Just Show up......

There was something said yesterday at church that has been on my heart for months now - Pastor Jimmy was talking about bringing glory to God before we bring glory to ourselves. I see this with Major league baseball players - after a big hit they look to the heavens and give God either thanks - or the glory. Looking for small signals and small signs in everything I do for Jesus is our assignment this summer. So I am really trying hard to pay attention to find God in everything I do. Bring God the glory in my actions, my words and the things I do for folks around me. What else is there once you experience this first hand? I get such a buz thinking about my kids at school, dropping off flowers at the retirement home or cutting the grass of a good friend of mine who can use a helping hand - tipping our favorite waitress a little extra because she just may need it to make ends meet this month or just saying something nice to someone I don't even know. Its about sharing and passing on smiles to everyone around us. Once you experience this "BUZ" - its pretty hard not to want to do more and experience more of it.
I am going through a growth period in my walk with Jesus. He has given me the chance to do something for Him in leading a church ministry - one which I felt no way qualified for but did it out of faith, knowing that what I lack in one area - God will bless me in an another and grow me in the areas I need. I have full faith in His work on my heart and this submission has given me such awesome blessings the last few years - He has opened my heart to my kids at school, friends in my life who are like family, serving in church and really having my heart behind the relationships that walk through the doors there and how I see my wife and my son. I think many times folks are in that rut - where nothing is happening or God's not doing something big in there lives. I think many times, just getting through the doors at church are the big steps of the day but they are also the most important.
Yesterday a good friend explained to me that he experiences a RUSH of peace that came over him at church yesterday. He is out of work and is seeking employment - he has a good head on his shoulders and I know God will lead him to his next place. I fully trust that and I will continue to pray about it until he gets to this place. But would he have experienced this feeling if he was not in church? Focused on God and really pouring his heart into prayer and worship?
For me, I would say not - God has moved me many times at church - has placed things on my heart that probably I would not have been placed there if I was say - at Carowinds or out watching a movie with my family. See God comes to us when WE SHOW UP. Even if we don't feel like it... when we put forth the effort - God will meet us half way. I know at times my Aunt Sharon will email me and tell me she has had a hard day at work or working on the farm keeping up with my Uncle Buster and church is that evening. She has to sometimes make herself go or get her second wind to make it. It's those times that God moves her in BIG ways. She emails me the next day or has even called me to share with me what God did that evening or how powerful the message was and she is experiencing that "BUZZ". She put forth the effort to show up and GOD showed up in even a bigger way than she expected.
Friends, if you are at that place where everything is luke warm - your mind is running with many thoughts or you are struggling with something that you just can't seem to grasp - Just show up and meet God half way. You don't have to have your life in order or everything just right to experience God and to have a relationship with Him. He accepts us the way we are - faults, doubts, sinful past, shame and hurts - He accepts us the way we are so that He can make us what we should be. His hands at the molding and not ours.
Don't get discouraged - continue to invite folks to church- starting with making sure you are there and then continue to ask God - What can you do to bring Him the glory in your life and in the things you do?

I didn't have much to say here until I started typing - maybe it turned out to be my point in just "showing up" and God gave this to me so I can share this with you. See how this works?

Just show up and let God handle it from there....

Ok~ got to go get me my "BUZZ" fix for the afternoon - see if I can't find a smile somewhere here at work. :)

Peace,
Randy~