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.
I know that I'm not worthy to call upon your name
All my life I've been a sinner and for that I am ashamed
But I heard that you would listen so I'm giving you my plea
I'm too unworthy Lord, to come to you
Could you please come down to me?
I know that there are others who could offer more than I
I promise you I'd understand if for me you had no time
I think I've just hit bottom and I'm looking up to see
I'm too unworthy, Lord, to come to you
Could you please come down to me?
I guess I must be reaping from the seeds that I have sown
Lord, you owe me nothing, we haven't spoken for so long
If you could spare some mercy I'll pledge my life to thee
I'm too unworthy, Lord, to come to you
Could you please come down to me? – Crabb Family
So, yesterday was a weird day.
I walked into what I thought was to be my new temporary office and found it in disarray.
Hence, I needed to take refuge in a conference room and after getting to work, I learned that we not only had one of last week’s referrals run from her treatment back to prostitution, but a kid we were desperately trying to convince that this current strain of heroin/fentanyl is nothing to trifle with as she lay in a hospital bed following an overdose went back to “it”. Not to mention another report of a loss of life to overdose.
It was a pretty hard core morning.
Then I get a text.
A friend who I just recently took to our partner in Hillsboro only to have him leave after 60 days, was wanting to return. With no one else to provide a ride, I packed up and picked him up and off to Hillsboro we went.
But I am so glad I got to pick him up. Despite still being high from an early morning wake and bake, he and I had a powerful “truth” session as we meandered the hills of southern Ohio. He shared with me his recent struggles, his persistent loneliness, and his intense fear.
You see my friend suffers deeply from what the lyricist of that little song that opened today’s OFH suffers from; a deep feeling and sense of unworthiness. Yet he remarked that yesterday was a day when GOD was indeed coming down to him. In fact, as he was sharing his recent struggles, he shared another little interesting experience.
As I mentioned, my friend had recently abandoned our recovery partner only to find himself alone on the highway, feet blistered, feeling the effects of once again “letting down the Lord”, thirsty, tired, and just trying to get from Hillsboro to “anywhere”. It was then when he paused and just prayed.
About that time a tatted, pierced little firework named AGATHA pulled up to provide a ride.
And as they rode from “wherever” back to Xenia, Agatha shared her story, instilled a new hope in him for she too was an addict who was recovering and now just "giving back" and my friend quickly realized this was no coincidence; GOD had again come down to him. He said he wouldn’t have chosen AGATHA, in fact she was the first AGATHA he had ever met, but GOD came come down to us in a variety of ways.
He believes Agatha was an angel. I would tend to agree. And AGATHA’S message of hope and possibility stuck with him and yesterday he decided to finally take her counsel and get back to recovery.
You see, GOD doesn’t see us unworthy.
GOD doesn’t recoil in disgust from us.
Never.
He never withholds mercy or investment. He always has time for us.
And He is always ready to come down to us when we need Him.
No questions asked.
No pre-approvals needed.
No surprise given…
Psalm 18:6 - In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
And He responds!
You feeling unworthy today?
Needing GOD to show up?
Call on the LORD. His ears are perked.
Perhaps GOD has an AGATHA waiting in the wings to come down to you too.
I love you all!
OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE
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