ROUTE= India/Nepal/Cambodia/Thailand/Malaysia/Botswana/Swaziland/South Africa/Dominican Republic/Haiti, Jamaica
OILstruck! ATM Victory Lap
What does it look like to live OILstruck? AND some begin to sing, “Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.” Well, let me remind you of one of my favorite Bible stories you won’t find on a flannel board. Turn to 2 Kings 4:
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
So many questions form in my head; a new one every time, in fact. Why such a big introduction of the dead? Why such a dumb question of what she had? Why was it important to close the door? How many neighbors received the ask and didn’t have any jars to give, and what did God do with their ask? What if she had put each jar to the left instead of the right or the right instead of the left? You know, I don’t have the answer to many of those questions but I do not question the picture of GRACE. And I did not miss the call, ” Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
LIVE ON WHAT IS LEFT When you get this, you REALLY get it. I tithe of my TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE because I live the overflow. I am NOT the overflow…I live it. I live OILstruck. In the past year I have lost something in just about every area of life and boy did He work it for the good. I didn’t sign up for it, and yet I did. I grew up in the church but it wasn’t until the age of 18 that I began to grow up in Christ. “Not everyone who grows old, grows up.” Some may need a bag of ice on that wound, but let it heal and lead out of it. Grace fills the gaps. If you want a good place to start making friends with a life of “YES”…just say “Jesus.” Then find a church full of the lost and those who want to do something about it. The pictures above are from my church. Momentum Church is WITH YOU ON THE JOURNEY. It’s a message that delivers. The first is a picture of community. Real, raw community giving of their TIME..a table God set in my life , that is full of wisdom. At this table you will find church staff, single moms, newlyweds, etc. Who knows? Those women could be praying for my future husband as I write or asking God what role He might have them play in my journey. I know this because He asks the same of me. The second picture is from a photo shoot where friends of mine at church gave of their TALENT to support our Haiti missions team. The third is from TODAY in my OILstruck life where a family from my church gave of their TREASURE.
What does it look like to live OILstruck? Perhaps it looks like a victory lap at the ATM of Bank of America. Like a celebration of God’s favor over my “YES” and the ripple effect as He won over the “YES” of a young woman in my story whose family chose to bless me with more than I could ask or imagine. I deposited $300 and then the flood waters came as I read her note and took notice of it’s weight. Inside I found an extra $100. God had designated where all $400 would go. So after a good cry I made an ATM Victory Lap. Satan hates those! It’s not about an extra $100 when you price a piece of furniture at $300. No, there’s a bigger picture. There’s a God who LOVES to give His children good gifts and He delights in their obedience because every step draws them closer. I am among them and so is she. The oil just keeps coming. What is 10% of nothing? Why don’t you ask my God who says 5 loaves and 2 fish could never equal 7?
I have $0 unclaimed because ALL are claimed by bills and every penny falls under one umbrella. If it were to carry a picture, you’d find 7 continents and a date. Warning! Come any closer and you’ll get it too. My story is addicting, contagious really, and like a puzzle you won’t want to walk away. Someday I’m going to run out of jars to contain the blessings. That’s what you call a good problem to have. Every day I get into my car I say out loud, “My life is in your hands and you could take me home today but you keep me for a reason. Help me to live that reason to the full”…or some rendition of that statement. I don’t have medical insurance and I’m looking for job #3. I don’t have a rags to riches story of coming to faith but you better believe I have a riches to rags story when it comes to relationship and depth of dependence…a trust I never thought I’d know. Lose your life to find it. The grass is greener when you recognize who owns the growth and you just plant and trust and plant and trust some more. Oh, and praise FIRST.
I know what I’m up against. I know the size of a miracle I need to board that plane. BUT I Brooke Renee Leffelman am going on Route 3 of World Race in July 2015 UNTIL I’M NOT. I’ve never wavered from that statement. He knows when I want to leave and under what circumstances. He knows its “YES” before the ask. I could leave in July, September, or January and you can’t choose a bad route as a missionary. I’ve stated I’m willing to postpone for personal reasons but never in disbelief that funds would come in. I’ve seen too much to doubt. I mean really, I’m living OILstruck. I can’t explain it but I can point you in the right direction. Someday I’ll run out of jars and the oil will spill out of me. Perhaps, that’s already begun. Thank you to the anonymous family who wrote,
” Dear Brooke, What you are doing with your life choosing to serve God completely is not only honorable, but brave and courageous. I believe in what you are doing and I’m proud of you!”
Truth is, that belief didn’t start with me nor will it end with me. God, I praise you in advance for the favor you will show over this precious family’s “YES” to the more you have in mind. Thank you that their blessings overflow, and each of their children grows in faith, as I claim Luke 2:52 over them. God, you know where they’ve been, and you delight in their obedience. Let this year be one of immense reward this side of Heaven. Prepare their hearts for your next ask and help them hold unswervingly to the hope that He who promised IS FAITHFUL. “And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
