Enough

One thing about God's Word that I love, is the mixture of humanity and divinity: Almost every time we learn something new, we bask in our new found wisdom for a season, but eventually the new wears off, and our humanity discards our wisdom for it's skewed perception of reality, only to leave us to re-learn the same lesson the next time we find ourselves looking for answers to why our plan didn't work.

For me, the lesson I continue to re-learn is one of the most basic, dominant themes of the bible: God will provide.  I used to think I knew what need was, and then I got married.  Before, I needed things for myself.  If I didn't come through, I just did without, which could be hard, but whatever.  I could get over it.  After I got married, I had a wife to support.  She is everything to me.  My whole entire world is wrapped up in her stability, security, happiness, wants and needs.  When I finally thought I knew what it meant to truly need, we began to adopt our beautiful baby girl.  No longer am I merely responsible for my own wants and needs, My family is counting on me for their life-support.  Not coming through is no longer an option.  

When we first got married, our annual income was well below the poverty line. I honestly can't believe we survived.  All of our bills every month well exceeded our income, and that didn't even include our groceries or gas. 

We sold everything of value, and came up with ways to make ends meet.

I will never forget one night of particular desperation.  It was a Saturday night, and we had to drive 45 minutes to church in the morning, where I was the Youth Pastor.  Our gas tank was empty, our bank account was 0.00 (if not less), and we had absolutely no resources that would fill our tank.  We had nothing.  I told Emily that I was going to go get gas for the morning, I am sure she must have thought I was crazy, and to be honest, I did to.  I knew that God would have to somehow fill our tank.  As I drove to the grocery store, I pulled over in the parking lot of the grocery store.  I prayed to God "Lord, please provide us the money to fill this tank with gas.  God, wouldn't it be an amazing testimony to your provision, if when I stepped out of this car, I found a $20, $50, or $100 bill on the ground! I could tell everyone how You provided so great for us!  Thank You God for the provision I am about to receive!"  And with the most faith I could conjure up, I stepped out of the car, and began to walk the parking lot. 

I searched for 10, 20, 30 minutes, and there was no great sum of money to be found.  However, after walking the parking lot for about an hour, I did find enough pennies, dimes and nickels to barely get us to church and back the next day.  

I learned a valuable lesson that night, that even though, it may not happen exactly how you want it to, God will provide.  Could God have dropped a Benjamin down right when I jumped out of the car, and made it easy on me?  Sure He could've!  But, He didn't, for a reason.  He showed me that I was not always going to get the easy way out.  Sometimes, it is going to be harder than I might like, and in those times, I should praise Him for giving me enough.
Despite most Televangelists, He may not give us leaps and bounds, but He will give us enough.  

Our lives are different in a lot of ways now, but one thing still remains, our dependance for God to provide our needs.  We need God to bring our Baby home.  We need God to guide our footsteps that structure the rest of our family's lives.  We need God every day to provide everything.

Thank you God for your provision.  You blow my mind.

Changing the world doesn't have to be so complicated.

I am not political.  I never have been.  To be completely honest, I have always heaped politics into the same category as sports.  It is an area that some people worry and fight over, and no matter how passionate they are, their time and energy is wasted trying to argue their point.
Please do not misunderstand, I think it is vitally important as God's people to research political candidates, form an educated, biblically sound opinion, and vote accordingly. That is a huge responsibility of ours, and I do not take that lightly.  Our country is facing a lot of huge issues that need divine intervention.  However, when was the last time you have seen a senator, congressman, or even a president change the world?

The truth of the matter is, generally, politicians do not change the world.  We do.

Revolutions, Movements and Revivals do not take root in our government.  They take root in passionate people, who act on their convictions.
Changing the world doesn't have to be so complicated.

For an example, There once was an average guy named Steve.  Steve was a blue collar, paycheck to paycheck worker.  On the job, Steve would just casually, but intentionally stumble into conversations about the gospel with his coworkers.  Most of them thought he was crazy.  However, one of his coworkers secretly listened to what he had to say.  Steve would leave gospel tracks and New Testament Bibles laying around, and when Steve wasn't looking, this coworker would snatch them up, and read them in private.  One day Steve's coworker worked up the courage to ask Steve if he could go to his church, just to check it out.  He wanted Jesus.  The very next opportunity he had, Steve brought his coworker to his church.  His coworker intently listened to the preacher's sermon, he was on the edge of his seat, and couldn't wait for the invitation.  When the invitation came, Steve and his coworker walked the isle, and Steve's coworker asked Jesus into his heart.

Odds are, this story is cheesy to you.  But it means a lot to me.  Steve's coworker was my dad.
After my dad gave his life to Christ, he was called to preach, then to plant churches.  Long story short, all because of Steve, who I don't even know, I was raised in a Christian home.  In a way, anything I do in ministry are the fruits of Steve's labor.  During my father's ministry, he has planted over 100 churches and led thousands upon thousands of people to Christ.  Some have went on to start their own ministries, some just spread the gospel like Steve did.  Regardless, Blue Collar Steve changed the world in a huge way.  His acts of casual evangelism will change the lives of millions.
That is mind blowing.

Steve had no idea, and may still have no idea how he changed the world.  He was just doing what he could for God.  He wasn't a Dwight Lyman Moody or a Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  He was a Steve.
God is not calling all of us to be "Heros of the Faith" he is calling many of us to just be average people, showing others His love.

The love of Christ is powerful enough to change the world through us.
We don't have to be awesome. Christ already is.