Small things matter

It is one of our busiest time of the year, to the point of having to be in prayer to have strength to participate in the next activity. God is faithful and always come through.

This week, on the last day, I was actually feeling better than any other day.  God gave me what I needed.  He is always generous when providing for our needs.

Friday Fiesta is what we call the celebration at the evening of the last camp day.  All parents come to see their kids performing all the different "tricks" they learned.  Parents arrived all excited with anticipation.  Kids loving the thought of showing off their skills.

During the week as I drove to the event, with my car semi-full, I would stop and pick up a boy.  He was so joyous to be part of it.  I also took him to have lunch with us.  It was a small change in my plans but I was happy to see how much it meant to him.  He had lots of fun!

On the Friday fiesta I was happy to see his whole family!  His Dad had become a Christian right after last camp.  His Mom had been very skeptical about his decision and kept him from participating much in any of our activities. That was an answer to prayer that their boy was coming to our camp. They had a small gift in their hands.  It was their appreciation for what I did.  I opened a box to find a cross pendant.  She understood where I stand.  She had tears in her eyes when she handled me the box.

To end the night with another blessing, their teenager son signed up as a volunteers in the following week's camp.  We would have the opportunity to make another impact in this family.  God was at work!  He lead me to make small changes in my routine to make a big difference in their lives  Small things matter when in God's hand!

It is not about me ...

We all have a set of values depending on our generation.  Some generations have learned that they should work hard and they will be able to fulfill their dreams; others believe they can do anything they set their hearts on, ... some many ways to view life!

Since becoming a Christian I have believed God had a wonderful plan for my life.  A plan that would include many blessings, hundreds of people coming to Christ, many opportunities to share my experiences, many stories of success. God is good and he has this wonderful life for me. 

I believe in many ways, we, the church has adopted the worldview of our generation in the way we see faith and God's actions in the world.  

What happens then when we do not receive the blessings we believe we are entitled to; what happens when not one person comes to Christ for a long time, when we have no opportunities to share our experiences and have just a few stores of success.  Have I failed?  Did God miscue?

None of the above ... we must readjust our view and understand of God and His ways.  Lately I have been facing this truth.  It is not all about me.  It is not about my success in achieving my goals.  It is not even about the number of people I am able to reach from month to month.   

The truth is that God is much more interested in me, the simple version of me.  The version of me that depends on Him, the version of me that look for His interest, the version of me that searches to understand His ways that are new each day, not because He changes but because I am getting to know another facet of His great being.  

I see two lessons in this:

1) When he looks to me he sees a gem.  A gem does not have to do anything to have value.  A gem IS valuable.  I am valuable to Him.  He enjoys looking at me and seeing the reflection of His son.  He enjoys the thought that I belong to him.  Nothing I do or do not do will ever change his pleasure in me.  This has been a life-changing thought. 

2) On the other hand, it is not about me.  It is His story.  He is reaching people, He is working all the time around me. He is preparing the soil, he is planting seeds, he is harvesting, he is resting the soil.  His timing is perfect and his work is flawless.  Do I have anything to do with it?  Yes, I can abide in Him and take part of what He is doing.  I can watch His actions and rejoice in them.  I can rest in Him and wait until His timing is perfect.  No pressure on me, no credit to me - my share is to rejoice in Him. 

These have been two truths I have been learning lately.  I am so honored to belong to a God so powerful that He controls the world but so sensitive to the point of watching me and maneuvering His ways around so I can take a small part in His might work. 

Acts: tradition or freedom in Christ

Our house church has been studying Acts. It has been exciting to see our group reflected on what went on those days. BUT we all come from different backgrounds (cultural and religious) and it is very hard not to lean on what we already know by experience. On Acts 15 we are faced with the dilemma: tradition or Christ. Even though we know the right answer is, how often we fall on the same things from the past. They are not intrinsically wrong, they are just not vital or as important as we thought they were.

That is why I love our meetings, we are ourselves, we are a family. We do not burden each other with expectations that are not Biblical. If someone cannot come, we realize there must be a reason. If I have to meet with someone instead, it is understood I have a divine appointment and instead of receiving criticism, I know I can count on their prayers.

Now, it is hard not to put an unnecessary burden on each other, we have so much baggage we bring from past experiences!

My prayer is that we learn to live our freedom in Christ and act on it in relation to our brothers and sisters. Help me, God!

A New Season

Hi!

I have been silent to a few month as we found ourselves in transition. I just could not find the time to sit down and write. I guess I wanted to figure things out as well ... not that I have gotten there yet!

Last time I wrote we were in Miami. Now we find ouselves in Madrid, Spain! Yes, we are here! I still need to digest all of our lessons and experiences of the last two years.

