Thanks SRT for the beautiful locksreen reminder.

SRT Devo. Proverbs 3:5,6  "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. "

Sometimes we just don't understand why things happen in our lives. Sometimes we don't understand why God is not answering our prayer quickly enough for us. Things are not always clear to our eyes but God's word tells us that he's got our back. Praise God! This means that I don't have to worry anymore. I can allow God to be God and I can go on living my life to the best of my ability to please God.

Dear God,

Please help me to remember this when things come up in life that I don't understand. Help me to remeber that You know the big picture and You have a plan. And to trust it, trust You, because You have my back.  

Gifts

Joyce Meyer devotional. Text: 1 Corinthians

12:11

:  

It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

I love this devotional this morning. Because Joyce is talking about how to discover and develop the gifts that God has given you. And it really has made me think about what gifts are in me.  She encourages you to focus on your strengths And really exercise the gifts that God has given you. Find something that you like to do and do it over and over again so that you become good at it.  As you become good at it your confidence begins to build. And you need that confidence, because you are going to get criticism. That is part of being an instrument of God.

I am finding that what I thought were the gifts that God would use me for in ministry, are not really what I'm using in ministry (today at least). I am a very creative and artistic person, and I always thought that God would use me in those gifts. And I'm not saying that he won't. But the gifts that are so natural to me,  like laughter, listening, encouragement, and communication,  I'm using every day to bring glory to my God. I use these gifts at work, and at play, and during my time with my sisters in Christ.  

God has gifted me with a special way of relating to people. And because of this gift I am able to make wonderful connections when networking with other people in other businesses and when sitting down with a potential client. And God has given me a heart to help people, to really give them something of value when I sit down with them. This helps them, but also it is helping me immensely with my business of Medicare supplement insurance sales.

God is so good that way.  He allows us to use the gifts within us, that bring us pleasure and peace. But he also allows us to use them to bring value to other people. And that in itself is ministry. 

Early morning blessing

This morning as I was having my quiet time with the Lord, one of the devotionals I was reading posed the question, "in what areas are you resistant to change?" this triggered the question in my mind " what would I like to change into?" (which was not the intent of the question at all, but that's how a narcissistic mind works, it's all about me, my needs, my shortcomings , etc). Anyway, as I thought through my version of the question, I said, 'I'd like to be more like so and so, a doer, a worker, a getter done person.' Which led to the thought, 'I should call her and tell her how much I appreciate her.'

Suddenly, I found myself awash in tears, as God profoundly told me that he made me the encourager and her the worker. That those are our gifts. That He loves us. And that He loves to see us utilizing the gifts that He gave us.

Wow, what a way to start your morning! What a lovely little blessing. Now back to the question at hand....