Today is an awesome day. No matter what day you are reading this, it’s still awesome all the same to me. It’s another day we have the chance to make a difference in the world and another chance for us to make a difference in someone’s life. Do you wake up with this feeling? Honestly, I haven’t felt this way in quite a long while, but I’m so glad to have it back today. It just seems that most of us go about day to day just trying to get through it.
There’s job stress, kid worries, money problems, nosy neighbors and other headaches. But if you just stop, take a deep breath and give it all up to God as a part of His major plan, then it’s becomes so easy to concentrate on the real stuff that matters. And I mean really matters like telling your kids that you’re proud of them, laughing together, re-noticing the little things about your mate that made you fall in love with them, and thanking your Creator for gracefully letting them happen to you. When you have this, it’s amazing how alive you feel and how less you feel like that robot who’s just trying to make it through. What stirred this feeling within me?
Well, it started this past weekend when I invited a friend from work to attend church with my family. He was interested in the church video ministry so after the service I introduced him to our production team. We had gone to the second of three services he ended up staying for the last service just to watch behind the scenes. On Monday morning he told me what a fantastic time he had. The first song we had sung was a song that he plays on his radio station. He also knew one of the lead singers and the message made light bulbs go off like crazy. It made me feel like he was meant to be there that morning. Later, he told me he had the opportunity to speak with some kids Sunday afternoon and actually used part of the message he heard in that morning. That got me to thinking. What if one of those kids life was now changed for the positive because of what my friend taught them? A message that he wouldn’t have heard if he was not at my church that morning. And he wouldn’t have been there unless I asked him to join us. He was meant to be there! It’s simply amazing to see and be a small part of God’s work in action. Even writing this I have chills at God’s infinite wisdom.
After the service on Sunday, the church’s Director of Video Production asked me to meet with him to discuss ideas on an upcoming sermon series video. So, we set up a time Monday after work. On the way to the meeting, I felt so humbled to be a part of doing more of God’s work. It’s an awesome feeling. Because of the 5pm traffic, it took me 35 minutes to travel a distance that should have taken me 10 minutes. Traffic was bumper to bumper and it was raining. Any other time I would have been pulling what’s left of my hair out and gripping new finger grooves into the steering wheel. Am I the only one who has ever felt this way? But what’s this? I was smiling and I even laughed a few times. I had to think, maybe I was going crazy. But I wasn’t. My blood pressure was normal and my eyes were wide open. I was going to be a part of God’s work so I was letting God be in charge of the drive there. I knew no matter what I did, I wasn’t going to get to my destination one second sooner than when He wanted me there.
Over the past week, I gave up more of “me” for God. Try to do some of that this week. With each part of “me” and “my” you lose, Jesus will fill it with Him. It… is… amazing how life looks when you do this. So, to close, please take a moment to…
1. Give all of your worries up to God as all a part of His infinite plan for only He knows the true reason. Oh, and don’t stress about traffic. It’s much more enjoyable when you give it up. And I promise, you will get there.
2. Praise God for all of the blessings you have. No matter who you are, if you are reading this and you understand it – you are truly blessed.
3. Ask someone to join you at church this week. Even if they can’t join you, the simple fact that you asked may stir something within them.
4. Do something this week, just for God. This could come in many forms: be a charity or church volunteer, give money or donate items to the homeless, visit someone who’s sick, or simply be nice and generous to someone you don’t normally get along with.
5. No matter what music you normally listen to, take one day this week and only listen to Christian music. It can be contemporary (K-Love or Air1), urban (Hallelujah 95.5), bluegrass (iHeartRadio), whatever. And when you listen, please hear the lyrics first then the music.
Rejoice & have a blessed day!
Jim
