ministry through new eyes and new insight

It's amazing how the people in your life shape who you are.  This can be such a great thing, and it can also be a dangerous thing.  Who God shapes you to be is what matters.  There is and will be a different opinion from each person you ask.  I've learned to genuinely be myself.  This can be easy and it can also be impossible.  The me God created me to be is constantly changing, growing, evolving, and being shaped slowly, creatively, persistently, into the woman God created me to be.  A book I'm reading right now, by John Ortberg, called, "Me, the me I want to be, becoming God's best version of you," is about this subject.

Two wonderful women called me strong today.  I admit, I know I'm strong.  I believe everyone is strong in ways and everyone has certain weaknesses.  I definitely have both.  A weakness of mine, is that I constantly need to be surrounded by people or else I feel lonely.  This comes with the territory of being a quasi-extrovert.  This weakness can also be a strength.  Through people comes encouragement, at least through the people I choose to hang around.  Encouragement in my faith and/or encouragement by challenging my beliefs.  I love this, and I thrive on this!

Wisdom. Wisdom is knowing not to be limited by set rules that seem to be in place.  Wisdom is challenging and questioning everything.  Even those things you are sure you will "never" change your mind about.  One of those things for me is God.  I have never questioned the existence of God, but I have questioned attributes of God or reasons why God allows certain things to happen.  Such as, "God, why did you allow Priscilla's baby to die?"  Or, "God, why did you allow my sister to stray away from wanting to talk about faith?"  There are so many things I question.  So many things I don't understand.  I've come to accept that I don't have nor do I want to have all the answers.  I want to say only God has all the answers, but do I really know that God does?  I know God knows everything.  God knows what goes through my head every second of the day.  God knows my weaknesses and my temptations, even more than I recognize them.

What can I learn from this?  I've learned it's okay and healthy to question and struggle with things.  To challenge and embrace new ways of thinking.  To being open to listening to non-Christians express who they are and what they believe, and as a Christian not portraying an image that I know nor have all the answers.  Because, frankly, I don't.  And anyone or any organization that claims to know all the answers should be treated with skepticism.  I can stand by what I know to be true.  I can listen knowing my foundation, knowing my roots, and being willing to minister to people by stepping into their culture, whether physically or verbally etc.  Being willing to take risks, to step outside my comfort zone, to search outside the box, and being grounded in my faith and beliefs in God.

Thank you Nadine and Diana for challenging me this afternoon.  Thanks for your listening ears.  Thanks for telling me that being a pastor can "limit" you and thanks for allowing me to disagree.  Thanks for allowing me to share about the gospel.  Thanks for teaching me about one's "inner light."  You two have lights shining so bright from within you, it's hard not to have your lights consume the people whose lives you've touched.  Mine included.

Visiting someone in the hospital, being spirit-led, listening to God's voice, worshiping through song, dance, art, music, creativity, laughing, or however else one wishes to worship, seeing visions, prophesying, speaking in tongues, praying, reading, spreading and preaching God's Word, loving people, teaching about God's love, counseling, listening to people, crying or mourning with the hurting people, laughing and rejoicing with those who have something to laugh about and rejoice over.... amongst so much else.  This is ministry.

"Love the Lord your God with all Your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  And love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22: 37-39

I challenge you to question, with an open mind.  Seek and search for the answers to everything, knowing your roots.  Think BIG.  Dream LARGE.  Trust in God.  LOVE!

What are some things you have questioned?
What things have you changed your mind about over time?
What has happened in your own life that caused you to ask God, "why?"
What does the word "ministry" mean to you?
What are you "afraid" to question?
What helps you "think big, dream large, or trust in God?"