Oh, to Be Used for His Glory...

She walked up to me, so much stronger and brighter than everyone else in the room. Demensia had set in at a younger age, causing her life to be cut so much shorter than it ever should have been.

"I have to tell you," she said, holding my arms with her warm hands, "my grandfather's name was Daniel, and Danny Boy was his very favorite song. Every time I hear it I just cry and cry, but it really starts a healing process for me. Thank you for singing it today."

I didn't mention to Janet that she told me the same thing last month.

Last month, however, I had been completely oblivious to her story and how much she loved Danny Boy. I was just sitting at the piano bench when Jesus whispered, "Play that one." It went against my plan, but I did it anyway. And when she came up to me and revealed how much the song meant to her, I silently praised God for using little old me and an ancient Irish melody to bring healing to one of His precious children.

This month I had remembered Janet, and had grabbed my celtic songbook before rushing out of the door. I had been sick with a cold and could barely squeak out the high notes, but it didn't matter to her. All she needed was to hear that song, and all I needed to do was let Him use me to bless her.

It doesn't take anything more than surrender to His perfect guidance.

Let us strive to be used!

"...Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:78-79

Saturday's Selections from Our Bookshelf: No Compromise

"You've got to read this book!" my mom encouraged me. "It's really life-changing." I shrugged, silently arguing that I'd read a lot of "life-changing" books, and my life was still the same every time. I always closed the book with a happy sigh, thinking, "That's just great! What a nice story. I'd like to live that way." Somehow, nothing ever changes.

Keith Green's story is different from everyone elses. He was only a Christian for a couple of years before he and two of his precious children were killed in an airplane crash on his own property. But in that span of time, lasting less than a decade, he impacted millions and millions of people for Christ. Not only were they affected, but their lives were drastically changed.

What made Keith different from every other Christian is that he lived radically for Christ. Before he was a Christian, he lived radically for drugs and everything that every other hippie loved, so he thought that it was only natural to transfer that passion from idiotic practices to living for the King of kings. And what a transfer! In one situation, he and a van full of his Christian friends picked up two unmarried hitchhikers, prayed for their healing, got them married and converted all in one day!

After Keith became famous because of his gift for music, he didn't let any of it go to his head. Instead, he gave every tiny ounce of glory to his Creator, thus leading everyone, from his die hard fans to those who saw him on the street, to the light that He displayed so brightly.

Keith's wife Melody write his biography, No Compromise, just years after his death. However, his story continued to have such an impact on people all over the world that she wrote a revised and expanded edition fifteen years later, and this is what found its way into my hands as I sat in bed and read until 2:30 AM the other night, tears streaming down my face.

If we only realized how incredible our Lord Jesus is, we might begin to live for Him the way Keith Green did.

Thursday's Thoughts from Heroes of the Faith

"Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is." -Amy Carmichael

Contentment

Lately, Jesus has been asking me to be content. Not so much in material things (although we should be content with what we have, too), but being content in situations of life right now.

Unfortunately, I can't say that I've earned an "A+" on this assignment. It seems I've caught myself complaining a few too many times. I regret that.

But when I take a walk in the vineyards, when I watch the golden sun rise each morning, when I sit a in a quiet corner and knit, when I am filled with His precious presence, I realize how content I am, just to be peaceful.

Everyone around us seems to have the urge to just keep moving, moving, and never stop to rest in our Lord's arms. I am not sure why this is. When I am alone with Jesus and a cup of tea, when I am playing games with my family on the living room floor, when I am with a friend, when I am worshipping His name, it is then that I am content.

I urge you to "steal away" with your King. To find contentment with Him. Find a quiet corner. Explore His creation, look at the world through His eyes.

Let's learn the sercrets of contentment!

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Philippians 4:11

Shoeboxes: A Story of Answered Prayer

      Lindsey and I aren't strangers to asking God for big things- and we're not strangers to being amazed by how He answers us, either. Still, occasionally, we take the wrong turn and start asking Him things because we want to have impressive testimonies. And this is what happened to me during our Operation Christmas Child project.
      We felt His call earlier this year to pray for 100 shoeboxes to send off for the Operation Christmas Child program that goes through Samaritan's Purse. Each box is filled with supplies- toys, hygiene items, candy and school supplies- for children in need all around the world who don't know of the love of Christ. Last year we prayed for 45 boxes and He supplied us with 46- how's that for beyond what we could ask or think?
      Still, there's a big difference between 45 and 100 boxes, namely the amount of supplies that we needed and the shipping money for all of them, which totalled $700, but also the boxes themselves and wrapping paper. We were starting from scratch, and the task was enormously daunting- but not for Him.
      There are 101 shoeboxes sitting in my dining room right now.
      Not until we had counted and recounted and recounted did we actually believe it, but He did the exact same thing that He did for us last year, just on a bigger scale.

"...Ye have not, because ye ask not." James 4:2 

Thursday's Thoughts From Heroes of the Faith

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.-Jeremiah Burroughs

A Date with Jesus

      "Did you know that every few seconds I do something just for you?" He whispered in my ear.

      "That's silly. Of course You don't! I would praise You for all of those things, and I'm definitely not praising You every couple of seconds," I muttered back.

      "Are you sure about that?" He smiled.

      Suddenly, my eyes were opened. I watched as a stream flowed by, it's glassy waters reflecting the blue sky overhead. A little squirrel scurried across the landscape as leaves fell one by one. The sound of the river flowing under a bridge was enough to lull a baby to sleep, and even the school marching band across the street made me tap my toes.

      First, the Savior of the world had invited me on a date. Then He sat me down on a park bench on a little island and whispered treasures of wisdom in my ear.

      Now this. All I could do was sit there in awe of Him.

     "Thank You, Jesus," I whispered back.