A Willing Vessel

This past Saturday was filled with much excitement as Ashleigh and Jason got ready for their first Father-Daughter Dance.  I enjoyed spending those precious moments helping my daughter get ready for her big date with Daddy.  After Aaron and I saw them off we hopped in the car and made our way to Greensboro to do a little Christmas “Looking” (as Aaron calls it).  Afterwards we headed back to High Point to eat at Olive Garden, located at the Palladium.  Aaron and I enjoyed our Mother-Son outing and as the evening was drawing to an end I decided to check Facebook to see if Jason had posted any pictures that he may have taken.  When I pulled open Facebook the first post I see was of a little girl in the hospital and this little girl happens to be the daughter of a friend of mine at work.  I was heartbroken to see such a small child in ICU and hooked up to so many tubes, lines and monitors.  I started to cry, I hurt for this little girl and her mother and immediately Aaron and I stopped and prayed for her.  Our waiter came around the corner after we had finished and asked if we need anything else and I just said the check.  He asked if I was OK and I said yes and proceeded to tell him about what I had seen on Facebook.  A few minutes later he was back packing up our leftovers and he brought the check.  Aaron and I were preparing to leave when Justin (our waiter) came back to our table and asked if he could pray with us, for Cadence, and I immediately agreed.   I was awestruck that this kind young man wasn’t worried about the other guests or about what his manger would say.  He was just willing to be an instrument, a vessel that the Holy Spirit would use.

How many times have you heard the voice of God and ignored it?  What if Justin had ignored the nudge, the still small voice, that push that only comes from the Holy Spirit?  How many times have we been a willing vessel?  I was deeply touched by this young man’s actions and it makes me wonder how many times I have been a willing vessel for my God. 

 

We should be willing and prepared at all times.  I believe that Acts 9:15 speaks of Justin’s character Saturday night.

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” 

He was not only willing, but he was prepared to do what God had asked of him.  I think sometimes in our Christian walk we are so wrapped up in saving the lost and spreading the Gospel that we tend to overlook our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I’m not saying that the lost are not important, because they are.  Jesus stated that we should compel them (the sinners) to come and we have been placed on this earth to spread the Gospel.  But we should not forget that we also have to uplift those that are part of the family.  If we do not encourage one another and if we are not there to help those that are downtrodden then they will be left to temptation.  Justin was an encouragement to me and a reminder that we are not alone in this world.  Sometimes it feels like we fight an endless battle and we get nowhere.  But God!  Yes But God!  He sends those people into our lives to remind us that we are in this fight together and that we are not alone and that He will always send those into our lives when we need them the most.   

Let us uplift one another, let our lives reflect Christ, so that we may be a vessel that God will use for His Glory! 

 

2 Timothy 2:21  

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”

 

But God

But God

But God is my favorite phrase and appears 43 times in the Bible. When it seems your world is falling apart (Psalms 73:26) or you’re on top of the world (Ephesians 2:4) always remember who is ultimately in control.

• Psalms 73:26 ~ My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

• Ephesians 2:4 ~ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

I have used this small phrase in many of my blogs, because no matter what I have said, done or felt God has always been there to hold me through it. No matter how hard I try to do things (even in the name of Christ) my best is never good enough, but God is there to perfect it. For example (I have many but to save myself from complete embarrassment, I will only name one.) God choose to use me to reach out to one of His own that was hurting and just needed to hear a kind word and that she was not alone. Now at first I fought the urge to speak with this woman, But God, He had other plans. I kept making excuses to myself and they were to myself, because he chose to ignore my pleas and the more I f ought the sicker to my stomach I became. When I finally gave in and allowed the Holy Spirit to move, I received one of the greatest blessings. We never know when or how the Lord is going to use us; we just need to be ready.

Not only have I experienced many But God moments, but I have witnessed them. I have seen how God shows us His mercy and grace in our greatest afflictions. Our country is sick; But God continues to bless us. Just this week the Midwest experienced tornados and in the midst of all the destruction was a cross hanging from some power lines. One teenage boy decided to take a picture and tweet “God is with us”. God continues to show us that He is in control and continues to show us that He is with us before and after whatever we are going through.

Let us remember that through our daily lives, the coming and going and the doing of this and that and remember through all of the destruction and evil that we see on a daily basis that we serve a might God and that He is Sovereign. And when we are at our happiest and joyous moments or it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel always remember “But God”.

