Have you ever gone to church on Sunday and nodded through most of the sermon because the pastor is speaking of your own heart from the week past? That was me this Sunday... actually, it seems like me a lot of Sundays at our new church. Is it God confirming His Word in my heart? I think so.
But here, I must rewind and share a rare thing first....
... a picture of me! Normally I am behind the view finder of our camera! This was taken Saturday evening, as my girls and I readied to go to a Christmas play. One Bethlehem Night. Tickets were given at the last minute and we were blessed to attend.
The production, at a local large church, was amazing. The message cut right to the heart: God knows what he is doing, His plans are bigger than ours, and when we trust Him with all, he will take care of us... even if it means have a little baby in a dirty smelly manger.
The girls and I were deeply moved.
Enter Sunday. Pastor is preaching on the messages of some of our most well known Christmas songs. This week, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Pastor systematically pointed out how God chose the small, the poor and the helpless to do a great and wonderful thing in His name. I was stirred when he relayed how Jesus didn't just come to save, he also came to identify with our weaknesses. He has walked among us. He was persecuted, rejected, scorned, betrayed, beaten, abandoned and finally crucified.... just to name a few. He has been there. He knows where we are.
And just as important as the relational aspect of our Savior is, there is also the fact that He calls us. He often uses the smallest, quietest, least suspecting people to do the most wonderful things. You say you are just a housewife? You are just a parent? You are just a nobody living on such-and-such street in no-whereville? That isn't so. YOU are a child of God and that is something in itself.
I know I often think of myself as a nobody... and perhaps we are a bunch of nobodies in a great space. But we are somebody to Jesus and God wants to use us, where we are, with what we have, to bring a wonderful message.
Watching the play Saturday night, tears caught in my throat, as Mary and Joseph submitted to not understanding yet fully trusting God. Oh to submit each time I want to fight for answers. Oh to be used, even when I can't understand how useful I could possibly be!
Praises be to God for using a young girl, a stable, and a tiny baby in an obscure little town called Bethlehem to change the face of the world forever!
I share my prayers with you. That we can welcome together the seemingly small things God calls us to do. That we know we are something special in God's eyes, he knows our hearts, he has experienced all (and more) we can imagine, and he wants to use us where we are to do many great things in many small ways!
Many blessings this Christmas season!
But here, I must rewind and share a rare thing first....
The production, at a local large church, was amazing. The message cut right to the heart: God knows what he is doing, His plans are bigger than ours, and when we trust Him with all, he will take care of us... even if it means have a little baby in a dirty smelly manger.
The girls and I were deeply moved.
Enter Sunday. Pastor is preaching on the messages of some of our most well known Christmas songs. This week, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Pastor systematically pointed out how God chose the small, the poor and the helpless to do a great and wonderful thing in His name. I was stirred when he relayed how Jesus didn't just come to save, he also came to identify with our weaknesses. He has walked among us. He was persecuted, rejected, scorned, betrayed, beaten, abandoned and finally crucified.... just to name a few. He has been there. He knows where we are.
And just as important as the relational aspect of our Savior is, there is also the fact that He calls us. He often uses the smallest, quietest, least suspecting people to do the most wonderful things. You say you are just a housewife? You are just a parent? You are just a nobody living on such-and-such street in no-whereville? That isn't so. YOU are a child of God and that is something in itself.
I know I often think of myself as a nobody... and perhaps we are a bunch of nobodies in a great space. But we are somebody to Jesus and God wants to use us, where we are, with what we have, to bring a wonderful message.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-27
Watching the play Saturday night, tears caught in my throat, as Mary and Joseph submitted to not understanding yet fully trusting God. Oh to submit each time I want to fight for answers. Oh to be used, even when I can't understand how useful I could possibly be!
Praises be to God for using a young girl, a stable, and a tiny baby in an obscure little town called Bethlehem to change the face of the world forever!
I share my prayers with you. That we can welcome together the seemingly small things God calls us to do. That we know we are something special in God's eyes, he knows our hearts, he has experienced all (and more) we can imagine, and he wants to use us where we are to do many great things in many small ways!
Many blessings this Christmas season!
I love the photo of you and the girls. Thank you for this much needed reminder.
ReplyDeleteNodding along as I read this! And what an interesting way for your pastor to preach during the Christmas season. Sounds great! Merry Christmas! Visiting by way of Hear it on Sunday today.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Thank you and your welcome :-) Emily, so glad you could nod along! And, yes, our pastor is a blessing in how he preaches and thinks outside the box! Merry Christmas to you too!
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