next without really catching the idea that what they do has an effect on the community, or larger body. The idea of community and how we are responsible for one another has been one of the issues that I have been spending a lot of time with lately. In a message I preached last month I pointed at the Trinity in Genesis as the first recorded community in the Bible when God said "Let US make man in OUR own image". God clearly is working in community here as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three elements of the Trinity that will be revealed throughout the Bible.
Anyway since I had been spending a lot of time with the idea of community when Rudy asked me to share my thoughts, I was ready. I told the class that I believe they were each created for something that was meant to strengthen the community and if they chose not to use their gift the community would be weaker. I also was able to tell them that from my point of view each of us has the freedom to do with the gifts that we were created with as we choose, but that we would not know true happiness unless we responded to the creator in a positive way. (to have an opportunity to share God's truth in a public school classroom is always a good thing.)
This occurred a couple of weeks ago and since then I have been in that classroom a couple of times. More and more I feel like I am part of what goes on in there and today one of the students even commented that they looked forward to my coming to class and sharing. Praise God! Relationships are being built! Community is being created!
The second opportunity today came as I visited a friend. It has been a while since I stopped to visit this person, and when they saw me they were thrilled. The person told me that they had been praying for someone to come along whom they could share some thoughts with, and I showed up. I am convinced that God orchestrated all of that because in my original plans for the day I was not planning on visiting this person, but something told me to stop by. I am glad that I did not miss the opportunity! God does call us to be our brother's keeper!
Please be in prayer for the group that is meeting on Thursday nights. We are planning on beginning the Son Life Discipleship training materials right after the first of the year. We have asked several other people to join us on that journey and are waiting to hear responses.
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
The first opportunity to share God's truth came during my time with the alternative high school class I hang out with for a couple of hours each week. The class had watched the movie "August Rush," and Rudy started a conversation with the question; "Do you think we all have a unique calling in life?"
The conversation that followed for me pointed to the fact so often people simply live life from one day to the next without really catching the idea that what they do has an effect on the community, or larger body. The idea of community and how we are responsible for one another has been one of the issues that I have been spending a lot of time with lately. In a message I preached last month I pointed at the Trinity in Genesis as the first recorded community in the Bible when God said "Let US make man in OUR own image". God clearly is working in community here as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three elements of the Trinity that will be revealed throughout the Bible.
Anyway since I had been spending a lot of time with the idea of community when Rudy asked me to share my thoughts, I was ready. I told the class that I believe they were each created for something that was meant to strengthen the community and if they chose not to use their gift the community would be weaker. I also was able to tell them that from my point of view each of us has the freedom to do with the gifts that we were created with as we choose, but that we would not know true happiness unless we responded to the creator in a positive way. (to have an opportunity to share God's truth in a public school classroom is always a good thing.)
This occurred a couple of weeks ago and since then I have been in that classroom a couple of times. More and more I feel like I am part of what goes on in there and today one of the students even commented that they looked forward to my coming to class and sharing. Praise God! Relationships are being built! Community is being created!
The second opportunity today came as I visited a friend. It has been a while since I stopped to visit this person, and when they saw me they were thrilled. The person told me that they had been praying for someone to come along whom they could share some thoughts with, and I showed up. I am convinced that God orchestrated all of that because in my original plans for the day I was not planning on visiting this person, but something told me to stop by. I am glad that I did not miss the opportunity! God does call us to be our brother's keeper!
Please be in prayer for the group that is meeting on Thursday nights. We are planning on beginning the Son Life Discipleship training materials right after the first of the year. We have asked several other people to join us on that journey and are waiting to hear responses.
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
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