In January, Jeff Taylor told us that as cradle Christians ours is more of a faith story of our growth as a christian. Looking back at my life, a lot of that growth was in micro-mini steps that are hard to quantify.
What I can tell you is that I eventually learned to ask God to guide me when I wasn’t sure what was the right thing to do. A warm feeling in my heart would tell me I was on the right track. If I did not get a warm feeling I took that to mean I needed to rethink what I was doing.
I wish I could tell you that I always stop and ask for guidance, but of course that doesn’t happen! It did teach me to listen for God’s voice.
The next time God spoke to me was many years later before our convocation about becoming a Reconciling Ministry congregation. I hate conflict and had been to enough meetings to know that the convocation would be painful for me. I didn’t want to go, but was feeling guilty, feeling like it was my responsibility to be there. So I was praying. God told me that not only was I going, but I was going to speak! Another thing I don’t like is speaking in front of groups. I said “Ok, but what am going to say? I get tongue tied on all those alphabet letters and besides I don’t like the labels!” God reminded me of Mathew 22:35-40 when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment was and “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord, your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mathew 22: 37-40 NIV) I’m thinking, “Ok. I can do this. Everyone is my neighbor. I don’t need to use those alphabet labels.” I wrote out what I was going to say starting with the bible quote from Mathew. I added that this makes it very easy for me, I want all of our neighbors to know that they are welcome in our church before they come through our doors. Sunday morning before church I was studying what I was going to say and praying to God to help me not to stumble over my words. At this point, God had one more surprise for me. He told me I needed to add that what Jesus says trumps anything else in the Bible! I added it, then took it out. I’m thinking, this is really going to upset some people.God put it back in two more times!
God takes us out of our comfort zones. Every time I have taken that step of faith I have been truly blessed!
Margaret Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment