POWERFUL VULNERABILITY

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)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.” - Brennan Manning

Yesterday I was in Cleveland meeting and sharing with some leaders from www.greaterthanheroin.com, "a group of civic and religious leaders from Northeast Ohio committed to addressing the heroin epidemic through understanding, collaboration, and awareness."

A wonderful man, Father Stec, is leading the effort and dotted throughout the room were a bevy of concerned folks and difference makers.  I was and am honored to help lead them to further collaboration and impact in conjunction with my dear friend(s) from the Attorney General’s office.

Yet it was during introductions that I was MOST moved.

Her name is Ashley.  She was frail.  She was very vulnerable.

Seated next to her was her teary mom and still shaky dad.

Yet BRAVELY Ashley stood and told all of us of her journey, that she was now 16 months removed from the “slavery that was heroin addiction”. And now SHE and her family were ready and willing to SHARE with others HER healing gift; her relationship with GOD and with the others who helped free her.

After she sat down to hearty applause, I was reminded of this little quote from Manning.

Many of us ashamed of our pasts and missteps miss what GOD can do with that experience; that journey.  Manning was astute when he surmised that often due to shame and guilt, the lies that the enemy plants in our head, the fear of judgment, instead of illuminating our deliverance and healing we conceal it, never allowing it to breathe life into others.

Ashley’s vulnerability brought LIGHT and HOPE to the team assembled to help others like her.  Her willingness to be open and authentic gave possibility to an otherwise seeming impossible task; to rid our communities of the scourge that is addiction.

Paul called all of us to be like Ashley, to remember that our hard times, our journeys are not to be hidden, but shared boldly as evidence of GOD’S amazing investment in each of us and faithfulness to each of us!

He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort - we get a full measure of that, too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. - 1 Corinthians 4:4-6 (MSG)

Often the greater ministers are those who get this from the Apostle Paul; those who share the evidence of GOD’S unwavering love; especially through the hard times.

So, I leave you with this little thought that I often share when I am speaking around the state these days.  It reminds us of the importance of vulnerability and its potential impact on our individual ministries!

“Ministry means the ongoing attempt to put one's own search for God, with all the moments of pain and joy, despair and hope, at the disposal of those who want to join this search but do not know how.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

So the question today is clear.

Will you be as vulnerable as Ashley to help another in their search for GOD or through a hard time; to minister?

I love you all.

Have a blessed DAY!!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE