Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Stretched But Not Snapped!


Mark 13:11 - ...do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 

Those who know me will understand what I am about to write. God has given us all certain gifts. I have mentioned in past blogs a desire for a voice although my gift is writing. I don't do well speaking in public, even smaller groups. I have things to say but the words don't always come out in a way that is interesting to others.

So...today I was stretched. I spoke. But it was not really I who spoke. It was definitely the Holy Spirit who had been prompting me all morning. These words came smoothly, despite shaking hands and voice!! We are, after all, called to witness. It just don't matter whether we are eloquent or not; we are called to be obedient. This was a small step.

I attended a book club meeting and was the leader of the discussion of a book I chose. Most liked the book and the conversation was full. It was better than I imagined it would be.  

The book was Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere, about a black family in the late 40's, early 50's who moved to the small community of Morgan Hill where they were the only black family, causing people's true selves to really surface. The book showed how bad things happen to good people but sometimes those bad things have to happen in order for good to come about. And how the people in our lives shape our character, whether good or bad.

A fire to the home of this new family causes Milo to lose his entire family. The cause of the fire is not exactly known, but it was suspected to be arson. There were several characters in the book: Jane, the young girl narrating, her once-abused mother Fran, whose husband had died, and who promises Milo's mother on her death bed she would take him in as her own, Milo who turns the community upside down just because of his color, Henry, the owner of the general store and Joe, Fran's new love. 

After reading the book I thought about the characters. For some reason I couldn't shake that Henry the grocer was to me the central character. And I knew this was the basis for my review. You see he knew what everyone was going through, what they needed, could supply their needs if they allowed (or without their even knowing), was a father figure to Jane and a comfort to her family and probably others. It was his way. 

As I was reading the book, I didn't see what I'm about to share. It only came later. What I felt in my spirit was Henry being like God, omniscient, all knowing, knowing everything about us and what exactly we need, supplying those needs if He is the central figure in our lives. He is our Father and can be our Comfort if we allow Him. 

But just hours before I left I felt led to add Joe. I questioned why. I think I knew I was questioning the Holy Spirit. The answer came in an instant...he was a Savior. It was made known in the book that Joe had always loved Fran. From the time they were small children till now. He had never married and had returned to the town occasionally to help in his parents' tobacco field at the fall harvest and auction. It didn't matter that Fran made some wrong choices and suffered for them; he loved her no matter what. And he wanted to give her a better life to allow her to realize she was worthwhile. He wanted to be her husband.

Jesus does that for us. He has loved us with an everlasting love. He doesn't care what we've done as long as we turn to Him and allow Him to be our Husband. He forgives all things and makes us new. Just what Joe wanted to do. 

All the bad situations were turned around for good. Lives changed for the better. Milo was accepted in the community. People's hearts changed. There were those people who fought against evil and did good despite others and evil did not prevail. 

God allowed my voice today. I don't know how everyone felt about it but it doesn't matter. If I had not been given the two ideas, it would just have been another book
club review. But God had other plans. I know this may seem a not-so-big thing to many, but it was for me. And, sadly, it shouldn't be. I was stretched but I did not snap! I just followed through. One comment was: That was a great analogy. 

I thank God. I cannot take credit for any more than opening my mouth and being obedient to speak. Lord, bring it on!!!

Galatians 1:10 - For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.


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