Faithful and True....

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours, no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which
is to look out Christ's compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now."---Mother Theresa

"..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 (NIV)

A friend, who knows the struggles that lay across my path in this journey home, sent me this quote of Mother Theresa. And in my devotions today, God has led me to the beginning of Acts, to where the apostles are to receive the anointing of the Spirit and go out….as witnesses of the resurrection and salvation of the Christ. Another series of verses, in Matthew 5:13-16, speak of being salt and light to the world so that men might see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. One speaks of being given the power to be the representation of Christ by being salt and light in the other to combine in the pursuit of the Great Commission. Mother Theresa wraps it up nicely.

I met with my Ministry leader on Sunday, after having an exhausted service for the congregation of Meadowbrook Chapel. Exhausting because God would only give me the verse in which He wanted me to speak about, and nothing more. It is that kind of dynamic vulnerability that makes a long day in the life of any called to speak before the Faithful. I think I engaged the congregation a bit too early and made the worship last a bit longer, because I worried over the seemingly shallow direction I had received. As usual, God provided what He wanted to speak, and I listened as well as gave the Word to the congregation. We all were blessed by it.

I had intended to speak to the Ministry leader about the struggles in my life that have overlapped into each other and the turmoil that I have found myself in lately. I had intended on speaking to him regarding finding someone else for Chapel, someone better suited and better prepared for the duties of the office in which I had been appointed a year ago. I had intended, upon reflection, to once again limit God to my comfort level. I did speak my concerns, my struggles and my fears to this great man whom I've come to love.

But God intended other things, and so......

Chaplain John spoke of the congregation, of which he had served the prior Sunday as I was attending a leadership discipling session. He spoke of the message of which he was presented, not which he gave, from the congregation that has grown slightly since I had taken over in December 2006. He spoke of their appreciation of my honesty, my love for them, and my desire not to gain glory for myself but for the God we all love and serve. He spoke of the power of the Spirit, which was evident in the flow and ebb of the worship and the hearts of the saints there. He spoke of shepherding God's sheep.

Regardless of what I have to deal with in my life's journey to the Kingdom promise, I have come to realize that if I stay focused on what God intends for me then I will know a joy that abides in the deepest places of my soul, where no storm or trial can ever touch. I will know contentment and peace despite the raging seas.

God called me to service four years ago.

And He promised that He would take care of me, for His design was not to harm but to prosper me. He would, not man, appoint me in His time and His manner to that to which I had been called. I have prospered under the loving companionship of Meadowbrook's chapel congregation and have grown in my relationship with God.

He has delivered upon the promise He gave; if I would be faithful, He would use me for His glory.