Thorn in the flesh

Sunday evening I was serving at GSM (Granger Student Ministries). DC Curry was teaching the message and said something that hit a chord with me. He was preaching from the book of Habakkuk about listening to God. This was a really good lesson, but he mentioned Paul as a side note and that is what struck me. He said something about Paul was given a thorn in the side, and that's all he said about it. So when I got home I looked it up (biblegateway.com is an awesome tool).

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I think this statement can apply to any situation we find ourselves in. For the past few months I've been wrestling with God about my job. I'm very grateful to be employed and have been able to pay my bills and get a little ahead. My employer has even given me time off during the day to go to school. But I'm not happy there. I don't feel that this is where I should be, I think I should be out saving the world. I've prayed and prayed for God to open doors for me to move on, but I'm still working there. When DC mentioned the thorn in the side that's when I realized that I am right where God wants me to be. This is my thorn. I'm not going to give in to the lies the enemy will use against me. I know deep in my heart that God is preparing something much greater than anything I could ever ask. The past couple of days I've been trying to delight in my job, and my attitude has changed. I'm not wrestling with God any longer, I'm thankful for what he has provided and am looking to the future instead of fighting for it, thorn and all.

Pondering

"We carry our nemesis within us: yesterday's self-admiration is the legitimate father of today's feeling of guilt."

-quote from Markings by Dag Hammarskjild

Spring? Semester

Spring semester started this past week. I'm really looking forward to this semester and spring! I'm taking an online computer class which should be no big deal, and I'm doing the first of 2 internships. I'll be doing my internship with Cathy Guy at GCC. I have to have 10 hours a week. I'll be a facilitator for turning point on Monday nights, which will be very cool. I'll also be working with DC Curry in the student ministry. I hope to be a roll model and mentor for some kids that really need a male figure in their lives. And to round out my time I'll be making hospital visitations when I can. This is looking like it should be a great semester!

30 Years Ago?

This picture was taken for the 1979 Hoosier Poet, the James Whitcomb Riley High School yearbook. It looks like there is snow on the ground so I'm guessing it was just about this time of year. Man time flies! I didn't get a copy of the yearbook when I was in school so I went down to the library today found it, scanned it, and emailed it to myself. I'm not sure what made me think of this picture but I think it's kind of cool.

Had to get away

I try to get away from it all 3 to 4 times a year to think, reflect, and talk with God, yesterday was one of those days. The last time I did this was in August, I went to the lighthouse at Michigan City on Lake Michigan. This time I went to Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer Michigan (one of several places I like to go). Now going to the beach in January may sound a little odd but it's the best place to be alone. In the summer this place is visited by thousands of people everyday, but yesterday it was me and two other cars. One of the features of the park is Tower Hill, a 240 ft high sand dune that seems to rise straight up from the beach. I climbed to the top and looked out over Lake Michigan. From up there it seemed like I was on top of the world, a little closer to God. It was quiet, peaceful, only the sound of the wind and my out-of-shape heart jumping out of my chest. Here I was all alone, just me and God. I sat on a fallen tree, just sat there for a long time, letting my mind wonder, clearing my thoughts. I prayed, talked with God and read from the Bible. I turned to James Chapter one, I find this chapter to always be encouraging because it talks about patience, perseverance,wisdom and believing. But this time I read Chapter 2 also, and low and behold this is what I needed to read. Man God is great!

James 2:14-24

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

If faith without actions is useless then actions without faith must be useless too. Now I'm not thinking about jumping of a bridge because I have faith, but I need to have more faith with the actions I do take. I get so caught up in complaining about the way things are that I forget that God has great plans for me. If I really want things to change then I need to take some faith filled action so God can fulfill His plans.