This time next week I will be in Concord, NC attending the SheSpeaks2014 Conference. Those few short days are packed full of trainings, teachings, workshops, worship, and fellowship to help me sharpen the writing and speaking skills The Lord has blessed me with. That being said, I (knowing this when I registered back in early 2014) am to take with me a writing piece to have peer edited. As I have been praying, thinking, searching, and re-reading my old posts, I feel led to write a brand new post to take with me. So as you read this, I ask that you join in prayer for my time next weekend.
When you put God in a box, and He puts you in Franklin.
Let me share with you a little background before I share with you the heart of the story.
I graduated high school in four years, then went off to attend college. At Appalachian State University I spent four years studying Middle Grades Education. At 21 years old I began my career as a teacher. At 22 I began my career in ministry.
I know, that is a lot of life covered in four short sentences, but the backstory is not as important as the story story. Keep reading, and you will see how that little snapshot is relevant.
In that one year as a Middle School Teacher, I felt called to ministry. I just knew that teaching NC state curriculum was not supposed to be the limit on my teaching. I love to teach, but I wanted to teach a little bit more than 6th grade science.
I also will tell you I knew what that ministry would be too. I would be in Young Adult Women's Ministry working with Middle School age all the way to women in their mid 20s. I was just so sure in my heart of hearts that I was going into ministry, so I was just so sure that is what it would be.
Funny how we can be like that, huh? Maybe it's not you, maybe it's just me. By "that" I mean that we can be so convinced of one thing that we get this false confidence that we know all.
I cannot tell you how many times I prayed specifically for the position I knew The Lord wanted me to be. So much so that I eventually became frustrated with the fact no doors opened. I mean, I was so good at what I was doing. I was so good working with teens and women my own age. People around me commented on how they could see things in my past that had prepared me for that sort of ministry. I eventually put myself in a box, and in a box along side me I placed God.
By "putting God in a box" I mean I forgot how big, powerful, and sovereign He really is.
I told Him what He had prepared me for instead of really having an open mind to what He was preparing me for. I told Him what doors He should open for me. Again, funny how we get like that, huh? That false confidence creeps in and we start telling The Lord what to do.
I had limited my prayers to what I had wanted. I limited what God could do to what I wanted. I put God in a box. Needless to say, in this season of life I have started a career in ministry, but it is not Young Adult Women's Ministry. In this season of life, the Lord has placed me in Children's Ministry. I won't even begin to try to tell you why, or how God place me here. Knowing my tendencies, that false sense of confidence might creep back up if I try to figure it all out.
I put God in a box, and He put me in Franklin.
Hear me when I say that being in Franklin is not a punishment. Children's ministry is not a punishment. God did not scold me for putting Him in a box. He did however prove Himself to me, yet again. He is God, and I am not. He knows what He is doing, I do not. He is not surprised, I am (easily I might add).
He has things in store for me that are far greater than anything I could ever fathom. He has things in store for you that are far greater than anything you could ever imagine!
Join with me to make the decision to not place God in a box, not to shrink Him down and limit our prayers to our wants but pray boldly for The Lord to allow you to be part of what He is blessing.
If you're surprised by what the outcome is, remember that God isn't and His ways are better than ours.
It's only been a few short weeks but I can say that I love that God placed me in Franklin.
-B
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