SEE Them!

I've been questioned by non Christians how we hear from God. Is it an audible voice booming down from the heavenly clouds or is it something subtle like a breeze that comes out of nowhere, gently caressing your face and then it's gone. I would have to say it's both and probably more.

I believe when you are actively spending time with God, through morning devotions, reading your Bible, praying, and following in the path that He has laid out for you, it becomes easier to hear his voice. Sometimes it sounds like your own voice in your head and the way I can tell the difference is how it measures up to God's Word and my will.

Sometimes music can even lead us to something God wants us to address. For me, it has been extending my own world beyond the population of one. The song by Matthew West addresses the point perfectly. If you haven't heard the song before I would encourage you to listen to it. But more than that, let it move you to do something beyond listening and push you to the doing part. Here are the lyrics:

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I've never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world: population -- me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts
And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see
It's easy to do when its population -- me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world

Stopped till the red light, looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said, "Help this homeless widow"
And just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, "God, what have I been doing?"
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached population two

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world, ooh, my own little world, ooh

Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours
Give me open hands and open doors
Put Your light in my eyes and let me see
That my own little world is not about me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
That I could be living right now

I don't wanna miss what matters
I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now
Outside my own little world, my own little world, my own little world!

So the point, opportunities for us to increase our own little world population exist every single day. But I warn you, you have to also question your motives. Are you doing it because you feel lead or simply to try and fill your heavenly warehouse with more rewards? God's going to test all the things we do to see if they past the fire test. Only those that fall in line with His perfect will, pass without being burned up.

God creates these divine appointments every day. They could be the fact you have a little extra cash laying around and it could really bless someone. Perhaps getting the man sitting outside the local Starbucks a cup of coffee and a muffin. Perhaps it is giving someone money who asks, or even offering to help someone out without expecting anything in return just because you can.

The thing that God brought to my attention yesterday was two simple words. My A-ha moment.
"SEE THEM." Which meant not simply noticing they are there but to look them in the eyes as the song suggests. How many times do we avoid eye contact, because they might just ask us for something and we simply don't want to give them anything. But we are missing something greater.

The ability to thaw and break our hardened hearts. To feel again, something more than what is in it for us.

One of my intuitive senses is to be able to look at someone and get an idea of what they are going through despite what they tell me. Sometimes I see pain, shame, anger, hurt, and a desperate need to matter. Yet we miss it because we don't see them. We don't want to see them, because then we would be accountable to God someday for why we didn't do anything.

These people are crying out not to be ignored any more. To matter. To know that not everyone will simply pass them by. Lord, let the ones reading this be impacted in the most amazing way to act as Your hands and feet today in some way. Like the words from Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life , Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

Oh how I pray that each time, you come across ANYONE, you look them in the eyes. That you offer a simple smile, a kind word, a compliment. I hope God pushes you so far out of your comfort zone, to go out of your way to do something, that when you do, the emotion you feel afterward will be enough to leave you smiling for a long, long time and the memory never fades.

I hope that when you see someone, that you simply pray and ask God how He wants you to handle it. I guarantee it won't be nothing. So my goal for you today, is for you to increase your own little population to include a whole lot more people. This is the time to make a difference, but remember, check your motives. But I promise you, it will be worth more to you, than what you do for them.

Remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

How Hard Has Your Heart Become?

Last night at church was a time for both reflection and if I must say, a bit of conviction. We were asked if we have ever been hurt before, and I can honestly say, I think that everyone had raised their hand, mine included. I mean who hasn't. Even as believers when we face the pain of rejection from a friend or even a family member, we have a tendency to harden our hearts. We put up those walls to ensure that no one will hurt us like that again.

We can see evidence even in the lives of believers. We find ourselves becoming a bit hardened ourselves when our efforts to reach the lost come back void. When after all those attempts at sharing the gospel message is rejected again and again. Just what will it take to reach those people.

Compassion for one.

Compassion defined simply put is love in action.

God has called every single one of us as believers to be an active participant. Not simply to walk away when the going gets tough. In fact we are challenged not to leave when it's hard, but to leave when it's easy instead.

