Putting It All Together

September 1, 2007 - Saturday                  

Current mood:  thoughtful

Have you ever had this happen to you? You have various interesting things happening around you, or unique thought processes stimulated in various ways, and they all seem totally disconnected, yet in the back of your mind you wonder if they really are connected, and then all of the sudden...you get it! And it all makes sense! Ok, maybe it's just me, but here's some recent examples:

SCENE ONE: Friday, yes, my last day of work, we were having worship in the morning, reading the last chapter of Esther (all three verses). The point was brought up about how Mordecai is there throughout the whole book, working behind the scenes, being a hero in his humble position--and that is what he's really remembered for. The last three verses of the book are basically like, "Oh yeah, and he became the second most powerful man in the nation--the end." And so perhaps it isn't in our big successes that will be remembered most, or that will be the most defining moments in our lives--rather it is in the struggle to get there, before we know it all and have it all figured out. That just seems to be how God works...

SCENE TWO: I was sitting in church today listening to a special music. It was a normal special music as those go in large Adventist churches, I suppose. Not exactly my favorite style, but whatever--at least she stayed on key. But then I looked over and noticed a girl several rows in front of me. She was probably a teenager and had a pleasant face framed with short, dark hair. But what was most noticeable was her wheelchair--tilted back in the aisle, with things to help keep her in place as her arms moved about her as though she had little control of them. But as I watched, I saw something else. It seemed that her arms were actually moving with the music--gracefully swaying, clutching, waving in sync with the variations of volume and emotion of the song. I was transfixed. It was like an act of worship--a special dance only she could perform, an expression of her heart that only God could ever fully know...

SCENE THREE: I went to a Memorial Service today of someone I didn't even know. He was a student at SAU last year as a Freshmen, but was tragically killed when he was hit by a drunk driver late one night at the beginning of August. It hurt to watch people hurting, but it was inspiring to see people inspired. This young man's testimony was strong in life, and yet somehow it seemed it was even stronger in death. It really touched me...

PUTTING IT TOGETHER: It is not in what we think to be our greatest moments that God is most at work, necessarily. Our best gifts to God are not necessarily dependent on our physical or mental capabilities. Our physical presence is not even necessarily required for God to be able to use us to touch others in powerful ways. This all means we can let go of our excuses of weaknesses and what we think about ourselves, and freely follow wherever Jesus leads without fear. It's not about us--it's about Him.

11:19 PM  2 Comments  1 Kudos