I do not understand all that happened to us but I see these two years as a journey through the desert. God had a lot to deal with us, to prepare us for a new season and show many facets of His being. I keep saying I know a bigger God than I knew 2 years ago! I am just SO thankful that our "desert experience" took place in Florida, from all places! God was really merciful to us! :)

Jokes apart, it was such a blessing to be placed among people who cared deeply for us and ministered to us in incredible ways.

About our field here ... have you heard about the land that was overworked and needed to rest for a season so it would be ready to receive new seeds? I am sure you have. That is our prayer for our present situation.

If I would have planned this experience, I would have done differently perhaps. BUT, it was such a necessary time away to be renewed and restaured. God knew it all the way! I am glad He does not ask me for advice!

OK, I am here and ready to join hands with all of you, Women of the Harvest! Please send me your stories, thoughts, experiences ... we can minister to each other!Etiquetas

Becoming Strong in the Broken Places

Hello friends!

I have been thinking lately about my journey to where I am today. I still have lots to learn, lots to change, in short, God is not done with me. BUT, there are a few lessons I have learned in my walk with the Lord.

In many occasions I found myself very close to God, but in others, unfurtunatly, I was far from God. The funny thing is that all during those trials, I was always serving God. People with whom I worked never noticed my spiritual status.

When you are a Christian for a while you learn to say the right words and do the right things before other people, no matter how you feel. But when you are alone in your room with closed doors, there is where your real "you" emerges.

I do not think God is waiting for those moments with us to make us feel terrible and demand a change. I believe he is hopeful for the right attitute in our hearts. He undestands our weakness and wants to make us strong. If we just could cross our pried and open up so He could work one of His miracles!

I write from my heart and to myself that some seasons in our life won't be easy. Even when you are in the center of God's will, doing His work, serving the people ... still, problems will arise. Then, what does God want from me?

I think he wants an attitude of surrender, trust and willingness to learn a new lesson. I am not there yet!! I still complain, get mad at Him, cry in desperation, etc. But He is patient and will wait until we calm down and surrender ourserves totally to His working hands in our lives.

I read this the other day and spoke to me personally. I would like to share with you:

"To become strong in the broken plances in our lives demands that we do two things, seeming opposites: hang in there, and let go. To somehow dig up the courage to keep going is the very courage that allows us to scoop up broken pieces of our lives and lay them all at the feet of the One who would do more in us than just get us through the storm. As James Means said, he would take the fire that blackens our horizons and warm our sould with it. He would sharpen our vision in the darkness that oppresses us. He would use the despair of standing at a grave to deepen our trust. This we cannot do for ourselves.
Perhaps because our brokenness brings us to the end of ourselves, it is here, in these jars of clay that we offer up to his very special grace, that God's all-surpassing power is make known and he, indeed, makes us strong in our broken places. "
By Verdell Davis
Riches Stored in Secret Places

I will leave these verses with you:

"My heart is steadfast, Oh God, my heart is steadfast, I will sing and give praise."Psalm 57:7

"And He said to me: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

God bless you today! -- Mara

Finding Good in the Ordinary

Many times in the past, as we worked as a family to bring people closer to God, I felt overwhelmed.

I felt much was expected of me. I realized later that much of that expectation came from myself. I always had big plans to do this or that ... much came to be thanks to sleepless nights and stressfull family times.

One of the things that I used to find very annoying were the interruptions. I had plans and "these people" did not let me do them. They kept interrupting me. Didn't they realize I was trying to serve them? :)

I read the illustration below the other day, during my devotional. It illustrates it very well.

FINDING HOLINESS IN THE ORDINARY

Henry Nouwen, in his book Out of Solitude, tells of an old Notre Dame professor who had always complained that his work was constantly being interrupted. Like so many of us, he longed for the freedom to concentrate fully on what he considered important. Late in his life, however, the professor came to realize what he wished he had knwon all along:

the the interruptions were his work ...

The interruptions are the work. The pieces are the whole. We cannot wait for a total, personal revelation of all that God has for us to be handed down in one lump sum. God reveals Himself to us bit by spiritual bit. Even our broadest visions and our highest goals, once we know them, must be broken down and lived out in the small particulars of our everyday lives if they are to have meaning.

By Claire Cloninger

When God Sines Through

Boy, isn't this a good message? I felt liberated after reading this a few years ago and rereading it just the other day. God wants us and our time belongs to Him. It would be so much easier if we handled all to him every morning and let Him use it. I am speaking to myself here.

Work for Him is good but only under the guidance of His Holy Spirit we will know when to start, when to finish and when to welcome the interruptions as they might be the most important task of the day.

"In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this of that, or whether both alike will be good.

Eclesiates 11:6