A Mustard Seed Among Friends

This was written by my sweet husband:

What a difference 18 years makes! I remember sitting alone wondering, "God, how can I make a difference?" "Will I fall away?" "Won't I destroy this just like everything else I touch?" "Why do I seem to fail every time I try to make a difference?" "Am I fooling myself?" "Am I really in a relationship?" You see, I had just experienced complete failure. The Sunday school teacher had ask me to give the lesson. My first time to talk in front of a crowd with no alcohol in my system. I shared Galatians 5 and told the group that we were not "serving each other out of love." I told them we needed to bond together and reach out be His Hands and Feet together. I did not present this in a rude way but some in the class called me out. "Who do you think you are coming in here barely saved telling us how to live our lives?" ....GOD PLEASE NEVER LET ME BE CONTENT! NEVER LET ME BE SELF RIGHTEOUS!

What could I do? I had two choices:

1. Go back to my house where people were smoking dope and drinking and join in.

2. Go home and walk right past them to my room and fall to my face and call on the Great Name! I was so empty! All I had to do was take a few steps into my living room and false peace could comfort me! Lie to me! NO!

I WAS TIRED OF THE LIE! I WILL GO TO THE CROSS! READ HIS WORD! CALL TO HIS MIGHTY NAME! SEARCH ME GOD! CHANGE MY HART! I WANT YOUR PRESENCE! SURROUND ME! I CANNOT SURVIVE ON A DEVOTIONAL! TAKE ME TO YOUR CROSS! A mustard seed was planted!

I guess some things don't change because today those same few steps can now make me one of the self righteous Christians who are satisfied living the selfish empty church life. They breathe in their man made righteousness just as my friends in the living room sucked in dope. They drink in up their church attendance like it was a bottle of Jack Daniels. IT IS EMPTY! GET ALONE WITH HIM! CALL TO HIS MIGHTY NAME! LET HIM DRIVE YOU TO ACTION! GOD OPEN OUR EYES TO THE WORK OF YOUR HAND! LET US SEE YOUR MIGHTY NAME! MAY THE VERY WHISPER OF JESUS BRING FIRE TO OUR VEINS! MAY IT DRIVE US TO YOUR WORK!

Fast forward to the present day.

Friday, Hillsong United was in concert! I arrived a few hours early. There was already a stream of people flowing into the Loyd Noble. I started seeing those God had used me to minister to 1... 5... 10... Some I spent devoted periods of my life with and others I prayed for salvation with, still others I helped for a short, hard period of their life. GOD OPEN MY EYES TO THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS! Soon the stadium was filled with HIS handy work! All over the stadium they called to HIS GLORIOUS NAME!

I looked down to the floor and there was Brandon Morris! Years ago he walked into Oasis high on Cocaine but the cocaine could not save Him from God's Mighty Hand! Now here he is Raising His Hands calling out to MY GOD! HOW SWEET IS THE NAME OF JESUS! OUR GREAT GOD TAKES OUR MUSTARD SEEDS AND GROWS THEM INTO MIGHTY OAKS! Thank you GOD for using me to make a difference! My life is filled with PURPOSE! Everywhere I go I see those He has worked through me to change.

But there is a middle part to this story. You see my Life changed when I met those of you who have worked with me through the years. Many of you have stepped in when I was weak! Many of you have given when I did not have the money to do His work. Many of you have spoken when I did not have the words. Many of you have encouraged me when I did not have the strength to move on. Many of you with the words of your mouth have driven me to new heights. You see I needed that Sunday school class and I knew it. Now God has surrounded me with those who empower me. I pray that He would open your eyes to THE WORK OF HIS HANDS! Seek Him with everything you have! And one day your mustard seed will grow into a mighty oak!