Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Romans 12 (MSG)
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.
Fix your attention on GOD.
Change will happen. Inward change will translate into outward.
With attention fixed on GOD the mundane will suddenly seem more purposeful. With attention fixed on GOD the usual will suddenly have unusual impact.
GOD is asking us to INTENTIONAL with our “fix”. He is saying through PAUL to take the EVERYDAY and make it HIS. He is saying that TODAY is HIS so offer what you are doing with it to HIM and WATCH what GOD will do. It will be the BEST thing you can do with today.
So don’t just look at today as another TUESDAY. Rather EMBRACE what GOD has planned for you today by fixing your eyes, ears and spirit on what HE is wanting to show and say.
“We encounter God in the ordinariness of life: not in the search for spiritual highs and extraordinary, mystical experiences but in our simple presence in life.” Manning
Case in point:
I was coming through the McDonalds drive thru late last evening picking up a sandwich for my son. The McDonalds is just up the street from my home so I am in and out of that drive thru frequently.
Barb is one of the workers there.
Some time ago Barb came to the JEREMIAH TREE on her last legs.
She had lost her job.
She was close to eviction.
She was scared and desperate.
But she had an open heart and an EMBRACING spirit.
We were so fortunate through quite a few partners and friends to help Barb out of the mess and back to her feet.
She found a new job at McDonalds and while she still has days of struggle, I never encounter Barb when she is not being THANKFUL. And what I appreciate most about Barb is that she takes her NORMAL EVERYDAY WALKING AROUND LIFE, a life attached to that headset and the phrase “Welcome to McDonalds may I take your order” and places it as an offering before GOD.
So as I was getting my sandwich, it was late enough that there wasn’t much traffic behind me, so Barb and I caught up a little through the window.
It was then she shared that recently during her shift more and more folks were “paying forward” for the cars behind them. She was so encouraged by that; so thankful for her FRONT ROW seat.
Then she said something that was extraordinary.
She said, "Pastor Delaney (she is “still a little formal with me); I get to SEE and SHARE GOD everyday through my little drive thru window. This is my “church” most days. I get to smile, give good service and then get to watch others share with each other. Yep, GOD hangs out here in my window every time I am working.”
WOW!
What an attitude.
Here is a person who when she was in my office never stopped crying during our sessions due to her plight. She was so broken by her circumstances and troubles. But now, even after a 10+ hour shift on her feet dealing with “the public” she was beaming from ear to ear to share what GOD was doing in her ORDINARY EVERYDAY “burger and fry world”.
We can learn a lot from Barb.
You see you don’t have to have Pastor or Teacher in front of your name to SEE and SHARE the GOSPEL. You don’t have to have a myriad of letters or credentials chasing your name on your business card to obey GOD's promptings.
Rather GOD inspires us in the ORDINARIES of our lives. All we need to do is say YES.
“I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.” ― Bob Goff
Thank you Barb, for being aware and SAYING YES!
I love you ALL!
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