I mean you can see countless times where we, as believers in Jesus, can grow hard. When we pass that homeless person who is still sitting at that same corner with the same sign asking for money. You have a firm belief they are just faking it to make a quick buck and not get a real job.

Oh what about those noisy neighbors that refuse to turn the music down, clean up their yards, or simply be a part of the community. Why even reach out yet again? All of our efforts have failed this far.

Or what about the person who keeps emailing you, leaving negative comments on your Facebook page, Twitter or Blog telling you what a joke your faith in Christ is? Why even engage that person?

Because God has called us to.

I love the quote from G. Campbell Morgan which states it pretty clear,

“Organized Christianity that fails to make a disturbance is dead.”

So what does that mean for us?

It means we need to get out of our comfort zone and spread compassion to our friends and family. It means we need to help others. There are so many hurting people who have thrown up their hands in frustration simply believing that we care for possessions, our position and protection more than we do people.

And you know what, they are right!

We have do have a heart for God in order to love people. Our mission trip in our lives is to serve Christ wherever we are. We don't have to travel to another country. We can get to our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, our community and share compassion with them.

How many of your coworkers are having a difficult time in their marriages, their relationships with their children, their addictions, their finances, and we have no clue? How many young teens are struggling just to find one person who cares anymore about them? How can we help?

That is simply all they are looking for.

Someone to help.

Perhaps it's buying a coworker coffee today, or taking them to lunch. Visiting your neighbor and bringing them cookies. Helping to fill a friend or family member's gas tank when they are struggling to make ends meet. If you are able, how about helping to pay a person's bill or bills for the month? What about simply volunteering more to help out where you can?

What a difference we would make in the lives of unbelievers if we simply stepped outside ourselves and putting all we have into the hands of Jesus and allowing Him to work through us.

How about if you join what God is doing right now.

Wherever you are....be all there.

Use what you have to help someone else.

Stop making every excuse and make every effort instead.

I challenge you today, to make a difference to someone today whomever God puts in your path. Reach out, even if its uncomfortable. See what a difference it will make. They might not even share what that impact has had, but God knows and that is good enough for us. He sees it!

Jesus said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” Matthew 20:25-28 (The Message.) 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for an amazing message in church last night. Often times we forget our true mission as believers, to take the Good News into all the world and share not only our testimony but what having You in our lives has done to change us. Help us to look around and not be so hardened by what we see. Help us to have softened hearts and to break them in ways we can see those people sitting right next to us at work, or in our neighborhoods or schools that are so broken and in need of help. I ask that you provide us with divine insight to know just how to help them. Let us be more compassionate to where people are in their lives. They may be experiencing brokenness in their marriages, their relationships with their children, facing overcoming an unexpected illness or an addiction, or simply trying to make ends meet to pay their bills this month. Let us reach out to our neighbors today, whomever that may be. Let us offer to buy them lunch, fill their gas tanks, go for coffee or simply if we are able to help pay their bills. Help us to not miss the opportunities you have placed in our laps today, Father, but to extend Your helping hand to show others the love you have for them today. In Jesus Name ~ AMEN

Giving Back This Christmas!

WOW! Where has all the time gone?

It's almost the end of the year already and Christmas is just literally around the corner! I wanted to begin to share with you unique ways to celebrate this Christmas season through my blog post and gain your insight as well.

So many are hurting this year and find the task of providing a meal for their family much less gifts for their children overwhelming. They may in fact be your neighbor next door. This economy hasn't "changed" much for the better as we would have all liked to have seen it by this time. Some of us are still looking for jobs. Some of us are still trying to find a home to live in.

In light of these, charities are struggling because they depend on donations to keep afloat. Even those large corporate sponsors are cutting back and not making their standard donation.

I found a great way to make a one time donation if you are able. This is what we will be doing as our charitable act this year. You simply take all of the ages of those living in your home. For us it would be 49, 44, 20, and 14 and add them up. Ours totals: 127. Now write out a check as a one time donation in that amount and send it to your charity of your choice.

It can be a church, the Salvation Army, a homeless shelter, or any number of great charities out there. The point is to keep spreading the kindness. To share the love of Christ with so many that are hurting this year. Don't forget to check on your neighbor or even a family member you haven't spoken to in some time. Pride is the most difficult thing to get passed and be able to ask for help.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this, so please share in the comments below!

