“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12
Well, here I am in Hyderabad, India and I am far from home and way beyond my comfort zone! But I couldn’t be happier and more excited to see what God is going to do in me and through me during a time where I am not in charge of my own life. It’s all for His glory after all!!
This first week in India has taught me a lot, such as how to use a squatty potty, eat food with my hands, tell my testimony in front of churches (one church only months old), and how God can use me even when I’m not in the mood. Back home in America, I became so complacent in my lifestyle and who I was, but here there isn’t any part of the life that is still available to me. I am without my regular friends and my church and my family. I am without a time schedule (that I was always running late to), an income, and freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted or even wear what I wanted. I didn’t have to come up with a mini sermon on the fly or be told that my team and I needed to be worship leaders that night without being able to practice. I didn’t have to gulp water during meal times to cool down my mouth because of how spicy the food is… no, I could eat what I wanted. And I definitely did not have to trust God with every aspect of my life, especially when all I own is in a backpack and a random Indian man is watching it too keenly for my taste. While my life here in India is hard to adjust to, it is more richly filled than back home and to sum it all up, my complacent life was empty and selfishly lived before stepping a foot into India.
The Threshing Floor is where ears of grain are torn from the stalks and grain itself loosened from their husks. Then they are thrown up in the air so they can be separated from the chaff that is blown away by wind… and right now, that is where I am. I am on the threshing floor of God, where He is breaking off complacency and loosening me from my comfort zone. He is blowing away the bondage of a selfish life and bringing me into a place where He can finally begin to fulfill the call on my life… the reason I was created. It isn’t an easy task. In fact, it’s downright hard work and tiring, but if I don’t allow God to do the work in me that is needed, the only thing I am going to be good for is to lay there and rot… BUT when I allow God to do the work in me that is so needed, I can be part of feeding His people. I be used as substance. I can have substance within myself as well as helping fill the space that God put my name into. He has already started the work in me. I am already uncomfortable and being broken for His sake. For I am on His threshing floor.
“God, I stand before you broken in love. I bring to You my whole heart and place it at Your throne. Cries of desperation arise to You my Lord…
Here at this threshing floor.
God, I know You’re sovereign and plans of man will cease… everything that’s been conceived by insecurity. Kingdoms that are built on sand will fall and rise no more… Here at this threshing floor.
So take my heart and turn it inside out. Separate me for Your Glory. There’s a time to sing and dance, to celebrate and shout, but now I fall on my face, for You are Holy!
Discipline is painful but I know I’m not alone. It’s Your loving conformation that You receive me as Your own. In Your hand is mercy. I could never ask for more…
Here at this threshing floor.
So take my heart and turn it inside out. Separate me for Your Glory. There’s a time to sing and dance, to celebrate and shout, but now I fall on my face, for You are Holy!
I know that discipline is painful but I know I’m not alone. It’s Your loving conformation that You receive me as Your own. You train my heart to worship You, that’s what this place is for… Here at this threshing floor… Here am I at this threshing floor!
