Missing piece...

It's been a while since I have posted. Life really seems to be getting in the way of me sitting down to write for a little bit (smile). I'm hear now. I heard a service today at church that I have never heard spoke before, at least not this particular way. The gist of the service was that we NEED to serve as part of the body of Christ. God has given us all gifts, and talents, and if we don't use what he has given us, to help further his kingdom then you have what is called the "Jenga Effect" (where one piece, can ruin and crumble the whole tower). This is the same as you and I not using what God has given us, to help further his kingdom.

Our youth pastor Adam Dorband did the service this weekend and it was wonderful. I would encourage you to watch and listen to it (Metro South Church, Taylor, MI). But I just want to talk a little on what I heard today and how it really spoke to me.

God has blessed me with a couple amazing gifts, two of them, one of which is being a leader, and the other compassion/giving. I grew up learning that it was always better to give than to receive, and to this day, it has stayed with me. When I was young, even as young as 5/6 years old, I remember going down to the streets of Detroit, and literally passing out hot dogs to the homeless men and women on the streets. I wouldn't just hand out food, but I would try talking with them, and would sing, and just carry on in ways I knew how... I loved their company, and still do. Some people have a REALLY hard time with homeless. Some think that they CHOOSE to live like that, or that they act ENTITLED when you are giving them a handout. In my experience, I can say yes, you will come across the person or two who feel entitled. You may even come across someone who seems to have a lot of potential, but just won't try, and use it. But honestly, most of the time, these men and women are SO completely grateful for what you are doing, whether it's a hot dog or a hat, they smile, and say thank you, with the BIGGEST smile they have! They seriously appreciate the LITTLE things. I was downtown yesterday with some friends and we were feeding them and passing out clothes. I saw a man look to heaven when he had a NEW pair of WARM gloves to put on, he was just so thrilled to have this one pair of gloves!! Thank you GOD, he was saying... over GLOVES!!! I have like 4-5 pair of gloves, that I RARELY use, and I'm pretty sure I never thanked GOD over them.... Anyway, I am getting off track, but these "homeless" people, 9.5 times out of 10, they end up BLESSING me when I serve instead of the other way around.

For the last 6 years at our church I was using these two gifts to direct a little group called Reach: Local. This group of 15-20 people would go out once a month and serve in the surrounding communities, for roughly 3 hours or so on a Saturday. If you would have asked me 4 years ago, what I saw myself doing in 4 years into the future, I would have said, "directing reach local and serving those, who serve others". But in 2012, God started working on me in different ways. I know that I have briefly mentioned here and there on other posts, but God was calling me AWAY from Reach: Local and into other areas of ministry, like speaking and writing.

Now I'm sure you can tell I need some help with the writing; I tend to babel too much, my grammar isn't exactly on target and I use ALL CAPS a lot... lol. But I feel that this is what God IS calling me too... so I am going to run after it, and use what HE has given me, and put my faith in him to accomplish it. See, if I was to just sit by, on the sideline, and not do what I know he is calling me too... then I too could be that missing Jenga piece that causes the tower to come crashing down.

You might be thinking, "well, that's awfully bold of you to say, that YOU could cause the whole tower to come crashing down, just by not doing your part?" HOW is that possible. If you were to read through Ephesians 4:1-16, I think you would know EXACTLY what I am talking about - When we serve and use what God has given us we are doing GODS work, and we are most like Jesus when we serve and are his HANDS AND FEET.

Adam said it like this, imagine you are really dehydrated, I mean really dehydrated, you would do just about ANYTHING to have even 1 drink of water... and when you get that drink of water, it's like nothing you ever tasted before, you are in "heaven", you take that drink and sigh with relief! Well, when we get plugged in and realize what you were made to do, it's like drinking that water, it's an amazing feeling to know that God has given you "this" and you are using "it" to help further the kingdom and bring GLORY to his name!

So get up, off the bench and jump in. If you don't know what your gifts are, it's OK, once you start serving and seeking, GOD is BOUND to show you. He created you for HUGE things, you have no idea. So don't be the MISSING piece, instead of falling to ground, jump in with both feet... he will never leave you. I am excited to see how God is going to use my speaking and writing to help further his kingdom... with man everything is impossible, but with God, ALL things are possible - even me writing and finishing a BOOK :) He has given me a story, and only the devil himself, doesn't want me sharing it. It brings ALL the glory to the one and only TRUE God.. and for that, I am forever grateful for. I am THRILLED that God has painted this story for me to share, what's our story? What did God give you to share? Don't wait. Every minute could be our last.