Something tells me I’ve used this exact blog title before, but I’m too lazy to go back and look. Oh, well.
I’ve been thinking a lot about some things. Some of it is stuff that’s always on my mind–God, His will for my life, how to use my time wisely, giraffes… Some of it is 52 Zoos-related–bills, e-mail requests for tickets, the logistics of 12 zoos in 15 days, party planning…
And some of it has to do with my previous posts on faith–and the ongoing comments. I have a lot of notes scrawled on random papers scattered across my desk. I have ideas swirling in my head, prayers whirling in my heart, butterflies whirling in my belly. I’ve been thinking about creation. And evolution. And the Bible. And religion. And freedom. And peace. And the deep longings of my heart.
I’m not one to shy away from a good argument. I’m fairly witty and pretty quick on my feet. Verbal sparring appeals to me on some level–more than it probably should.
But here’s the deal. I’m feeling a tug. And it’s not a tug to convince, cajole, coerce or condemn. It’s a tug to love. To demonstrate through actions, not words. To show Christ’s love, not defend it. To be humble, not arrogant. To care more about people’s souls than the need to be right.
I’ve been thinking about some sweet little kids in an orphanage in Cambodia. And some precious girls who are being rescued from the sex trade.
God is doing a work in my heart tonight–He wants to use me as a vessel to pour out His love. I’m not a very loving person on my own. But I’m learning to let Him love others through me. I don’t always get it right. My selfish nature gets in the way far too often. But I want to love. And love well.
I’m not called to be a defense attorney (nor a prosecuting attorney)–just a witness. I don’t have to know all the answers. I can search for them, sure, but my job is to share what I know from my own personal experience. What I’ve seen with my own eyes. I’m called to share my story. And that’s what I want to do.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:7-8)
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:3-4)
If you know Jesus and He’s done a work in your heart and life, will you testify to that today? If not here, then somewhere, before the day is over, will you give a brief testimony of what God has done for you? It’s okay if you’re not Wilma Wordsmith–the attitude of your heart is all that matters.
It can be something simple like–I’m praising God today for the money to put gas in my car. Or I’m giving glory to God today for delivering me from a nasty addiction. Or I’m thanking God today for helping me love this difficult person in my life. Or I’m giving God glory today for softening my husband’s heart toward spiritual things.
It doesn’t have to be your whole testimony–just a part.
I’ll start. I’m giving glory to God today for giving me a love for His Word, a passion to know Him more deeply and follow Him more closely. I’m standing here in awe of the way He has worked out every detail of every zoo trip–when, by all accounts, it was impossible. On paper, this year makes NO sense. It’s a work of God. And it’s humbling and beautiful to think that He cares so deeply for me and my family–and the things that matter to us.
Like this:
Your turn!
Thank you for this post! I had started a blog post about something and didn’t know exactly where to go with it, and the Lord used your post to help form the words to complete it.
Right at this moment, I’m so thankful for the family the Lord has blessed me with and the long weekend we have to be in each others company! Happy Fourth to you and your family!
I am thanking God today for do-overs!
This past week, indeed, this past year I feel like God has put a bunch of do-overs in my path. Places I stumbled before that I have encountered again. People I failed in the past have come around full-circle. Situations I wish I had done differently and now I get a chance to do them differently.
I was thinking about all this and remembered a teaching I once heard about Samuel’s stone of Ebenezer…his stone of remembrance. I prayed, “God, is this a season of do-overs? A season of remembrance? Have I really come full circle?”
And then we sang:
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
(Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)
Thanks for encouraging me to tell my story!
I just want to echo Janelle Taviano…thank God for Jesus….the Cross….and the constant drawing us in….even in the hard times….He is love that is so perfect that we don’t have to be!
I’m so thankful that the Health Dept. did not shut down our pond with BRAND NEW waterslides this week (they were considering it), and that they allowed us to use our camp water again today after determining that there was no problem with the chlorination – thank you, God, that we didn’t have to send campers home or alarm parents! Also, we had a camper accept Christ last night, and 2 more raised hands that said they were interested in hearing more!!! Praise Jesus!
Even though I’m going through some sort of trial right now I’m so thankful for the ways He keeps bringing my focus back to Him. A song, a word, a scripture, a blog….it always speaks to my situation and keeps me taking another step in Him.
There’s a fine line between “arguing” the gospel and “defending” it. That’s why it’s so hard to participate in theological discussions…especially with non-Christians. After all, the gospel is foolish to those who do not believe.
While this is more my husband’s testimony than my own, it directly impacted my life so I feel like I’m allowed to include it as one of my own.
God has brought us SO far in a mere three years. You know how people say that it took God hitting them over the head with a 2×4 t get their attention? Well, for my husband it was an F-350. Just short of three years ago my husband was struck by a truck while riding his bicycle at a family camp we were both attending. The deer guard on the truck snapped his upper arm and it was rendered useless for several months. The accident effectively ended his landscaping business but through a series of “chance” encounters, God led him to the manager of a company who was willing to hire him on the spot in spite of his injury. He was working 4 weeks after the accident, broken arm and all. The new job with a stable income plus the insurance settlement allowed him to pay his medical bills (he was uninsured at the time of the accident) AND buy an engagement ring and propose to me two months later. Had he never been hit by that truck, it may have been years before we were able to get married. A year and a half later we were offered the opportunity to buy our first home (the whole process took less than a month…to some that seemed dangerously impulsive). Two years TO THE DATE after he started his first job, he began a new career with the San Antonio Police Department. Oh, and had we waited to buy a home like many said we should have we wouldn’t have been approved for financing because of the new job and we would have been stuck in a one-bedroom apartment with TWO babies. It really is AMAZING how God has directed each step we’ve taken because He is ALMIGHTY and knows exactly what we need!!!
I’m praising God in advance for the way He will bring much greater glory to Himself out of the death of our church than He did during its life. We meet tonight to vote to dissolve and hopefully to pass the torch to a young, Bible-believing, Bible-preaching body that will have a God-honoring ministry to our community… if our little body can put its own desires and dreams under God’s dominion.
Marla, yes that makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.
Testimonies are great, don’t get me wrong. I was concerned that we were diminishing the importance of apologetics…
I will conclude by praising God for an opportunity with a neighbor lady today. My husband and I are burdened for our neighbors, and we desire greatly to be a powerful witness to them. May God use all of us!!