Pull, Push & Hold ~ Part 3

  

 

Pull, Push & Hold – Part III

 

I see a mother in a hurry at the store with her three children; she has many thoughts going through her head.  She is trying to remember if she grabbed that extra gallon of milk or that art supply needed for one of the many school projects.  Her mind is also at the same time going in a totally different direction, maybe she is thinking about dinner, a loved one, her children’s school activities or maybe that one bill that just won’t seem to go away.  But as I observer her and her three children I see that in her hast she is pulling one, pushing another and holding the third.  Now this is just an example of how we may treat our children when we are in a hurry or have a million things on our mind, but we know when it comes down to it and the important decision that we have to make concerning the welfare of our children the phrase pull, push and hold take on a new meaning. 

On this last installment of Pull, Push & Hold, I would like to concentrate on how God holds us in His arms.  Who doesn’t like to be held from time to time, I know I do.  My children want their “cuddle” time and men (admit it) enjoy a good snuggle from time to time as well. 

God holds us in His strong, comforting embrace.  Sometimes he holds us for our protection and sometimes it is just to let us know that we are loved and He is our comforter.  I know that God holds me when I am up on the mountain but more importantly He holds me when I am down in the valley.  It is at those times that we feel the most lost and in need.  We generally don’t call on God when we feel that life is going well.  I don’t mean that we are not praying or reading our bibles, what I mean is that our prayers are more quick and hurried and our devotional time is not as meaningful.  When we are down in the valleys our prayer life is more focused and we strive to be in constant prayer and when we are communing with God during these rough times we tend to be more diligent in our studies of the Word.  The bible tells us to pray without ceasing:

I Timothy 5:17-18

Pray without ceasing.  In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We should be in constant communication with our Lord weather our days are filled with cupcakes and sprinkles or … well you get the picture.  Now I know we are not able to spend every waking minute in prayer, we do have jobs and daily activities that require our attention.  Who said that our prayers had to be lengthy and full of eloquent words or phrases?  Sometimes our prayers are a quick and simple “Lord help me”.  God knows what we are going through and He knows what we need and when we need it. 

God never promised us an easy road but He did promise to be there every step of the way.  As the “Foot Prints” poem states:

The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

He will always be there to carry or hold us through the toughest times.  So when we feel that we just can’t go on or make it on our own remember that we don’t have to because we have a Savior who is holding us in His arms every day.

 

 

 

 

 

Death

Death

1 Corinthians 15:55 ~ Death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Today my children experienced death for the first time.  Ashleigh’s kitten, J.J., was hit and killed by a car sometime last night or early this morning.  To see my poor daughter as she suffers the loss of her beloved cat is heart wrenching.  I wish I could shield her from the pain of loss, I wish I could take their sorrow, but most of all I wish I could tell both her and Aaron that there is no such thing as death.  But death, like birth, is a part of life. 

Ashleigh lost something very precious to her today and we allowed her to see J.J.  before she helped dig his grave and make a wooden cross out of sticks.  We helped Ashleigh grieve the best way we could.  Will she get over the loss of this beloved pet?  YES.  Will she ever forget this kitten that she thought the world of?  Probably not!

This is the perfect opportunity to teach my children that though death is final, it is not the end!  I can teach my children that even though we have a purpose here on earth, our greatest purpose is yet to come.  We are born as a sinner into a sin filled world.  We that are chosen are quickened by the Holy Spirt and at the appointed time are received into HIS fold.  By HIS Grace we do the best we can to be the best example of Christ and to witness to the lost. 

I can teach my children that although this is a sad and painful time in their lives that we can still rejoice.  We will always have the happy memories of J.J.  The things that he would do to make us laugh and the silly little quirks that made him unique.  The sting of death is painful, but it does not last forever and I can tell my children that one day we will live in a place where there are no tears, pain, sorrow or death.

Lastly I can teach my children there is a Savior and HE will give us life eternal.  I can tell my children that for those who believe we will spend an eternity with the One who has conquered the grave.

For those who are lost death is final and that is the end, there is no more; but for those that are reborn death is just the beginning.

