What if everyone?

"What if everyone". These were the three words that were printed across an envelope that was being handed to me as I stood in a Food Lion parking lot... "If you would like, here's a $20 gas gift card." Who has ever said those words to you without there being fine print? Or didn't come with regulations, meaning you had to sign up, get involved, or share your second cousin’s step mom's phone number? Not many people. But there was this guy and three kids standing in front of me with the sincerest smiles on their faces. Hesitant, I took the envelope and naturally asked more about the organization.  

 “What If Everyone (WIE) partners with local churches, businesses and organizations to serve the community. Our desire is to imagine “what if everyone” volunteered in their community in a practical way.  Our vision is to ignite a desire in people to use their skills and passion to serve those in need all around them.  WIE offers one-time as well as ongoing opportunities.”

http://www.whatifeveryone.com/#/home

As I mulled the newly found information in my head I couldn't help but be skeptical. Who would give a random stranger a $20 gas gift card? What made him approach me? Was there really a card in this envelope? Was there money on this gift card? Even though the questions swirled around in my head I couldn't help but thank God. 

As I thought about the blessing and this organization I was saddened that I was blinded by my skepticism. There is so much evil that is pressing in our world that we become “turned off” to the fact that there are people in this world that have pure hearts. There are people who seek to pour out their love, time, and energy to be a blessing to others.  When we do happen to come across organizations and people who seek to serve others we tend to say, There’s still a few good people in this world”, as if they were all washed off the face of the earth.

There are good people in this world; we must highlight them and replicate that goodness so that our light repels the darkness. Let us begin to outweigh the darkness that seeks to consume the world and us.  Mahatma Gandhi says, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.…We need not wait to see what others do.”

So let us “be the change that we want to see in the world”. Let us change the world through our actions. We can only get there if we all take that step, a step that will begin to change the attitude of this world.  We cannot simply keep talking about change and how this world is currently. We must be the change. Lets not push off the efforts on those who we think can handle the job, or think that the next generation will pick up the slack. Start today and stir up such a change and disturbance of good that people will be itching to be a part.

What if everyone took that step today…

Who are you making famous?

My devotional proposed a question, “In your life, what would it mean to be a ‘mere stagehand’ where the main character is Jesus?” God then immediately proposed a question to me, “Was HE the main character in my life?” As I sat and pondered the answer God dropped another thought into my spirit; a follow up to the aforementioned question… Was I doing everything to make Him famous, to put His name in lights, and to build Him up. OR was I the main the character & wanting Him to do everything within His power to make ME famous, to make MY name shine in lights, and to prop ME up?

These thoughts were like the Selah’s that are found in various Psalms…making me stop and listen to what God was trying to get me to receive. So much of me wanted to cry out Yes God, you are the main character of my life.  And to some point this is true, but I know He isn’t the main character in every area of my life.

I struggle with the desire to be wanted, liked, and adored…and there is nothing wrong with that. God has placed that desire in every one of us. But He doesn’t want us to search for those affirmations in material things or others but in Christ alone. He desires for us to be satisfied in Him…and we can make Him famous in that manner. John Piper has been noted for saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” We can’t glorify God when we find satisfaction in material things or other people…we will end up glorifying that person or thing.

So just as God proposed that question to me, I propose it to you: Who is the main character in your life. Is your mission to make God famous or to make yourself famous? Now I’m not saying that on your journey you wont be blessed be beyond measure, but that shouldn’t be your aim.  Everything we do should be for His glory.

So like me you may have to do some recasting. We may have to hand over the lead script, and step to the side and allow God to be applauded.

Who are you making famous?

Thoughts: Dropping My Control

Everything floating around me today is telling me that my God is capable, my God wont and cannot fail, and to step over and let God be God. I’m stepping into those truths today.  I know that today will not be the last day I step into those truths, but I step into them today with purpose. I’m taking a step in a way that I pray will change my life…a change so powerful that life as I know it will cease to exist…

There is a saying…”Don’t put all your marbles in one bag”...but that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m dropping all of my hopes, dreams, cares, & concerns into the hands of the ONE God that is capable of holding it all. I’ll admit that my hands are shaking as I pick up the marbles of my life that have rolled around carelessly due to my human nature. Pure fear grips me…and I began to ask the question, which exposes the doubt that I have in my God. “What if…”

I make excuses in attempts to keep the smooth marbles in my hand for a little while longer, “I’m just making sure you remember God…I don’t want you to forget.”

But I have now gotten to the point where I have had enough. I’m tired of being a one-woman team, running here and there in a feeble attempt to make sure everything works out how I envisioned it. Trying to stand up the details I think will fall in line with the big picture, even though I am not all seeing or all knowing.

So I’m picking them up, one by one and handing them over.  Allowing my fingers to linger in God’s hand to reassure me, to steady me, and to let his voice that says, “I am able to do far more abundantly than all that you can ask or think” calm me.

I don’t know what the days, weeks, or months may have in store or what they will look like in this process of releasing what I thought I needed to be in control of. But it’s time to distinguish the fears and open my eyes to see every aspect of God. Aspects that will relieve the pressures & stresses that weigh me down as I run around trying to be God’s assistant.

I’ve learned recently in a small group full of wonderful women and through the sermons of my pastor that I need to stop allowing the dotted line that hangs from the what ifs put me in a choke hold. Its time to finish the questions: What if it doesn’t work out the way I envisioned it? What if it doesn’t happen at all? Can I still manage to have faith, joy, and peace in my God?

God is working on me...He’s begging me to trust Him. He desires for me to hand over my anxious thoughts…. So here I am, doing what the world told me not to do…placing all my marbles in one bag.

Forever His

I would be remised if I didn’t take the time to pour out what was poured into me today. 

The flow today was simple, yet satisfying. It rushed in, enveloping me in an atmosphere of love, peace, and His presence. While crying out to Him & soaking in the somewhat incomprehensible fact that I am forever his, I felt safe. And in that moment I felt as though I could worship Him forever; forever in complete silence & solitude …I could worship Him with the song that is stuck on replay in my heart. I felt as though I could let go of the handlebars of life and slip into a black hole of his love. Fearing nothing, because I know He chases after me, He pursues me, and I am FOREVER His.

Forever…a moment that no timekeeper has ever stopped his clock on…an eternity that is made up of seconds, minutes, & hours of me declaring my love for Him… forever. No mortal man or woman has ever experienced forever on this green earth, but I shall have the opportunity to experience FOREVER in heaven with my savior…the love of my life.  You too have the same invitation to be FOREVER His. Where each moment you will wrap yourself in His filling love, but….stop….listen…

Listen to the rushing waves that seek to consume you with a love that flows continuously…a love that pursues You. No matter what your past says, no matter what your flesh says, and no matter what people say….it pursues You. Soak in that, let it cleanse you…YOU, yes you are loved. You are loved with a love that is simple yet complex, a love that washes yet restores, a love that is mind-blowing yet so peaceful.  

Meditate on the beautiful knowledge that we get to worship Him forever...let us dip ourselves into the sea of His love, and let the cool touch reach our brokenness…our fears, our weaknesses, and our holes.

We are FOREVER HIS….

Ladies reach out to him, and accept his invitation. He desires nothing more than an intimate relationship with you. And ladies…this relationship is nothing short of amazing.

Fly closer ladies xoxo