We all have one you know. Not on our cars but the rear view mirror of our lives. When you look back do you see the hand of God? I do. His fingerprints are all over my life. Like getting nephritis in 3rd grade, coming close to death (so I'm told) but I recovered with no kidney damage. Having parents who were saved at a Billy Graham Crusade (not perfect parents just good people). They attended church and felt it was important for me too also (not a perfect church). Having a sound church with a faithful pastor (not a perfect pastor but a faithful man who studied and preached the truth). Having a faithful jr. church leader who asked that Sunday if anyone would like to accept Jesus (not a perfect jr. church leader). Having that friend that Sunday say to me "let's go forward" (not a perfect friend). All these people had flaws, issues, dysfunctions in their lives. I find comfort in that, because I myself have many flaws, issues, dysfunctions yet I want nothing more than to see God use me in any way He sees fit. I grapple with the thought is God using me? How come I don't feel He is? But in my rear view mirror these flawed people mean so much to me. They participated in the fulfillment of the plans God had for me. There are countless others and those of course I don't even know about.
God was there in my teen years while I was doing very, very stupid things in the name of fun, friends, protecting me from my very destructive all knowing self. The time I was day dreaming at a red light that turned green, I didn't go, when an oncoming car sped thru and would have demolished me.
What about the fact that my husband (we met when we were 17) attended the church (another denomination) right across the street from my church. Our church doors basically faced each other. I attended my church all my life and he attended his since the 3rd grade. Yet God would use my youth group peers to hand him a flier in the alley of the church to attend a movie "A Thief in the Night" he and his brothers and a friend came. He accepted Christ. We started dating, got married and it is 29 years this year. Sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago and sometimes it seems like yesterday.
I could go on and on. The pastor's wife that invited me to BSF. The second invitation I got to BSF. The ex-BSF leader who I hadn't seen in years, stopping by my store and got to talking about this bible study she was doing by somebody called Beth Moore. Me even being able to recall the name Beth Moore some years later when I desperately needed a word from God.
This is what I see my rear view mirror. GOD. Most of the seasons of my life I looked to God, I looked for God, I knew I needed God. Albeit, many, many times my search was half-hearted, surfacy, just help me now please God. But God came after ME, the one lost sheep carring me on his shoulders. The one, we are all His ones. He does the same for each one of his lost sheep.
Luke 15:4
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep'. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents that over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Janel
2 comments:
Janel,
I saw Ed Young at the bottom of your page. my man and i were listening to him the other night and it was really good about money. can you tell me more about that ministry. just curious!
Jenny - some of your comments did not go thru. On Ed Young. He is a pastor in TX. He is a PK, played college basket ball (sat the bench) in Florida, got an art degree, married his highschool sweetheart, has 4 kids, and I'm not sure what seminary he attended. My husband and I listen to him on Monday via the computer because we don't get his TV program in Michigan. He ALWAYS uses scripture in context to what he is preaching on (a must if we listen to anyone). He uses unique catchy phrases you hear in todays language "get up in my grill", phrases that rhyme "the sway of they". Sounds shallow, but there is nothing shallow about Ed Young. You can check him out on his website. Click on the red Fellowship Church bottom left then click on the listen speaker on the left side theeeennnnn scroll down to the last weekend sermon button and click. You are finally at the most current sermon. I must say hearing him and watching him are two different experiences he usually uses props and great facial expressions to get his point across. You probably listened to the sermon Doors. Ya, that hit us bigtime. Let me know what you think, I really want to know, even if you don't care, like agree with what you hear it' ok you may have an insight I don't.
Janel
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