I am the Lord's servant" Mary answered, May it be to me as you have said~Luke 1:38
In this chapter we looked at having a willing spirit and heart. It was kind of funny because right before the lesson started Whit had an announcement about a need for help with the Awana Parents program in a few weeks. They needed women to bake cookies and then to help serve. As she's asking for help and starting to pass the sign up sheet around I kid you not this is going through my head... I am coming up with 8978079897 reasons why I am unable to help out that night.
I can't cook very well..
People are so much more talented than me.. I should let someone else do it...
But I wanted a free night!!
I wonder how long I'd have to be there..
and on it goes...
Well the sign up sheet got to me and before I even realized what was going on, I was writing my name in the blank spot for people to serve. (I later became the head of that committee but i digress!ha!)
As I sign up and wonder what on earth I'm doing, and why my pen is moving from my own accord.... Karen starts to teach us this lesson.
I will stop and say now that seriously God has taught me each and every stinkin week THE HARD WAY, whatever lesson we are studying that week. This week was of course the same.
I really loved how Karen brought this lesson to life because she really brought it down home for me, real life examples, and things that i tell myself to get out of serving or doing something I should! When we hit that point I was suddenly very happy that I had signed up on that sheet! HA!
I want to quote some things that Joanna Weaver says in her book "Having a Mary Spirit" I pink underlined and highlighted all of these as they really hit home.
"When you keep in mind that your whole life is holy ground, you keep yourself open to the wonderful opportunities he has planned for you.."
"Once you say yes to the Lord, you won't know exactly where you end up. but you can know you'll always find your way home"
"Its amazing what God can do with a heart surrendered to him. A heat that says yes in spite of the cost"
"To applaud the will of God, to do the will of God, even to fight for the will of God is not difficult... untill it comes at cross-purposes with our will. Then the lines are drawn, the debate begins and self-deception takes over"-Richard Foster
"Don't be so addicted to details that you miss the opportunity to join God on great adventures. When his spirit speaks to you, say yes. Choose to believe God will accomplish what he's promised. Rejoice in it. Then trust God to handle the rest."
And this one REALLY steps on my toes!!
"For, too often, when God invites us to join him in his work, we run ahead trying to hep him out. Rather than allowing the Lord to work out his plan in his own time, we pull out our penknives and try to force open the bud before it was meant to blossom. And whenever we do, we cause trouble"
ohhhh boy howdy that pretty much speaks for almost every relationship I have had!! Haven't we all been there before? Thinking we know whats best and oh let me just take care of this Lord, want to make sure its done right, the way *I* want it!!
But thankfully
"God always sees a bigger picture than we do. And although he loves us with tender passion, he will use whatever method is needed to make us more like His Son. Even though it hurts. Even when he struggle to understand"
Apes and I were talking about this point recently. Last year was a really hard, horrible year for me. I went through things I never thought I would have to go through and couldn't understand WHY I had to go through them. I was in a storm and I fought SO HARD to keep things the way I wanted the way I thought they should be. And when it ended I couldn't figure out why. My plan was so great, and yet it had all crumbled and I was left with nothing.
I wonder if God was shaking his head at me at that point. Saying, my child, if you only knew if you only had a small little glimpse of the blessings and happiness I have in store for you. Just you wait.
I can say now that I would go through that storm and do it all over again just to be where God has me now. So many things that I have wanted for so long are now happening and they are directly from him taking me through that fire last year. I had no clue when I was going through it, NO CLUE AT ALL!!! It really amazes me what God can do. And yet I still stubbornly try to do things my way...
"I wonder, what God could do through you and me if we stop questioning his plan, stop trying to understand, and simlpy say yes. What new, miraculous work could God accomplish in our world if just one or two of us said, "May it be to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38) I don't know about you, but I want to find out. "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8)
That really has become the verse I've been focusing on and praying the past few weeks, Here am I Lord, send me, no matter the cost.
In this chapter we looked at having a willing spirit and heart. It was kind of funny because right before the lesson started Whit had an announcement about a need for help with the Awana Parents program in a few weeks. They needed women to bake cookies and then to help serve. As she's asking for help and starting to pass the sign up sheet around I kid you not this is going through my head... I am coming up with 8978079897 reasons why I am unable to help out that night.
I can't cook very well..
People are so much more talented than me.. I should let someone else do it...
But I wanted a free night!!
I wonder how long I'd have to be there..
and on it goes...
Well the sign up sheet got to me and before I even realized what was going on, I was writing my name in the blank spot for people to serve. (I later became the head of that committee but i digress!ha!)
As I sign up and wonder what on earth I'm doing, and why my pen is moving from my own accord.... Karen starts to teach us this lesson.
I will stop and say now that seriously God has taught me each and every stinkin week THE HARD WAY, whatever lesson we are studying that week. This week was of course the same.
I really loved how Karen brought this lesson to life because she really brought it down home for me, real life examples, and things that i tell myself to get out of serving or doing something I should! When we hit that point I was suddenly very happy that I had signed up on that sheet! HA!
I want to quote some things that Joanna Weaver says in her book "Having a Mary Spirit" I pink underlined and highlighted all of these as they really hit home.
"When you keep in mind that your whole life is holy ground, you keep yourself open to the wonderful opportunities he has planned for you.."
"Once you say yes to the Lord, you won't know exactly where you end up. but you can know you'll always find your way home"
"Its amazing what God can do with a heart surrendered to him. A heat that says yes in spite of the cost"
"To applaud the will of God, to do the will of God, even to fight for the will of God is not difficult... untill it comes at cross-purposes with our will. Then the lines are drawn, the debate begins and self-deception takes over"-Richard Foster
"Don't be so addicted to details that you miss the opportunity to join God on great adventures. When his spirit speaks to you, say yes. Choose to believe God will accomplish what he's promised. Rejoice in it. Then trust God to handle the rest."
And this one REALLY steps on my toes!!
"For, too often, when God invites us to join him in his work, we run ahead trying to hep him out. Rather than allowing the Lord to work out his plan in his own time, we pull out our penknives and try to force open the bud before it was meant to blossom. And whenever we do, we cause trouble"
ohhhh boy howdy that pretty much speaks for almost every relationship I have had!! Haven't we all been there before? Thinking we know whats best and oh let me just take care of this Lord, want to make sure its done right, the way *I* want it!!
But thankfully
"God always sees a bigger picture than we do. And although he loves us with tender passion, he will use whatever method is needed to make us more like His Son. Even though it hurts. Even when he struggle to understand"
Apes and I were talking about this point recently. Last year was a really hard, horrible year for me. I went through things I never thought I would have to go through and couldn't understand WHY I had to go through them. I was in a storm and I fought SO HARD to keep things the way I wanted the way I thought they should be. And when it ended I couldn't figure out why. My plan was so great, and yet it had all crumbled and I was left with nothing.
I wonder if God was shaking his head at me at that point. Saying, my child, if you only knew if you only had a small little glimpse of the blessings and happiness I have in store for you. Just you wait.
I can say now that I would go through that storm and do it all over again just to be where God has me now. So many things that I have wanted for so long are now happening and they are directly from him taking me through that fire last year. I had no clue when I was going through it, NO CLUE AT ALL!!! It really amazes me what God can do. And yet I still stubbornly try to do things my way...
"I wonder, what God could do through you and me if we stop questioning his plan, stop trying to understand, and simlpy say yes. What new, miraculous work could God accomplish in our world if just one or two of us said, "May it be to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38) I don't know about you, but I want to find out. "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8)
That really has become the verse I've been focusing on and praying the past few weeks, Here am I Lord, send me, no matter the cost.
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