its weird to me the things that God uses to speak to me. Sometimes its inspiration found in a song [see every song by Jars of Clay for example] or a scripture [seriously. mustard-seed sized faith = a MOUNTAIN throwing itself into the sea] this time around God used a Redhead and a Stranger.
I have a coworker named Brynn. Brynn is awesome and has this long main of orange hair. I always want to touch it... Anyways, I was talking to Brynn at lunch one day and no matter how much I kept trying to complain to her, she kept stopping me and would start talking about Jesus. What a delight! Someone that is so full of Christ that even when human nature would have her start gossipping, instead she is seeking the Kingdom. [she would turn BRIGHT RED if she read this. haha!] Two things really stuck out in this conversation. Thing one: she was advising me on the topic of people who reject my offers of friendship and reminded me that Jesus spent years in his ministry working with people that straight up didn't want his relationship. I should follow suit. "Starve Mammon with your LOVE!". The very things that propelled me to come to New Orleans are the very things that I seem to forget on a daily basis.
The other thing said by Brynn that stuck out to me has been vividly imprinted on m memory. I can almost still hear her voice. She was comparing situations in both our lives and told me that it didn't really matter anyways. "My only job is to glorfiy God. I HAVE to find a way to glorify Him, even when its hard." that's true! Glorifying God should be my primary function! When it seems like an impossible situation, my job is to find a way for Glory. [I'm reminded of acts 17. "And He is not served by human hands, AS IF he needed anything."] What an excellent way to view things!
In addition to using someone with whom I have a relationship, someone I respect and admire, God just HAD to use a stranger. Haha. Its funny how God can use a silly conversation with a stranger to humble me while simultaneously recenter my focus. Its also funny how it takes mere hours for me to completely forget everything important and just start thinking about me. Again. As usual. So my Loving Faithful God used that very same stranger to inadvertantly correct me again. But truly, God used a [rather creepy!] Stranger this week to teach me a lesson and he did it on Facebook. Open mouth, insert foot. Haha! "Western Christianity is primarily known for the things we hate and protest against rather than the things we are called to live out and are able to offer the world [radical forgiveness, grace, compassion and love] No longer is love the protest, but rather returning evil for evil by casting more stones (thinking we are being loving by rescuing people)".
I think God gets his kicks out of seeing our reactions to the silly ways He does things. He's always reinventing ways to crush my selfish pride or pick me back up again. But all we can do is trust Him. He's never failed me yet!
This week: listen to Sufjan Steven's beautiful rendition of Come Thou Fount. He glorifies God with a Banjo. Holla.
Love and Affection.
Jennifer
PS. go to missionyear.org/donate/jennifermusic
feel free to pledge and join with me this year!
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