He wrote of a small, four-verse story out of Luke 21 where an old widow gives a meager offering of a few coins to the Lord:
"Which is what makes the story of the widow powerful. It isn't dramatic, spectacular, revolutionary, significant, or amazing. Here is a woman whom no one notices and, worse, whom no one cares to notice. In the world she lives in, she is part of the landscape, a blur in a crowd of faces, but she is a faithful blur, an inconspicuous lover of God who loves God every day and lives God every day. She doesn't care whether she is noticed; she cares about whether God is noticed."
I can't begin to tell you what this has done to my heart.
I feel like sometimes as Christians we feel called to do big things for God! We're supposed to be "the change we wish to see in the world" and when that doesn't happen, we feel frustrated, insignificant, and just flat out tired.
But the Lord tells us to rest. He never called us to change the world; He already did that.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28:30
If you're anything like me, I would read this verse and think, "Oh God, thank you! You know how much I need a vacation!" But running around, trying to make sure everything is prepared for our college ministry and making friendships and continuing others and balancing school, and worrying about work, I've realized that it's not a vacation the Lord is offering, but rest while you do these tiny acts of obedience. He lightens our loads by whispering, "You're not alone. Look at how much I'm apart of this. You're my vessel and my ambassador; I will do the work but I will bless you for being a faithful servant. I love you." It's amazing how refreshed I feel by just giving it to Him and resting in Him while the work is happening! Reaching out to students and starting conversations and stacking chairs and driving across town and whatever else needs to be done, I feel like I'm dancing and laughing with Him instead of grudgingly moving my feet in obedience.
And His blessings are so sweet when they do come.
Because when we listen to the movings of the Holy Spirit, He often takes us to sweet places once He has our attention. It might by hard getting to that point, but boy, He sure loves us and wants to spoil us with His love!
The other night He took me and one of my best friends (and let's be honest, sister) up to the bluffs to just stand under the moon and stars and just be in His creation to worship Him. I'm probably going to be really cheesy here but hey, I'm kind of a cheesy, sentimental person.
I couldn't stop looking at the moon. Even as a kid, I've always had a fascination with it. On long car rides from the Cities to Duluth with my grandparents, I would stare out the window and talk with "The Man on the Moon" until sleep finally came. But staring at it that night, I felt the immense weight of knowing that my Father created that and the stars around it and then looking down over all of Winona, He created that town and each car that drove by, each light that was turned off or on in a house, each person walking the city streets contained His child! That's why I love the moon and the night. Everything gets still and quiet so we can all just rest and the world just seems...smaller. Because under that moon are all of God's beloved and cherished children and He has infinite time for all of them. Time for myself and Abbie atop of the bluffs and time for His children in Czech, time for the suffering in Mozambique, time for each and every one of us on earth.
As we stood there worshipping and praising Him, Abbie mentioned how He tells us we are His, but He is also ours. How glorious! How wonderful! How...completely insane!
"The sun loved the moon so much he died every night to let her breathe."
Jesus died so we could breathe. So we could live. So we could rest.
It's insane and radical and I don't deserve it at all but I'm so thankful that He did and the ways He shows His love to me every day.
I couldn't stop looking at the moon. Even as a kid, I've always had a fascination with it. On long car rides from the Cities to Duluth with my grandparents, I would stare out the window and talk with "The Man on the Moon" until sleep finally came. But staring at it that night, I felt the immense weight of knowing that my Father created that and the stars around it and then looking down over all of Winona, He created that town and each car that drove by, each light that was turned off or on in a house, each person walking the city streets contained His child! That's why I love the moon and the night. Everything gets still and quiet so we can all just rest and the world just seems...smaller. Because under that moon are all of God's beloved and cherished children and He has infinite time for all of them. Time for myself and Abbie atop of the bluffs and time for His children in Czech, time for the suffering in Mozambique, time for each and every one of us on earth.
As we stood there worshipping and praising Him, Abbie mentioned how He tells us we are His, but He is also ours. How glorious! How wonderful! How...completely insane!
"The sun loved the moon so much he died every night to let her breathe."
Jesus died so we could breathe. So we could live. So we could rest.
It's insane and radical and I don't deserve it at all but I'm so thankful that He did and the ways He shows His love to me every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment