Urgency

I wrote this in 2008 and am astounded how it still rings true:

 

I have had such a sense of urgency.....a feeling of heaviness on my heart. I have been seeing things with eternal eyes, heart breaking, fearful of time slipping away......

I was speaking to the manager of a Christian radio station and she was painting the picture of the average listener....28 years old, married with one child, goes to church once or twice a month out of a sense of obligation, doesn't have a relationship with Jesus....She shared with me the need to reach this woman, bringing the love and hope of Christ. I have been thinking about her, this listener, so much lately.....

At church this morning, we had an awesome sermon on missions given by Mark Wolter, a missionary to Japan. But, as he finished with a prayer and the verses that the harvest is great, but the workers are few, I again felt such a heaviness. 

Do we care that there is an aching world out there in need of Jesus? Do we pursue this mission...to share Christ? Do we reach our hands out to heal, to feed, to care?

At the pool today, I looked around.....neighbors and friends. Where are they spiritually? Are they saved? Are they like the radio listener who flips between Christian radio and the pop station, not really "buying into" this God thing? Not sure what they believe, simply going to church out of duty and obligation.

Perfect bodies, expensive cars, kids begging for parents to come swim while they are sipping beers, chatting, flirting, gossipping, comparing their latest acquisitions.....time slipping away.

Lord, am I doing all I can for You? Lord, am I obeying Your calling? Lord, my heart breaks for those who are missing You, refusing You, denying You...

I love blogging. I love that God is able to work in me and through me to encourage others. I am so thankful that I am able to encourage other Christian women in their faith.

But, last week, I was feeling like I need to doing more to reach out to the lost....not just encouraging those in the faith (but, like I said, I want to continue to do that! I need encouragement and am thankful for it through blogging), but also reaching out to someone who is not strong in her faith. So, as I surfed around, I visited some new blogs.  I also checked out a blog of a witch. (Yes, your read that correctly) This, too, broke my heart. She wants to help make pagan blogs more popular. She talked about spells. But, she was also a mom with mom struggles. 

It is so sad to see the confusion that is out in the world. There may not be lots of witches in our neighborhoods, but there is a world out there turning to other things~ 

appearance, work and careers, materialism (the latest SUV, flat screen TV, handbag....), an affair, TV......

Lord, I pray for this fallen world. I pray for the lost. I pray for the confused. I pray for the reluctant. I pray for the indifferent. I pray for the hopeless.

I pray for the Church. Give us a heart, a desire to spread Your love, Your Truth, Your hope to this world. Lord give us, give ME a boldness to share Christ with this world. Lord, I want to be a worker in Your harvest. Like Isaiah said, "send me!" Lord, I want You to work through me and in me.

Too busy to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus?

My friend Gina wrote:

"It’s is easy to get caught up in our lives and schedules and think we are too busy to open our lives and homes to others. It’s easy to be committed to our own agenda, even our own families, and never open the door of our homes and lives to others. We can get so caught up in our duties–cleaning our house, making perfect meals, having everything in order…following our own schedules…and never allow people to really know us and what God is doing in our lives."

Boy, is she "right on target" here! So often, Satan loves to distract us with so many details that life whirls by and we MISS OUT on so many blessings of just BEING HERE.

Playing board games with the kids.

Smiling at the Target check out girl. In fact, actually LISTENING to her as she talks about her life...... How many times do we take the time to just LISTEN to the people God crosses our paths with?

Calling Mom.

I am such a firm believer in taking time to quietly LISTEN to God in this area. I believe the Holy Spirit is CONSTANTLY laying names of people in our lives on our hearts and minds......people who need to be encouraged in the faith. We never know what a difference one small phone call, email, or visit will make in someone else's life.

Sometimes we get so worried that reaching out will take too much of our precious time.....sometimes we are so saturated with activity that we don't even realize God is calling us to reach out to someone.


Thank You, Jesus for Your Body! May I be a HEALTHY, strong, vibrant, loving part of it! May I be "the hands and feet" of Jesus to all those around me!

One Country, One Community, One Church....I am at the Cafe Today

Is it really the 4th of July? Could it be? For our family, this holiday is quite different than years past….

We are residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. You may have watched our plight on national (or international) news. We experienced the worst flood in the history of Iowa, and possibly the United States. It has been called a “catastrophic event.” The Cedar River crested at almost twelve feet higher than ever in recorded history, 20 feet higher then flood stage. More than 4,000 homes were flooded as 1,300 city blocks were inundated with water. Many of these people can not go back home. They have been “displaced”- living with friends, relatives, in apartments, two shelters set up in area schools, and now possibly FEMA trailers. These people have lost everything. Clothing, material possessions, pictures, keepsakes…..everything. My friend has lost eight homes in her family- it has affected her mother, brothers, sisters, and cousins.....

Please visit the Internet Cafe to finish reading this devotion. Blessings!