Material Possessions

One of my most favorite things to do over the weekend is to yard sale or garage sale. Yes, I am one of those early risers who seeks our the local paper, plots my plan of attack and spend a few hours looking through stuff people are selling. In fact some of my best deals have been discovered at Estate Sales! I don't always have a goal in mind but I do have a price point in which I won't overspend. For me, it's a way of helping people who are selling off what they have spent a lifetime accumulating and are moving on to a different way of life.

In fact just this morning I woke up with such a burden on my heart based on an Estate Sale my husband and I went to just last weekend. It wasn't even one that was published in the local paper. We were on our way to one yard sale when we spotted a plywood sign with the words Estate Sale spray painted on it. Through a series of negotiated turns and looking for more signs, we came upon a single story older ranch home. The front yard was overgrown with dead or dying hedges and bushes and the garage was open, revealing a mound of what appeared to be trash in the center.

We called out a hello to see if we landed on the right place, and a young teen ventured out of the house with his head down apparently in the middle of texting someone on his phone. We asked if he was in fact having an Estate Sale and where it might be? He pointed into the garage and said, "You can start in the garage and then in the house. It's all for sale." He never looked up just kept right on texting and headed back into the house.

My husband and I both looked at one another and wondered if this was for real or not. But like most explorers we ventured forward. The mound in the garage was literally piled high with boxes with stuff spilling out of them. Neither of us wanted to attempt tackling that pile and wondered what the house might offer. It was simply more of the same. Strewn all over the house it looked like someone had literally ransacked this home and all the remnants were left wherever they happen to fall. There were old figurines that lay broken on an old table, and just stuff as far as the eye could see. The young teen we met in the garage sat on a chair in the kitchen, nose still deep into his texting.

My hubby asked if this was his home, and without looking up, he said it was his grandmothers house. "If you see anything you want, make me an offer." He went back to texting. As I walked around and over piles of debris on the floor I wondered if this is how the women who used to live here, left her home or was this what was left after the family came through and just took what they wanted? As I looked at the books, records, furniture or stuff this women collected over the years, I grew sadden. Is this what our lives will look like long after we are gone? Will people come along and dig through our personal things, taking what they want, what they think they can sell and simply leave all the rest behind for someone to pilfer through? What about all the memories that they left behind caught up in the things they bought, collected or kept?

It reminded me of what God tells us about collect material possessions here on earth where they don't last and instead spend our time, precious as it is, collecting possessions in heaven where this will never happen. What a truly memorable moment for me. In fact, my husband and I talked about it as well picked up a few records and figurines that this is what lies ahead for all the stuff we own here on earth. When our time comes, people will determine what our stuff is worth and either keep it, sell it or simply throw it away. Nothing we buy in this lifetime will be waiting for us in heaven. It is simply passed down, sold or thrown away. Puts a completely different spin on what we think our net worth and value are.

In fact just this morning, my brother and I were having a conversation and he was sharing how one person he met had a net worth of more than a billion dollars. You would never think about it looking at this man. I countered his comment with I'd rather have a net worth of more than a billion dollars in heaven than one here on earth. Sure it might satisfy a few wants and needs for the moment, but I couldn't help but find my way back to the Estate Sale I visited this past weekend. Nothing lasts forever except what we do here for the glory of God and His kingdom. I think it's time to get busy and see what we can do now to impact what happens in our eternal home much more than the one we have now.

There are literally so many needs that need to be fulfilled and we have ALL the resources to help. Sometimes we simply choose to let someone else meet that need, but I feel God is challenging YOU to do your part and help. In whatever way you can. Perhaps its volunteering, sponsoring a child in need, or donating money to someplace you always wanted to but never found the time. Today is that day. Today YOU can make a difference. The best part is that what you do today to help the least of these in need with the right heart, goes a long way towards your heavenly home. Remember God is watching and He knows your heart and your thoughts. Stop waiting for someone else to do it. This is your moment!

1 John 4:20 ~ "If people say, 'I love God,' but hate their brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen."