even in the small things

God called you to be faithful, to just follow His lead, and He'd promised to take care of the rest. So your going to this local church event, whose focus is recreation and fellowship. You enjoy all sports, so you gladly participate. Its a summer-long event and you've come every sunday evening. Although the event is held some 45 minutes away from your home, the opportunities for consistent recreation and fellowship are rare. You typically play basketball for about 45 minutes, before playing frisbee for the next hour or so, rest, and then follow it up with one last game of basketball. You know it's uncomfortable to play with keys in your pocket, and so you set them on the same bench every week. You leave everything else in your car; wallet, cell phone, etc. You know in the back of your mind, that if something were to happen to those keys, you'd be in for some major headaches. You realize that certain things are out of your control, and someone stealing your keys at a church event is one of them. Anything out of your control, you give to God. You know that you belong to Him, and therefore everything you have is His to use as He pleases. You know that God wanted you here, and that you are being obedient to His will. Your close friends have already left, and your finishing up your last game of basketball with some people you don't know very well. The game ends and you make your way over to the bench to retrieve your keys. Once you get within eyesight, you don't see your keys. Its gotten dark at this point, and so you just assume you vision is deceiving you. But once you reach the bench, you confirm that they are indeed missing. You first thought is that someone must have accidentally knocked them off the bench, so you start searching the ground below. Your still unable to locate them, so you double check to make sure you didn't set them on another bench for some unknown reason. You remember that every week you leave them in the exact same spot, for the sole purpose of not having to remember where you left them last. You check the other bench anyways, and the only keys you see there don't belong to you. You start to worry. You ask yourself who would steal your keys at a church event. You remember that all your other belongings are locked in your car. If you don't find your keys, you are in for a world of hurt. Your wallet (with all your money) and identification is locked in the car. You have no means to communicate with anyone because your cell phone is with your wallet, and the church has already been locked up for the evening. All your close friends have already left. Your closest family is 1500 miles away. You run out to the parking lot to make sure your car is still there, which it is. Right before your thoughts and worry overcome you, you stop. You remember who you belong to, and remember why you are here. You ask God for help. You regain your composure and begin thinking more clearly. You look up and notice one of your friends hasn't left yet, and is still chatting with a few other people. You walk over and tell him you can't find your keys and ask him to help you search. He begins to double check areas you've already searched, but is also coming up empty. He begins asking the remaining people if they'd found any keys. Right in the middle of this, someone runs up and calls out, "is anyone looking for some keys?" You assume this person is talking about the keys you'd already confirmed didn't belong to you (that were laying on the other bench), but your friend responds to the guy and motions him over. He holds up the keys, and sure enough they're yours. You breath a deep sigh of relief and then ask where he found them. He responds with the following: we'll I always leave my stuff on the bench, and just pick it all up and stuff it in my pockets before I leave. Once I get home, I pull the stuff out of my pockets and lay it atop the counter, and go about my business. Eventually I come back to get my wallet, and I notice another set of keys, that aren't my own. I live with roommates, so it wouldn't be completely impossible that the keys belonged to one of them, but I was sitting nearby the entire time, and didn't see anyone walk by me since I had returned home. It was then that I realized I must have inadvertently picked them up with my own stuff off the bench at church. So I got in my car and drove over, to see if there owner was still here, even though that was almost an hour ago. He profusely apologizes for the mistake, and you tell him it's no big deal. Your just relieved to have your keys back. Both you and your friend realize that you only noticed your keys were missing some 5 minutes ago, and had you decided to leave any sooner things might not have worked out so well. Your once again reminded who you belong to, who is in control, and to He whom has been faithful... even in the small things.

Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

when we ask, and He answers

We crawl, we walk, we run, we stumble, we fall, but faith keeps us moving forward – no matter the pace.

It’s hard sometimes to realize He loves us right where we’re at. That although he’s promised us something we could never imagine, He has a purpose for us in this moment. That He gives His grace and mercy unceasingly. That He produces Joy in sorrow. He provides peace in worry, and strength in weakness. He gives the foolish wisdom, and coward courage. That He is for our good more then we could ever be.

We struggle with patience. The world tells us today, right now, right this second, but His timing is PERFECT. He knows exactly where we need to be, and all He asks is for us to follow. He promises a purpose, even when we don’t see or understand it. We struggle with obedience. He shows us that sin only brings temporary pleasure. He reminds us that no amount of food, money, relationships, jobs, or stuff could ever satisfy us. That in serving His purpose we’ll find a joy indescribable.

He wants to communicate with us, and we’ve gotten really good at speaking to Him or should I say at him. We pray, sure, but are we really communicating with Him? Are we listening for His response, His answer?

Discipline is only worthwhile as it enables you to be used by God, when it becomes the end; it becomes an idol unto itself. When you speak to Him, wait on Him, and listen. We’ve become a leery people who expect everything to be clear and concise, or we write it off as phony and false. Let us open ourselves to His word (the Bible), and let us be lead by the Spirit.

So when we finally start listen, there’ll come a time when He answers. You’ll begin to find that the answer isn’t always what you wanted. He calls us to be faithful and obey. Although you may never fully know or understand the purpose, He’ll give you glimpses.

James reminds us that Jesus never said it would be easy, but it would definitely be worth it.

James 1:12 (NIV)
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.