This blogging thing is all pretty new to me, and so very exciting. I guess I would like to continue to share my views on selected Bible passages as I feel the need to do so. It's a great opportunity to glorify my Heavenly Father and that is what I want my life to be about, so don't be surprised if a little bit of 'me' also gets put into this blog.
You read in my last post about being able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Well let me put a little of me here, to show why I believe it.
I was brought up in the era when 'children were meant to be seen but not heard', and it was my father's belief that there were enough children in our family, and therefore neighbourhood kids were not encouraged to visit; brothers and sisters could play together. Well, that was OK, but remember, I was the youngest for 9 years, and my older sister was 7 years my senior. That meant that I played football, cricket and marbles with my brothers and grew up to be quite a 'tomboy'. It also meant that I didn't do a lot of verbal communication and as I matured, I found it difficult to chat just for the sake of chatting. (I still don't often initiate discussion but if I have something I believe is worth saying, I say it).
I received Christ as my Saviour, and started to attend Church at the age of 38 and it wasn't long before I started to run a Christian based club for kids up to 12 years old - absolutely no problem talking to them and it filled a void in my life as I was single and childless. Soon after, I took on leadership of the youth group and once again, no problems with communication.
As in a lot of small Churches, it wasn't long before I was elected onto the leadership team and became responsible for the children and youth ministry, and just as an added bonus I got the treasurer's job too. No problems there, you might think, but what comes with the election to council???? you got it in one - meetings, reports to council and the dreaded, stand up in front of all of those people and report to quarterly and annual members' meetings.
Oh Lord, what have You done; how did You let me get into this mess? I can't even initiate a friendly conversation; how can I speak in front of all of those adults. Remind you of anyone?? Remember what Moses said when God told him that he was chosen to lead God's people out of bondage, and that he had to go and tell Pharaoh to free God's people - it went something like this - ' Oh Lord, You have the wrong person here, surely my brother Aaron would be better at that than I am. I stutter and stammer and get so confused when I get stressed out and I'm sure I'll make a mess of the whole thing'. (OK a little poetic license was used there) Well, that wasn't what God had planned, so He simply told Moses to trust Him and things would be OK - well they weren't quite the words He used but you get the drift and it all worked out to the glory of God in the end.
I can tell you, it all worked out in the end for me too - not only do I get up in front of people to report, I also get up in front of people to lead Church services. God has equipped me to serve Him just as He said He would and that is one of the reasons that I have never been happier in my life. That is why I believe that, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.
That's it for now, see you again soon.