Read on if ya like:
The weekend was over, the leftovers were waiting to be eaten, it was dark outside, the excitement had died down...the church services were over, those on-fire-for-God young people had left and the joyful, gleeful and (reverently) holy times faded from present to past.
There, alone in our dark kitchen, I found myself feeling discouraged. It had been so beautiful...I had felt closer to God somehow, or was it some other feeling that made spiritual dullness seem prevalent now? The "glory" was fading behind me and the future looked dark - full of the same annoyances, same struggles, same trials, same hardships that I had forgotten for a few days.
I thought to myself that the fire in those young people left with them. The awesomeness of singing while the Holy Spirit was there, the amazing expectation of what God would do next, the wonderful excitement when God answered prayer...it all seemed gone. And I was left back in my little world which was gray and dark and still.
Somehow though, I thank God, that a realization struck me. My life didn't have to be that way. God could shine through me just like He did for those others. My life was truly, when I looked at it, abundantly full of wonderful times. The Lord was still faithful - look what He had done in my life during this weekend! If God could use those other young people, He could use me and maybe others would see the light and be set on fire as well.
When I really look at my life though, it's not empty. It's not void of God's blessings, it's not missing answered prayer, there are so so SO many awesome things about my life that other people don't experience. The spirit of the Lord is not limited to camp meetings or church services. I believe I've been in His presence many times. I'm so blessed to be able to feel that presence and to have God minister to my needs every day.
Even if my life were "boring" to me, if God put me there, He must have a reason. In your every-day life, how do you know what God's doing spiritually with the heart of the man at the end of the "green-beans" aisle because of your example?
So then, I have no need to be discouraged. God wants me to be joyful.
2 comments:
I understand what you are saying, Anna. God does want to use you and your "little" lick of fire in a mighty way. Too often we, as humans, think that God can only use us if we are doing something great for him. We don't think about how He uses us everyday in the small things. Being kind to a sibling may not seem as glamorous as being a Sunday School teacher, but if that's the job that needs done at the present moment, do it with your whole heart and watch how God uses the little things to make great things!
Thanks mom. *hug*
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