Ministry?
I've felt for a few years a tug on my heart. It's as if God is whispering into my heart that He has a plan for me.
I keep trying to ignore that voice. I keep pushing against that tug. My resistance is making me miserable because I know He has a plan but it just doesn't make sense to me!
I keep thinking "God, now how can you be calling me into ministry? How can I do that? How could that possibly work out? What would Javier think? Why on earth would You want me?"
Then I get a call.
The chairman of the Christian Education committee has asked me to direct Vacation Bible School this summer. You see, the Christian Education Director at our church just recently resigned to start a church on the other side of the island. And there is a need...
I responded I would love to, but I needed to pray about it. After all I am looking for job, what if I'm working and can't do it?
So I prayed and then talked to Javier about it. I poured out my heart and shared with him the desires I believe God has given me. The desire to do something in ministry. I also shared my fears with him, the ones I mentioned above. All the sudden it became crystal clear to me, I know exactly what God is calling me to do. I've just been too afraid to trust, to hope, to believe, to dream.
A fire started burning in my heart and a thrilling passion took over my soul. A peace like I haven't felt since I got saved came over my heart and I finally submitted and admitted my call. It's like a missing piece of the puzzle came flying into my heart and I feel so complete and confident.
And guess what? Javier gave me his full blessing! We've decided together that I'm going to accept the challenge of directing VBS this summer and use it as a platform into ministry. I'm praying for God to use this to raise up a leader in me and see where He takes it from there.
It's putting faith into action and once again Javier is practicing faith without even being a believer! We are believing that God will work out the finance part of the situation.
I still don't understand why God wants to use me, I don't feel like I'm a leader. But I'm focusing my heart on what I do know, that everyday I'm going to turn to Him and ask "Jesus, what are we going to do today? How are you going to use me, to equip me to fulfill the plan You have for me?"
Oh it's going to be exciting!
My heartfelt prayer: Dear Jesus, Oh boy, do I need you more now than I ever have. You've NEVER left me before and so I have confidence you will stick by me now! My confidence is in You and I ask for Your help, Your power to go forth and fulfill my destiny. Love, Jennifer
10 comments:
Jennifer, I am so proud of you. Your Mom led VBS as a teenager which was her first major ministry assignment. She went on to do untold things for Jesus. What we do for Jesus is all that really matters. You will do a great job and be a wonderful blessing.
Love, Dad
Jennifer, God has prepared you and equipped you to do His will through EVERYTHING that you have suffered. Everyone learns obedience by the things they have suffered through. Let Him use your present and past sufferings to fortify you in your spirit, and enable you to minister grace to all who are experiencing lifes struggles themselves. VBS is not only a first step, but I believe the most important. Children are a gift from the Lord, and when we recieve a gift from someone of great value, we cherish it, take care of it, invest in it by placing value upon it, and we guard it from harm. Children today ae being used as pawns by the enemy. They are being abused, misused, degraded, devalued, demoralized and put to shame, by the culture in which they are trapped in. They need the Love of the Savior. They need a foundation for their faith. Most are not being taught by their parents the importance of faith, or of a relationship with Christ. The media of today is focusing on how to train a child up only in a humanistic vein. The television shows geared to the youger viewers contains characters with Super Powers, or occult powers such as Harry Potter and such, and as such is steeping them in a spiritual brew that is intoxicating them and they are not in full possesion of their faculties, and that keeps them from making choices that are real, like decisions to follow thw true Power and the true Hero, our Lord. They need Christ, not only to lift them out of the fluff of this culture and place them on the firm foundation of faith in Christ where the true power resides by the working of the Holy Spirit but also to lift them out of their sorrows as well.
Feed my Lambs the Lord told Peter, feed my sheep he also admonished. Feed Gods little lambs the Word of the Lord and fortfy the building God is constructing in that little, but important life.
Praying for you. If you have read my blog today, I apologize for my last post, was feeling low and unimportant. I will delete today if the Lord wills.
Jennifer, this is wonderful. God has already been using you in ministry so this is just another step.
Zechariah 4:6
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. (KJV)
We are very proud of you.
Love,
Granddaddy & Granny Dykes
Sweetie,
What Great News! As a woman called to ministry as well, I often experience the absolute wonder and awe that God chooses to allow me to serve him!
Rejoicing with you,
Myra.
That's awesome! I absolutely loved the years I spent working with children, and you will be great at it.
Jennifer,
If you have one of the books that Your parent's church prepared for our family of the writings My Grandmother, your Aunt Tine, wrote. Look at her testimony. God called her as a young woman like you into the ministry, she also tried to ignore his calling because of her husband and child. She successfully ignored God's calling for years. It wasn't until she was 60 years old that she obeyed God. And at the month of two or three wittness she went into the mission field.
Your story reminded me of her testimony. You have such a fire for God. I know you will do great works for his Kingdom.
God bless you as you start this new walk of faith.
Your Cousin!
Love Aunt Tine, what a fireball of faith. Brings back great memories of Westside Assembly. God bless you Jennifer, I know God is working.
Tom
Are you able to access my blog. I am not sure it works. Thanks.
Wow, I loved reading these comments! Such encouragement!
Oh how I remember aunt Tine so well. I wish I could talk to her about ministry. I've really been missing my Grandparents, Aunt Tine and mom so much. I can't believe they are all gone. What treasures they all were. I wish I'd had more adult time with them.
Thom, I've off to check your blog now.
Well, the most important step in the battel is already won. Trusting even though we don't know all of the answers and just doing what God asks of us. It is wonderful that your husband supports you even though he may not know exactly what he's supporting, it's really a step in the right direction for him too. I'm sure it will all come together in time. I haven't been working as much as I'm accustomed to lately but God is doing a wonderful job of providing for us so far. I'm just going to try to hold onto my faith that God knows best and he'll give me the tools I need to perform my job.
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