"Make Your Move"

Recently, I went to a Christian concert to see Trevor Morgan, Tenth Avenue North, and Third Day. The name of the concert and Third Day's newest album is "Make Your Move". The Singles' group from my church went and we had an absolutely wonderful time...in the end. We all bought tickets at different times, but we were able to sit fairly close together. My friends and I were able to get there early and "pick" our seats and so we did...front and center! Being in a wheelchair, my visual lines are often limited and so during the "meet and greet" time with the guys in the bands, we opted  to grab our seats. and in my case, move a chair because...I bring my own!

It wasn't long before the coliseum began filling up and so we were glad we had decided to get our seats early...until we were told to move. What?! By this time, all the other seats had been taken and the one's we were in were reserved for the Third Day fan club, "Wired". I said, "I'm a fan!" The lady said, "Oh? You're Wired?" I said, "No..." then she proceeded to escort us down to the end of the outside section. I was almost instantly reminded of "8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place." Luke 14:8-9 (ESV)

I said to myself, "I hear You loud and clear, Lord." Was I embarrassed? Oh yeah! Did I feel the sting of the Word? Definitely! I had been rebuked and I was perfectly fine to sit where I had been moved, but one of my friends was not. She went to one of our friends that was a "somebody" at the concert and started asking questions. Seems "asking" where to sit works better than just choosing where to sit.

The issue, at this point, had nothing to do with where I sat, but it had everything to do with the Lord teaching me a lesson. In fact, when the concert was over, I thought how I really wish I had been able to give my tickets to someone that didn't know Him. Tenth Avenue North's lead singer, Mike Donehey, did an incredible job of presenting the gospel in such a way that anyone could "get it". Most Christian concerts that I have attended have been "churchy", but not this one though it was still Christ-centered!

Sharon Bridges, Kathy LaCaze, & I at the "Make Your Move Tour"

The concert was GREAT and I did end up getting seated in an awesome seat (there had been a mix-up...yeah right! God knew exactly what He was doing). Seems the "Make Your Move" theme applied to me as well. I was moved, both physically and spiritually.

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Commit?

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25 (ESV)

A few years ago, a friend stopped by for a few minutes. We were celebrating my mother’s 73rd birthday by eating one of her favorite foods…CRAWFISH! Oh yeah! And, they were some more good, yeah! Hot and spicy. The corn and potatoes had soaked up all those good seasonings. Whew! My mouth is watering, even now! My friend couldn’t stay long so we just continued eating and she grabbed a couple for herself. That’s just how we roll down in the deep-south. We are comfortable at our friends’ home and our friends’ friend’s homes, as well!

We attend the same church, but we never see each other there. We attend a church with three services and two worship centers and a kicking Singles’ ministry! She began questioning me about the Singles’ ministry at our church as she is single “again”. I told her about the many opportunities we offer to get connected and ministry opportunities where she could serve. It wasn’t a volley of conversation, but rather it was me bombarding her with information. And then it came…the statement that I could not keep from repeating over and over…she laughed at herself, but she HAD said it…”Well, I’m gonna commit to try to maybe come to Life Group soon.” Really? And she was SERIOUS! She was ready! Well, to try...maybe.

Sad thing is she said herself that she “knows” what she needs to do. Before I committed or COULD commit, I had to be brought to a place that I recognized my need for Him to be LORD of my life and not just my Savior. Oh, I trusted Him as my Savior, but when I realized that I was nothing without Him in my everyday “walk” of life is when my life really began! I was an energetic young mother, wife, and student with aspirations and dreams of medical school. I thought I was living! It was after I lost MY dreams and aspirations by praying for God to teach me how to love Him that I began to know what real life was about. When Jesus says to you to lay down your life that you might live, He means it! I never knew excitement, joy, peace, love…in the world. My old life dulls in comparison to the life I have now.

You know the Word is clear about being straddled across a fence. This was a great word picture to show us just how uncomfortable we can be when we don’t fully commit to Him. When part of your life is lived doing exactly as you want to live it and a small part is left to live for the Lord, you can experience the pain in the seat just as if there were a fence post riding there! So I would say to, you (my friend), hop off that fence and fully commit to the One that fully committed to you on the Cross.

So, are you committing to try to maybe make Him the most important part of your life? Maybe, if you stop trying and just realize YOU can’t, then you finally will!
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Angry at God

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6 (KJV)

Are you struggling through a nasty divorce or custody battle? Maybe your's is not "nasty" and I hope that is the case. Not so with me. My divorces were so painful. I could not understand why the God of all creation would not "fix" my marriages.

I was angry...

Angry at my husband for not being the man of God that I thought he was.

Angry at God for not fixing my marriages.

I did not want a divorce! Because I was not getting my way, I was angry.

However, But, Nonetheless (all three words are my favorites when they pertain to God's hand), God has allowed each situation to show me my mistakes and character flaws! I sure could not live with me then. There is some major reconstruction happening at my "house" and since He is the carpenter, I'm trying to trust Him.

Allow the architect of creation to be builder of Whose YOU are and recognize that His hand IS in your circumstances if you are in His will (Matt 22:37-39). You may be looking at the other person like they are Judas Iscariot, but had it not been for Judas; we would not have had the glorious cross. God uses ALL circumstances, pleasant and difficult, to His marvelous and ultimate glory. "Do", not just read, Phil 4:8. Meditate on God's Word for as long as it takes for your attitude to take on that of Christ. It may not last long, but if you can do that everyday, you may just find that your new attitude lasts longer than just getting out the front door every morning!