It was hard enough to pick some things in the “about me” section – how will I semi-concisely describe why I want to go on this wonderful, daunting journey??
I took some advice and looked back on older things I had written. I re-read my first post for my other blog where I was explaining why I called the blog “All Is One”. As I read I couldn’t help but smile at God’s awesome, diving timing because the passage below was written 11 months ago.
Here’s a little flashback.
“All good ideas begin at church and when I’m not in a mood to listen. And that’s because God likes to surprise me and metaphorically flick me on the nose. I went to my home church, Northeast Christian Church in Louisville last Saturday night. I was supposed to help Dad in the cafe but they didn’t need me due to plenty of help. That was completely fine with me because I felt crummy. Crummy to the point of not being able to focus. Plus, I was hanging out with a old friend after church and for whatever reason that needed more of my attention. I went into service after an awkward 20 minute siesta in my car and plopped down in the usual spot. Dad sat to my left. No Mom, no Joe, just us – which was out of the norm.
Nose flick numero uno: a missionary family attended service and candidly spoke about the spectacular but difficult work they do. Message: Aly, don’t toss in a towel before you’ve even started looking for a job. Have faith. That’s all you have to live on anyway.
That night was the second sermon in a series called “all is one”. Not “as” or “for”, but is. The teaching pastor began explaining that the sermon was going to be a “review type” sermon for regular members and believers. Man. Here comes ol’ faithful from my complaint utility belt – I know who God is. We’re familiar. I need ways to improve our relationship, not start one. I don’t want a general sermon. (Insert obnoxious game show buzzer sound. Put the complaint belt away killer.)
Turns out God wasn’t flicking my nose; I got poked in the eye. The pastor explained that “Everybody needs to be somebody in this body.” This hit me like wave in a lot of ways. I don’t have to be the whole body. Cuz a) I’m not and b) I can’t. I’m a speck on a finger that wants to be a whole hand. That’s not to say I’m unimportant. You know when that little dot isn’t working right, it’s called a hang nail and it hurts. I have a spiritual gift. “Spiritual” does not describe the person, it describes the gift, as in God gave it to me and I don’t deserve it. As a matter of fact, lacking spirituality or just being the biggest sinner you know is a prerequisite for following the guy who gave you the gift, explained Tyler.
So I decided then that a blog title that declared the purpose of my endeavors to find and use my spiritual gifts was a pretty decent idea. It’s not all about my work “as” a follower of God. My endeavors are not my own and then happen to be “for” God. It is God, through me and for God. All is one.
For the finale, because all good things have those, I was overwhelmed by how awesome it was to be sitting next to my Dad at church. The pastor made the congregation laugh by describing the typical husband who wears a parachute on this back while walking with ball and chain into NE for the first time. His wife forces him to come. But eventually, through the actions of the congregation, he stays and learns to use his spiritual gifts and seeks that relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father. That’s my Dad. God used me to drag him to church and now God alone keeps him there. His faith grows all the time, he uses his spiritual gifts, and I couldn’t be more proud.(I could go on and on about that.)
Let me be clear: I can not earn my ticket into the Kingdom – because Jesus already did that for me and I’m not in a position to take glory from Him. But I can be a vessel for the Kingdom so that more people can be set free by the gospel. Whoever I’m with, whatever career path I have, whatever city I live in – I want to look around and know that my speck of work in combination with other peoples’ work combined to serve one body. The only body that matters.
Let’s do this.”
11 months after I wrote that post I’m staring at a beautiful opportunity to be a vessel for Him, and that’s all folks.
