April 7 2015

April 7 2015 Greetings My Friend My goal in life is to be encouraging to share my journey in the hopes someone else will find the courage to face the challenge they are going through. What works for me though isn’t what works for another person. I get a lot of responses from the encouraging posts I forward from others so I was sending on some that I felt might help a certain person who is in the midst of a huge life changing struggle right now. I got a text that these were not appreciated. They felt these messages were pointing out their weakness’. I was floored but I also realize we see with our own unique eyes and hear with our own unique ears. I promised that I would no longer send these messages and I was thanked. God has gifted me to share in the way that I share. I am learning that not everyone understands my “tell it all” ways and often will think I am seeking attention for attention’s sake. I am learning that I can’t make people understand and at the same time I see people responding to the unique way I am attempting to show how my faith journey has healed me. I keep coming back to passages like “ God has made many parts” I learn that God has wonderfully and uniquely made us in His image and my image may not look like another person’s ministry. When I feel “less” I go back to the Scripture that teaches me that we all are “wonderfully and fearfully made.” If God made me different then it is okay. I learn to look to God more and to accept who and what I am in Christ. When I keep this in mind I find going out into the world hard at times but because God loves me He won’t give me what I am not gifted to do. If this is the area He wants me I find peace and acceptance and I move forward with a sense of confidence (not mine but God’s). Sunday’s potluck found us sitting with some friends who are silly like we are silly and have walked down much the same road we have walked down. They stated that Junior and I are comfortable to be around. We feel the same way about them and in that contentment we feel God is working in our lives. I share my heart in writing. Junior and I also share our hearts with people who walk a different road than most. As we help them I am reminded that Jesus often sought the lowest people to reach out to. His ministry touched tax collectors, a group who was despised. There is the woman caught in adultery and Jesus told the crowd something to the effect “the one who has never sinned cast the first stone.” The whole group who wanted to stone the woman walked away one by one. Another favorite passage for me is when Jesus is at the well and asks the Samaritan woman for water. She knows that the Jews despise her. To add to her lowly status she has been married 5 times and at present she is living with a man. Jesus offered the hope of “living water” Him. She went into town and told many who followed her back to Jesus. My heart goes out to the lowest of the low, the unpopular people in my world. God loved me when I felt so low I wondered “why” I was even allowed to share space in this world. My goal to “Go into all the nations” as Jesus commanded. Some days the work isn’t upfront and popular and I am okay with that. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet