What’s In Your Hand?
Ø Have
you ever wondered why you were born?
Ø Have
you ever questioned God’s will for your life?
Ø Have
you ever thought you must be the only MISTAKE God ever made?
Ø Have
you ever felt ‘empty handed’?
Yes, Yes, Yes,
and Yes - I have!
If
I could re-call all the time I’ve wasted, trying to figure God out; to
understand why He would create me - I’d
have a very LONG life yet to live!
In
later years, as I matured in wisdom (she said snickering!!)
I finally had revelation about all this; I finally understood!
If
you’ve read my story, you know that I was born to wonderful parents, who were
told they could not have children. My
dad may have accepted that as a ‘fact’,
my mother would not! No matter how “impossible” the Drs. said
being pregnant was for her – She held on to her faith. Making it short: My
mother believed everything God said! She read that He would bless the ‘fruit
of her womb’ - and that “children are the heritage of the Lord.” She
simply took God at face value, and expected God to give her children, so
that He could ‘bless them’ … like He said! From personal experience, she already knew that Jesus was her healer.
God always
honors His Word.
Finally,
in their forties - it was time for their child to arrived. With Drs. still
saying…. “sorry madam… but you can NOT BE pregnant” - the birth was
truly a miracle!
The
child was a beautiful little girl that immediately became the ‘apple of
their eye’. There was nothing this girl could not do! It seemed that God gifted her more than
most. Not only did she start singing in
the church at age three – but by her teen years, could play about any musical
instrument she picked up.
This
child was NOT me! LoL!!
Nine
years later, their second child finally made an appearance. By this
time all the beauty and talent allotted to one family had all been used UP! THIS child was me.
“But
you are kind and loving sweetheart” – my faithful,
loving mother tried to comfort. “…and you know how to pray…..!!!” Well – that just didn’t cut it for me! I just had to know WHY I was born
gift-less, with nothing at all to offer God; and how it was possible that God
would give life to such a worthless person!
I
have always been good at accepting the facts and moving on, and thought that I
had not allowed these ‘facts’ to bother me.
But I was mistaken! The picture
I had of my self, dictated my life, and isolated me for many years.
It
did take awhile for me to find answers. In my mid-twenties I felt I had better
understanding; I finally figured Him out!
It was my mother’s FAITH that brought her two daughters; even her
Doctors had to admit that we were ‘miracles’.
One
day it just came to me…. So CLEARLY!!! I was “God’s ONLY
un-planned creation! His only mistake!”
I
knew that the Bible SAYS that God has given each of us “purpose”
– that He “hand crafted” each of us – and that we are “wonderfully
made” - etc., etc. But it was so CLEAR!!!
I was NOT in His plan… my mother’s faith had forced His hand – it was
just all too clear!! I really WAS
‘nothing’ – and existing only to be a daughter, to serve them, and then to die.
It
was really a relief to see this SO CLEARLY!
It
was SUCH a LIE! *
hahaha!*
Oh
yes… it is quite silly to even think about now… but it was very real to me then! The word “deceived” does come to mind!!! *hehehehe! *
From
that time, until my parents moved on to heaven – I knew that I would only live
as long as they did.
I
lived with, and took care of my parents until their graduation days. I was only in my thirties when they left
this planet for a far better place; yet I quit living about that same time;
stopped all hopes & dreams; and simply waited to join them. It was almost a year before the Lord was
able to fully free me from those lies.
(Didn’t
mean for this to get so lengthy, sorry!!)
To
cut this short: I was sincere, and I
was sincerely wrong!
When
God said that (Isa. 46) “…He brought you forth from your mother’s
womb; carried you along every day of your life, even when your hair was white
with age; that He saw the end from the beginning, and had plans for you that
wont change…..” He DID mean ME
– and He meant YOU! What a SHOCK
that was to me! While teaching others
about God’s plans for them, PTL.. He finally got through….. that I was one of His Kids too. I’ve never been accused of being ‘quick!’ :O) * hahahaha!!*
Yes, I was raised in the church, and loved
the Word of God…. But ANYONE can be lied to, and if we buy into the lies,
our life will reflect that deception!
WHAT
LIES ARE YOU BUYING
ABOUT
YOURSELF?
No
talent! Born to fail!
No
love! No reason to
live!
No
plan! Nothing good
here!
No
smarts! Always be broke!
No
hope! No Reason to
live!
No purpose! Worthless!
No good! To
ugly!
To
thin! To small!
To OLD! To
big!
To
LATE!!! To ___ ???
John
10:10 says that it is “The thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy Jesus
came to give us abundant life!” The
thief doesn’t have to work very hard to steal from most of us; He simply finds
our insecurities, and builds on it!
BUT…
this is GOOD NEWS: When you catch that thief… he has to obey what GOD SAYS….
And give you seven fold in return. :O) Get
back devil!!
*
hehehe!*
John
15:16 says that you did NOT choose Jesus…. He, in fact, chose YOU! and He wants your “Joy to be FULL!”
Why
did Jesus choose YOU? Why did He choose
me? Because He loves us! :O) Think about THAT! God… GOD… the creator of the
Universe… loves US!!!! He could
have chosen anyone on the planet, to be the family He wanted, and He chose us!! He gave us life; and a plan! w0w!!
