Jeff and I just returned from visiting a supporting church and what an encouragement it was to us! We were received with open arms, showered with the love of Christ and fed from the Word. We reminisced with the short-term team (pictured above) about their mission trip to Brazil last year and of how we saw God at work. In addition to all that, we were fed a wonderful meal that included great fellowship at the home of Paul and Nancy and their beautiful 5 children.
The pastor told a simple story of a small boy that encouraged me! Let me try to re-tell it as I remember it, in my words....
There once was a missionary who befriended a small, rather rambunctious little boy. He was often getting into a little mischief and causing accidents.
One day, the missionary repainted the steps and handrails on her back porch. While the paint was still wet, she saw the young boy running towards her house for a visit. Through the open windows she called, "Please come to the front door, I've just painted." "That's okay, the little boy replied, I'll be very careful!"
"Please come to the front,door, she called (a little louder), I just painted the back porch handrails." "Oh that's okay, I'll be very careful, he sang out!"
"Please come to the front door (even louder, yet), I've just painted the back porch steps, she yelled!" "Oh----that's okay, I'll be careful," the boy once again replied. "NOOOOOOO, STOP!!! the missionary yelled---I don't want your carefulness, I want your OBEDIENCE!"
At times we feel as though we are doing good things for the Lord, but what God really asks of us is our obedience.
Sunday afternoon, while enjoying a meal together at the table of our new friends, Paul and Nancy, Nancy told a similar story. A teenage son was asked to wash the dishes while his mother went out to run some errands. Upon her return, the dishes were still laying unwashed in the sink. The mother asked, "Why didn't you wash the dishes?" The son replied, smiling, "I vacuumed for you instead".
Do we sometimes do this with our Heavenly Father? We do something that we feel more comfortable doing, so we don't have to do the thing that He is really asking us to do? Maybe it's something we are uncomfortable with. Maybe we think it's too hard, or will take too much time. Or maybe we are keeping ourselves so busy that we aren't taking time in the Word to listen and obey? Are we like that teenage boy who wants to vacuum instead of wash dishes?
I was encouraged by the pastor's message from 1 John 5:1-5, entitled, "What is different in the life of one who truly believes in Christ? We were reminded that honest christians honestly believe....believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That honest belief changes how a person lives. That believing means there is spiritual birth. That believing results in genuine love. That believing leads to doing (obeying) what God says to do.
It was such an awesome and encouraging day spent with the body-of-Christ! We're praising Him for this time stateside to spend time with so many wonderful brothers- and sisters-in-Christ and be refreshed by the Word and fellowship together!
Rejoicing in Him,
Diane
