| No matter how many times we move around, no matter how much we think we've changed, our lives do seem to come around in full circles. Last night in fellowship, C. led a discussion on a portion of James 2 about good deeds being evident of our faith. It's not that we are being saved by our good deeds, but if our faith is genuine, the good deeds will come naturally. It's all about that apple tree analogy that I like so much. At the end of the evening, C. asked us to think about places in our lives where we have seen deeds come from our faith, and it is most likely that those are times where we really stretched our faith and took a risk. I immediately thought of two places: Meetings Media where I was initially very negative about work and openly complained with the others. But after attending WCC, I went back with the conscious effort to be a better witness. I saw wonderful things come from that, of course not of my doing, but stemming from my commitment.The second place would be Brazil...but more like the decision to go to Brazil where I had to quit my job and leave SF to do so. All that, plus the preparation, was a step of faith, and as a result, I saw many many blessings during the trip. Then C. asked us to pray right then about any places where God was leading us. Not physically places, but areas in the future that may bring about similar results of our past experiences...situations where we needed to take a risk and stretch our faith to produce good results. As I prayed, it dawned on me. The two future situations that came to mind had direct correlation with my past two. The first one would be more of the present merging into the future, and that is my workplace. I had been praying about being a positive light in my workplace and everyday, I am conscious of how much I complain or what kind of image I'm giving off to those around me. I may falter at times, but it's comforting to know that God's always reminding me and stopping me before I open my mouth at work. I also know that I can't just see that it is enough to let people know that I'm a Christian. I need to be bold about my faith and want to share God's love with others. It's not about converting people...it's about making sure they see a difference in me and that they know WHY there is a difference. The second situation has to do with future journalism work as full-time ministry, either with a Christian organization or a Christian publication, which would both require raising full support. It's hard for me not to be anxious about this, because it gets me excited to think about it. I know that it's not the right time to pursue this now, but I have to remember that I don't need to rush into anything. I just pray that I will be prepared for the day when God asks me to think about it more seriously and make definite plans toward this ministry. But first and foremost, I am once again reminded of the importance of a strong foundation in Christ before anything else. Going back to the apple tree analogy, if our roots are not firmly rooted in good soil (God), the good fruit has nothing to draw nutrients from, so nothing can be produced naturally and effortlessly. It's time to get down and dirty back in the soil and dig the roots deep into the Word. |
| full circle 09.11.03 |
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