Pull, Push & Hold ~ Part 2

I see a mother in a hurry at the store with her three children; she has many thoughts going through her head.  She is trying to remember if she grabbed that extra gallon of milk or that art supply needed for one of the many school projects.  Her mind is also at the same time going in a totally different direction, maybe she is thinking about dinner, a loved one, her children’s school activities or maybe that one bill that just won’t seem to go away.  But as I observer her and her three children I see that in her hast she is pulling one, pushing another and holding the third.  Now this is just an example of how we may treat our children when we are in a hurry or have a million things on our mind, but we know when it comes down to it and the important decision that we have to make concerning the welfare of our children the phrase pull, push and hold take on a new meaning.

On this installment of Pull, Push & Hold, I would like to concentrate on how God will Push us for our good and His Glory.  Sometimes God has to push us out of our comfort zone to accomplish what He wants done.  And after that nudge He guides us.

We are stubborn people by nature.  We hate to be told what to do and how to do it.  We feel that our way is the best way and sometimes are not able to listen to reason.  At times we treat God the same way.  God will ask something of us and give us instruction on how to do it and we will go against God so we can do it our own way.  God will then have to push us in the right direction so that He can guide us upon the correct path. 

God pushes us to do things that we would not normally do.  For example get up and sing in front of a crowd of people or maybe teach Sunday school or even invite someone to church.

I have been singing in church since I was a teenager, but it's not easy, even after 20 years I am still terrified to get up and sing.  But God has given me a small talent and I use it for His glory and yes sometimes He has to push me to do it.  Maybe the area that you could best serve God would be in a teaching type environment, leading a choir or maybe just being a part of it, or maybe it is just being apart of your churches vitiation program.  What ever work God has planned for you to do, I can almost guarantee it will at some  point take you out of your "comfort zone".  If God has called you to do something and you fight Him or you walk in the opposite direction He will push you down the path He wants you to go down. I would much rather be in the will of God then kicking against the pricks (Acts 9:5).

But once God has pushed us in the direction we are to go, He will guide us. 

Psalm 73:24 ~ Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and   afterward receive me to glory.

John 16:13 ~ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:  for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:  and he will show you things to come.

I have thought about Jonah while writing this post, I would suggest reading the whole book (shouldn't take about 15 or 20 minutes, it is very short, I promise).  God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he ran in the opposite direction and once God got a hold of Jonah, he realized there was no running from God or what He had planned for him.  In the end Jonah did what he was told to do and God was glorified. 

We can never hide from God no matter how hard we try and in the end He will push us down the  path He wants us to take, but he will never leave us during this process, He will be there to guide us every step of the way.  God will get the glory for everything we say and do, no matter our obedience because He is sovereign.

Pull, Push & Hold ~ Part 1

 

I see a mother in a hurry at the store with her three children; she has many thoughts going through her head.  She is trying to remember if she grabbed that extra gallon of milk or that art supply needed for one of the many school projects.  Her mind is also at the same time going in a totally different direction, maybe she is thinking about dinner, a loved one, her children’s school activities or maybe that one bill that just won’t seem to go away.  But as I observer her and her three children I see that in her hast she is pulling one, pushing another and holding the third.  Now this is just an example of how we may treat our children when we are in a hurry or have a million things on our mind, but we know when it comes down to it and the important decision that we have to make concerning the welfare of our children the phrase pull, push and hold take on a new meaning.

I would like to break this down into three parts and take each phrase and discuss how our heavenly Father Pulls, Pushes and Holds His children.

First of all you have to be a child of God to be pulled anywhere.   What is a child of God you may ask - well let me tell you.  First you have to be adopted, God has already chosen those who will be a part of His family, the bible tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5:

4 ~ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of    the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 ~ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

So what this means is God decided before He created this beautiful world in which we live who was going to be a part of His adopted family.  God pulls those He has chosen into His fold.  He is our good shepherd and we are like sheep; John 10:27-28

27 ~ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 ~ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Only those who God has chosen will hear His voice and know Him.  Not everyone in this world can hear the voice of God and not everyone in this world is chosen of God to be saved and adopted into His family.  When God calls His children we are unable to ignore that calling and once we have received God and are accepted by Him, then and only then are we adopted into His family. 

