Last night as I prayed with my 2-year-old daughter before bedtime, I was reflecting on the events of the week and how an unexpected (and undesired) change in our family's schedule had afforded us the opportunity to be a blessing to some special people in our lives. It's so humbling to see how God intervened in our plans, so that we could be a source of joy to others. As I prayed, the words, "Lord, let our lives be a blessing to others," flowed from my lips so naturally that I was keenly reminded of how unnatural that sentiment really is to me. It felt like a moment where God simply gave me the words to speak, and in doing so, He said to me, "This is what it's all about. Just follow where I lead, and I will make your everyday lives a ministry to others."
Wow.
It's amazing to me how quickly God answered my prayer. A dear friend shared with me how something she read on this blog today lifted her spirits at a time when she felt very discouraged. Once again, it is so humbling to know that God could use a few words I wrote earlier this week to minister to her spirit at the exact time she needed it.
Wow.
"Lord, let my life and the life of my family be a blessing to others. May your light shine through our lives, so that it may be You that they see - not us."
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That's great J. So often I find myself wasting time trying to figure out "how" to be a blessing to those around me. Sometimes I succeed...other times I fail. But it's just being a Christian that can be the greatest blessing to others. Just showing Jesus out of the abundance of your heart is all it takes.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in Florida I had started a prayer group that met on Mondays at 5am in my home. A shy older man was attending the prayer group. I tried to encourage him, also, in his singing and he had recently joined the worship team as a singer and was stepping out more and more in the church, i.e. getting involved in prayer groups and other things. He was a friend, but I wouldn't say we were terribly close. I did nothing other that what I felt God leading me to do.
We had a going away party shortly before we moved and this man was at the party. At the party he brought me off to the side and shared his thoughts with me. He said, "I want to thank you for being an example and encouragement to me and my family." He could tell I wasn't sure what he meant. He began to unfold a list of comments and encouragements I had made to him in the past several months that prompted him to get up off his seat and get involved. He said he had not been happier in a long time. I just wept.
I had asked him to start leading certain prayer sessions at my house, just praying out loud what God laid on his heart. At first he said he was nervous, but did it anyway. Two months ago I got a call from him; he was just calling to see how we were doing. He again thanked me for encouraging him to step out in prayer; even before we left I was speaking with him a lot about prayer, how to pray, what to pray and how to hear God's voice when praying. He told me during this phone call that he had since taken over the entire prayer team at our church and had even begun teaching and leading congregational prayer times on Wednesday nights!
As I'm sure you can understand, it's much more gratifying to see the house being built one brick at a time than to just come in and buy a house already built. It creates a greater sense of accomplishment and appreciation that just couldn't be there otherwise. It's even more special when God turns you around and shows you a house you didn't even realize you were building. Although seemingly mundane and sometimes unsatisfying to the "instant gratification", that's the paradox of "Everyday Ministry".
So keep pressing on to finish the race, and thanks for being a blessing to me.