Not
long ago I was talking to The Lord – and just mentioned in passing, that it was
okay that He hadn’t made me like this or that… (still wondering why He
hadn’t given me more to work with!!)*hehehe!* (didn’t say that I’d “arrived” - He’s
still working on me!) As gentle as a loving Father can be – He explained to
me that He really isn’t short on talent and ability; He doesn’t NEED someone with a lot to
offer. After all, HE owns all those gifts. :O)
He really just looks for someone ‘willing’
and ‘available to Him’, one ‘obedient
to His Word.’ He really is big
enough to do the rest. *SMile * I CAN do THAT!! :O)
And
so Can You! Amen? :O)
Before
you were born - God knew exactly where He wanted you in this life. He knew
exactly where He wanted you, and designed you for that purpose! And…. He has equipped us each with everything
we will need to complete the job He created us for. If we are trying to do something that we are not gifted for, we are trying to wear a pair of gloves that
belong to someone else! (Picture Cinderella’s stepsister trying to put on
Cinder’s shoe). Selah!!
WHAT IS IN
YOUR HAND?
Instead
of dwelling on the things you can NOT do…. Look at what you CAN DO! What did God place in YOUR HANDS? What did He design you to do?
WHAT IS IN
YOUR HEART?
The
Bible says that it is GOD who gives you the “desires of your heart” –
what is it that has been in your heart to do, for years? What are you doing to move in that direction?
Ø Do
you hear someone sing a beautiful song and wish you could do that?
Ø Do
you listen to your pastor on Sunday and go home wanting to preach like him?
Ø Are
you trying to be something that God didn’t design for?
Ø Is
it time for a New Season… and you’re fighting change?
If
you can’t carry a tune – singing a solo is not in God’s plan for you. AND. . . If you are outside of HIS
PLAN, trying to be something He is not in agreement with, you are out there
alone, without an anointing! God
forbid!!
I’d
like to tell you about my Friend Nancy:
Ø Nancy
teaches small children on Sundays;
Ø Goes
to nursing homes on Fridays, to spend time with residents (not family);
Ø Gives
of her time and talents to touch others, and be a blessing to them, daily!
And
STILL there are times she feels like she has nothing to offer! What a
lie! From the perspective of watching her life… you clearly see Jesus, and
His love pouring from her daily!
The
thief…. Is good at what he does!! BUT…
he is deceived, and HE FAILS! PTL!!!!!!!!!! :O)
Let
TODAY mark a ‘New Season’
‘New
Life’ and ‘New
Beginnings.’
Will
it also mark personal ‘Change’? ….
Ø
A ‘New determination’?
Ø Spiritual
growth?
Ø A
‘New View’ of self?
Ø Seeing
God’s View of ‘His creation’?
Ø Acting
like ‘the chosen’?
Is
it time to see our selves as God sees us, and to give away what He placed in
our hand? Could this be the Season we’ve waited for? The Season to be ‘whole’ and ‘free’? Free to accomplish what He has given us to
do? Yes? Amen?? Just a
Question!!
The
Bible Temple Baptist Church in Philadelphia tells the story of their ‘new
beginning’….
The
beginning of this church was quite humble; in a neighborhood of those known as
the ‘under privileged’.
They
tell of a small child in the neighborhood years ago, who had a desire to attend
Sunday school. She didn’t have much,
probably didn’t even know the term ‘Sunday best’ - But she wanted to go to
church. Her mother finally agreed that
she could go to the small church down the street.
I
don’t even know the name of this child, have never even visited that side of
the Nation. Still, I am sure that when that day finally arrive – the day she
would go to Sunday school she had to be one excited little gal. I can imagine her
skipping and running… moving as fast as she could to get to church! {Huh!!
THAT could preach!!} * hehehe*
Wearing
her very best pair of worn jeans, and her old weathered shoes, she opened the
door of the little church with great anticipation. She had been waiting for this day - a very long time!!
When
she opened the door – she looked around to see where she might sit. What a devastating event, when the child
could not find one empty seat! With
great disappointment, and tears streaming down her sweet face, the child closed
the door and walked away.
This
sad little girl sat down on the church steps, and in a few minutes, as if on
cue, the pastor walked by and stopped to assess the situation. As she told her story, the pastor gave her a
hug, helped her up, and assured her that he could fix this for her. He took the child into a Sunday School Class Room – got her a very
nice chair, and made her feel right at home.
I
don’t know if the child ever returned to that church, or any church. She became ill soon after that day, and died.
The
little girls mother contacted the pastor of Bible Temple Church, telling him
that it was the child’s request that he preach her funeral.
When
the pastor arrived at the funeral, the mother gave him an envelope with a note
inside. The note written by the child,
knowing her time here was short.
“Dear
pastor” he read “…here is 57 cents. I want you to have it, to build a bigger
church.”
Needless
to say, the pastor was very touched with this child’s generous gift. He was aware that it was all she had, and
she probably had worked hard, and saved for months to bring such a large amount
to him.
The
following Sunday, the pastor shared this note and the entire story with his
congregation. This Little child, although dying, still wanted to do her part,
to be sure that no one else would ever go to church, and not find a place to
sit.
Someone
at the local newspaper got wind of this story, and printed it. The next event
that took place was phenomenal!
People
began to send money to the little church, to add to the child’s 57 cents.
The
first step, of course, was to look for a piece of property. When the perfect piece of land was found the
pastor also found that the going price was way out of reach, for this small
congregation.
Just
a few days later, the pastor got an unexpected phone call: The owner of that
several acres of land had heard the pastor was looking at his land. His call to
the pastor was right to the point: “Preacher,” the man began…. “I’d like to sell you my land, but I will
only sell it to you for the asking price!”
Well,
the pastor knew that was a good of land, and well worth the asking price - but
even with all of the miracle-giving – all they had would not pay for the land.
After
a moment of silence, the landowner continued…
“Preacher,
I want fifty seven cents!”
The
Bible Temple Baptist Church of Philadelphia now seats 3300 people; houses a
school; a university and a hospital.
All from a child’s seed of 57 cents!
WHAT’S
IN YOUR HAND TODAY?