For every direction we are pulled there is a divine purpose.  God will never pull us down a path of utter destruction.  We may have hardships and heartache from time to time, which we call Trials, and we are to learn from these.  But God places Trails in our lives for His purpose and for our good – Romans 8:28 & II Timothy 1:9

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

II Timothy 1:9

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

 Sometimes God uses the Trials of others to reach out.  God will pull you into a circumstance and use you as the tool to do His work.  Let me tell you a true story ….  

There was once a woman who worked for a store at the mall as a sales clerk when a homely woman walked in to purchase some scented lotions and sprays.  The whole time the sales clerk was speaking with the customer she could feel God pulling her to speak to this woman.  So she started talking to the customer about the products, but God said no, that’s not what I mean.  The sales clerk kept telling God, but I can’t, and every time she said I can’t she felt sick to her stomach.  Finally the woman’s purchases were rung up and paid and she started to walk away.  The sales clerk at that point was so sick she needed to find a bathroom and she heard God pull her again to the woman as she was leaving the store.  The sales clerk ran to the woman in tears.  She said excuse me, I know you don’t know me and I am not sure what I am to say to you, but I just want you to know that God loves you and He cares.  The clerk then asked the woman if she went to church anywhere and the customer started to tell her that she did attend church, but she was going through an awful divorce, the woman cried and was touched.  The sales clerk hugged the woman and told her she would be praying for her.

The sales clerk never imagined that God would ever use her to reach out to someone else in this fashion.  Not only did the customer get a reminder that she was not alone in her circumstance, but the sales clerk received a blessing, knowing that she had minded God and reached out to someone in need.  The sales clerk was also reminded that she could not resist the Pulling of the Holy Spirit and that she serves a Sovereign Savior.

Know that God pulls us in many different directions for many different reasons.  He could put us on one path and then that path could change directions.  God pulls us because He wants us to do His bidding and be in the center of His will.  God has a plan for each and everyone one of us and He will pull us in the right direction so that we are on the path He has set before us. 

Answer to Prayer

How many times have we prayed asking God for something, never mind what it is.  We sometimes ask for a pretty outfit we saw at the local mall, the newest smart phone (because we have to keep up with the Jones’), or maybe it is something really expensive like a new car.  Now these requests are what I like to call desires.  What if our request was more of a need verses a want?  Sometimes we ask God to allow our grocery bill to be under a certain amount at the checkout counter because we know we won’t get paid for another week, or maybe we have a friend or a loved one that has been sick and needs a healing touch, or maybe it’s finding that new job. 

Well in my case it’s the new job, I have finally been offered a new position within the UnitedHealth Group Appeals Department, after many, many years of searching for something else.  I have had a very stressful job and many days have left so depressed all I wanted to do was lock myself away and cry.  The job I have is not hard, but it wears on you, when you listen to people yell and scream and call you all kinds of names day in and day out.  Now I know that my new position will come with its own set of problems, and I am sure at times it will be stressful. 

Now God answers prayer in His own time, not ours.  I have been with UnitedHealth Group for 10 years and have been applying for different position within the company for probably the last 7.  I would constantly get responses to my applications that the position had already been filled or no longer offering the position at this time, and sometimes I would get a response that I was not qualified.  A few times I got an interview, that would lead nowhere.  I also gave my resume to other companies, but also never heard anything.  It felt as if God was telling me NO.  I see now it’s not that God was telling me NO, but wait, I have something better for you.  I believe God has answered this prayer for me, because I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to keep my sanity with the customer service department and God pulled me out in the nick of time.  Because I have been with the customer service division for so long I have been able to learn so much about the ends and outs of the company and the many departments within UHC and have learned from them as well.  So during my interview the hiring manager was surprised when I told her I already had entry level knowledge of one of the systems that they use on a daily basis, I would not have been able to say that a few years ago.  God placed someone in my life who thought it would be beneficial for me and my current job to be able to access appeals and give our members info on the spot so they wouldn’t have to wait for a letter from the appeals department.  You know what they say, hind sight is 20/20, God was preparing me all along, it never ceases to amaze me how God is in control of every aspect of my life and it is He who is gently guiding me along this journey. 

We always need to remember that God has a divine plan for all of our lives and He has mapped it all out before we were even born. 

Ephesians 1: 4 ~ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

We complain from time to time and we fail to see God’s hand in our lives, when what we should be doing is praising God for his Sovereign Grace. 

Psalms 143:1 ~ Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness.