I believe God created each of us with a unique purpose to touch the lives of specific people. Before I made a personal commitment to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, I never paid much attention to this concept, as I was far too concerned with my prideful lifestyle of many meaningless and selfish ambitions. This is not to say that the Lord was not working out many good things during my years of separation from Him. In fact, I know now that He was there all along. It is because of that time period and still my ongoing daily stumbles with sin, that give me the knowledge of a deep and personal understanding of the massiveness of God’s mercy, grace and love for me. We cannot appreciate the complete forgiveness God offers us until we realize the depths of our sins.
As I now journey along this life with the Lord, I am becoming increasingly aware of His desire to use each one of us for His glory. He has been preparing me, and always will be, for something big. The idea of being used for His glory is my heart‘s passion. Two years ago I may have claimed His glory was my heart’s passion, but if I would have been candid about my true desires back then, I would have exposed how important it was for me to fit the “mold” of how the world views beauty. Praise God for His mercy to reach out and touch a helpless soul like me and so today I can say with both humility and sincerity, to be used for the Lord is indeed my greatest honor and joy. However, just like any Christian, I must fight against the flesh and attacks of Satan through which one can be so easily distracted from His calling.
God’s various callings upon my life at times have seemed “small-scale“, but once I truly embraced those “small” callings He began giving me more clarity as to the magnitude and importance of those callings. In Matthew 25:21 Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Now, I find I’m faced with a new calling. A calling I have not ever dreamed or imagined myself having. A calling that requires me to be fully surrendered to God. A calling that demands me to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. A calling that only through His strength will my weaknesses be transformed to accomplish the call. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) A calling that is somewhat intimidating and one I would consider “large-scale.”
To deny this calling from the Holy Spirit and run in fear without a single person knowing it would be easy. How simple it would be to justify and reason away this calling right off the radar of my future. In fact, I don’t even have to mention this calling to anyone. (Well, I have actually already told my husband, Trey, and a few of my close family and friends. Those who know me at all, know I am about as transparent as they come. This has proved, at times, to be one of my best qualities and at other times gotten me in trouble.) I could sweep this calling under the rug and there would be no accountability, right? Hello! God is the One who placed the calling on my life, He knows everything, and He is the One I am accountable to. I am both exhilarated and scared all at the same time. Before me lies a choice. I can hold fast to the calling I am sensing from the Holy Spirit or I can squelch the Spirit’s leading and risk missing out on being used by God. When I think through these two options of responding, the anointing that remains in me triumphs. I cannot deny the calling I am hearing from the Holy Spirit.
Lord, you have laid on my heart a call to help the orphans. I can’t see right now how this will materialize in my family, but I am trusting you to guide me every step of the way. This call seems overwhelming when I see the barriers in place that must be climbed to rescue one orphan and at times I wonder what good it will be to rescue just one out of the millions. But Lord, I know you have placed this longing in my heart for a reason and I know to that one child who my family might receive one day, it will mean everything to them. I don’t have any one close to me who has gone through the adoption process and I honestly don’t know where to begin. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Into your hands I commit my heart, mind and soul. May I be your humbled servant, wholeheartedly surrendered and available for any call you place in my heart. Lord, guard my mind against any attacks trying to discourage me from your call. Surround me with supportive family and friends to inspire me and build me up for what lies ahead. I love you, trust you, and look forward to your will being fulfilled in my life for your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
As I now journey along this life with the Lord, I am becoming increasingly aware of His desire to use each one of us for His glory. He has been preparing me, and always will be, for something big. The idea of being used for His glory is my heart‘s passion. Two years ago I may have claimed His glory was my heart’s passion, but if I would have been candid about my true desires back then, I would have exposed how important it was for me to fit the “mold” of how the world views beauty. Praise God for His mercy to reach out and touch a helpless soul like me and so today I can say with both humility and sincerity, to be used for the Lord is indeed my greatest honor and joy. However, just like any Christian, I must fight against the flesh and attacks of Satan through which one can be so easily distracted from His calling.
God’s various callings upon my life at times have seemed “small-scale“, but once I truly embraced those “small” callings He began giving me more clarity as to the magnitude and importance of those callings. In Matthew 25:21 Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Now, I find I’m faced with a new calling. A calling I have not ever dreamed or imagined myself having. A calling that requires me to be fully surrendered to God. A calling that demands me to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. A calling that only through His strength will my weaknesses be transformed to accomplish the call. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) A calling that is somewhat intimidating and one I would consider “large-scale.”
To deny this calling from the Holy Spirit and run in fear without a single person knowing it would be easy. How simple it would be to justify and reason away this calling right off the radar of my future. In fact, I don’t even have to mention this calling to anyone. (Well, I have actually already told my husband, Trey, and a few of my close family and friends. Those who know me at all, know I am about as transparent as they come. This has proved, at times, to be one of my best qualities and at other times gotten me in trouble.) I could sweep this calling under the rug and there would be no accountability, right? Hello! God is the One who placed the calling on my life, He knows everything, and He is the One I am accountable to. I am both exhilarated and scared all at the same time. Before me lies a choice. I can hold fast to the calling I am sensing from the Holy Spirit or I can squelch the Spirit’s leading and risk missing out on being used by God. When I think through these two options of responding, the anointing that remains in me triumphs. I cannot deny the calling I am hearing from the Holy Spirit.
Lord, you have laid on my heart a call to help the orphans. I can’t see right now how this will materialize in my family, but I am trusting you to guide me every step of the way. This call seems overwhelming when I see the barriers in place that must be climbed to rescue one orphan and at times I wonder what good it will be to rescue just one out of the millions. But Lord, I know you have placed this longing in my heart for a reason and I know to that one child who my family might receive one day, it will mean everything to them. I don’t have any one close to me who has gone through the adoption process and I honestly don’t know where to begin. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Into your hands I commit my heart, mind and soul. May I be your humbled servant, wholeheartedly surrendered and available for any call you place in my heart. Lord, guard my mind against any attacks trying to discourage me from your call. Surround me with supportive family and friends to inspire me and build me up for what lies ahead. I love you, trust you, and look forward to your will being fulfilled in my life for your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
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