I will tell you what God has done for me...

When I first arrived here at Grace, I was trying to think of ways that I could engage the other staff members and be able to integrate myself into their team.  One night as I was thinking about it, I had the idea that I should have a one-on-one time with each of them.  My hope was that I would do most of the listening while they talked about themselves.  Looking back on that idea, I realize now that it was a direct revelation of God's wisdom through the Holy Spirit into my brain.

You see, over the past two weeks the staff have made appointments with me for this time of listening.    I have asked them to share with me their spiritual journey.  I wanted them to feel free to visit with me while not feeling obligated to share everything.  I have to admit, each time I have sat down with them I have been blown away by their stories.  Time after time I have heard them share powerful testimonies of God calling them out of the world.  I have heard of his amazing protection during physically dangerous situations.  I have heard their frustrations, their triumphs, their pains, and even their healings...all the while learning to trust God and turning their lives over more and more to God's guidance and leading.

Sometimes, I think that we forget that God is at work in lives across the world.  While God might be comforting us through a trial or pain, he is also celebrating with someone else through a time of joy.  While we might feel distant from God, someone else feels closer to him than they ever have.

I guess what these interviews have done for me is to help me understand these men and women with whom I am now in ministry.  Their stories are now a part of me.  I was amazingly blessed through them.  I have told the staff more than once how excited I am to be in ministry with them.  But now that I've finished the interviews, I have to admit that I am the one who needs to take a backseat to them.  These people are truly the salt of the earth...they are the lights of the world taking Christ's light to others.

I am humbled knowing that they have trusted me with their stories...they have made themselves vulnerable by sharing their spiritual intimacy with me.  In Psalm 66 we are told "Come and see God's deeds; his works for human beings are awesome:...Come close and listen, all you who honor God; I will tell you what God has done for me..."

The truth behind these words is what makes our testimonies so powerful.  People can argue about the existence of God, they can claim the Bible is bogus, and they can even doubt that a man named Jesus ever lived.  But what they can't take from us...what they can never disprove is our own testimony.  As a Church, we must always be ready to tell people what God has done in our lives.  We must always be prepared to share God's mighty deeds in our lives.

So this week, share your stories.  Become vulnerable to your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Tell others what God has done.  The psalmist is exactly right, God's works for human beings are awesome!

Until next time...


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