A Super Hero Kinda Day

There are numerous others I would have chosen, yet He chose me. He prepared this work beforehand that I should walk in it. I feel like I have to defend myself. I feel it necessary to prove not only my ability (which I can’t even convince myself of, let alone those questioning), but the very calling. “Do you have a degree? Have you done this before? What are your qualifications?” My qualification is my calling. Period.  

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Wise? Mighty? Noble? Not many, and surely not me. Foolish? Weak? Absolutely.

“How do you spell mousse? Like the dessert??” Day one and I’m thrown by a simple word. “Hmmmmm, how about you choose another word.” Yep, I really said that. And no, it wasn’t the end of the world. She chose ‘pudding’ instead, and I can spell that, and class proceeded, and no one died.

Foolish. Weak.

Whom shall I send? Who will go for Me? Pick me! Pick me! If the qualifications are inadequate, unable, under qualified, insufficient, incompetent, defective, imperfect, foolish, and weak, I’m the woman for the job! If He’s looking for someone who can’t glorify in themselves, He’s to look no further!

Strength will rise as you wait upon the Lord.

Wait- to attend as a servant; to supply the wants of.

Yes, Lord! Here I am! Choose me! I desire nothing more, nothing less, than to attend to You as a servant.  And I need nothing other than to be strengthened by the God who shall supply all my need.

And the last shall be first and the first shall be last and this upside-down kingdom makes no sense at all except that when He puts the desire in your heart and calls you to a calling above all you ever dreamed, you are filled with unexplained excitement, joy, and peace, and abilities not your own. I feel like super woman! Maybe I shall wear a cape to class. Jump out of a phone booth! Do they even make phone booths anymore? Today I will be Mrs. S! Super Stephanie! J

Will you be a super hero with me?  

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Five Minute Friday: FOCUS

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY

This week’s prompt- Focus

Ready? Go!

Israel’s Bible. Full of gore, and kings, and stonings, and laws. Books and books of a life requiring works and sacrifices. What can the blood of a young goat do with your sin?

He held up a curtain and placed a light in front of it. He asked the child on the other side of the curtain, “What do you see? Who is the person standing in front of the light, casting SHADOWS on the wall?” The lines were blurry and the beard resembled a tongue and the poor kid could not FOCUS on the reality of the subject.

A shadow of things to come. A shadow of the REAL thing. And now that veil has been lifted and we see JESUS. The Lamb that was slain. The Lamb that willingly gave up His life. The Lamb that shed His blood. Because the blood of goats could do us no favors but to lay more burdens on the hearts of God’s children. Now the Lamb of God is made clear to us, drawing our FOCUS into His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness; into the reality of God’s plan of salvation.

And we get caught up in the rules; the rules that are just a SHADOW. And we miss the One we are to serve, the FOCUS of our lives. The Jesus of the gospels. He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! I challenge you to take a look into Israel’s Bible. Can you see Him? He’s there! The veil is lifted and the lens has been FOCUSED. Pointing us to Him!

Stop.    

                                                                                                                         

Tresta at sharppaynes is faithful to Lisa-Jo’s weekly challenge: take a measly five minutes and write. No over thinking, no backtracking, no ‘wait that’s not spiritual enough, and I can’t share that in cyber city’ mentality. Only writing. Writing for five minutes and risking the outcome. Won’t you join us? Ready? Set. Your turn! 

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I Cast Because He Cares

I don’t doubt the splitting of the sea, the calming of the storm, the turning of water to wine, or even the raising of a dead man. I can clearly envision steel chains and prison bars miraculously being loosed. I am in awe of a God supplying bread from Heaven, not just once or twice or even a hundred times, but day after day for forty years to an ungrateful and undeserving generation.

A God that pours water from rocks and sprouts fruit from sticks? Surely He does the impossible. No doubt nothing is too hard for Him. I know it, and I believe it, and then we open math books, and the directions don’t make sense, and the questions lead to more questions and I am but one teacher. One minute lost in praise and wonder, the next drowning in place value, expanded form, addends, and subtrahends.

And it’s my turn to question the Teacher: Why does it matter, Lord? What is the point of knowing how to write the same number four ways? Can’t we just go back to our carpet, sing more songs, and be showered in the Word? Let’s get back on our knees and just wait- wait for that strength that I so desperately need right now.

The big things are never too big! God is a God of THE BIG. He’s moving mountains and feeding thousands! But what about the small? Forget the thousands, what about the ONE? What about the math? What about the hard questions and the bad attitudes? What happens when there is nothing BIG and I’m surrounded by little? Just me and these little hearts ready to learn and to grow and to soak it all in. Why is it when my trials are ‘small,’ my God becomes even smaller?

“God is many things: a ruling God, a righteous, a judging God, a holy God. He is also a feeling God. He who knows no sin feels for us who do.”

~Beth Moore, Jesus The One and Only.

What a big job it seemed, declaring salvation to the Ninevites. And what a small thing to offer shade for the messenger. Sending the mighty angel to deliver news of a coming messiah? Not so big that God would neglect to comfort the young handmaiden through the confirming proclamation of an over aged aunt.

This God of grace, God of love, this Consuming Fire. He’s surrounded these little ones with angles- angles that present themselves before the Lord Himself- and I take comfort; I rest in complete assurance knowing that at any moment six of these mighty beings are present. Protecting. Ministering. Taking guard over the one appointed to them. Standing strong in my little classroom.

God’s plan is in effect; His works are evident. I CAN see them in the small if I’m not distracted by the big. That smile and those bright eyes when he suddenly ‘gets it.’ When it all makes sense, and who knew rounding to the ten thousandths place was actually this simple! Who knew the God of the Big was concerned about Declaratives, Interrogatives, joining words, and simple subjects. WHO KNEW?!

Cast your cares upon Him ‘cause He cares for you. And I do, and I am! I’m casting and He’s caring and we’re progressing… one punctuation mark at a time. What Little thing are you seeing Him in? Please share!

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