Looking Ahead to 2014!

2014

 

Here’s the thing – if I’d been asked at the end of 2012 for my thoughts looking forward into 2013, it would be laughable looking at it now.  There is no way that I would have or could have come up with much of what has transpired over the past twelve months.  And so as I sit here, putting this post together, praying for and thinking about the year ahead, I know that there is no way for me know what God has in store for me in 2014.

One of the things that I want to do with this blog is to be honest in my writing about what I’m feeling and working through. I’d have to lie to say that there wasn’t much fear in my life during 2013 because in reality, there was a lot of fear to deal with. At some point in 2014 I will be writing about fear and what I have worked through, but for now, suffice it to say that 2013 was a scary year. Not a scary day, or week – a scary year. There was a lot of positive in 2013 and a lot of really good things as well, but I’ve had to deal with a lot of fear. Thankfully, God was with me and continues to be with me, and that is why I’m still somewhat sane at the end of 2013!!

However, as I look towards 2014 I have this gut feeling that some might ascribe to women’s intuition, (or a bad pizza!!) but it’s really much more of a Holy Spirit revealing that God is going to continue to work things out in my faith and life, that He’s not finished yet. The scary part about this is that in 2013 God used an icy raging river to work on me and while I wouldn’t trade those moments in the river with God for anything, I also have absolutely no desire to go through anything remotely as terrifying as that night ever again.

So, if there is more to be done and worked out in my faith and life, I know that means more tests, more stretching, more obedience and much more of Him and less of me.  If that means I need to get into another icy raging river in the future, than when that moment comes, I would likely do it. Why? Because while I don’t understand God’s ways all of the time, I do know that He can and does work any situation for our good – not always a happy, fairy-tale ending good – but good in the sense that He accomplishes what He wills for our lives and I’ve learned to trust my life and the lives of those I love to God’s good and perfect care.

That’s fairly abstract, non-specific and ‘safe’ in the sense that pretty much anything could happen in 2014 and I could get it to fit into the above description.  Here’s a bit about what I know about God – He’s  concrete not abstract, He’s specific not vague and He’s all about stretching, testing and growing us rather than keeping us comfortable.

I think in spite of my lack of knowledge about blogging and writing that something pretty significant is going to come out of this effort.  Whether that’s something external and tangible or an internal process for me alone, I don’t know. I also think that doors of unusual and unlikely opportunities to be light and salt are going to continue to open for Dan & me.  I mean unusual and unlikely in that the opportunities won’t be anything that we could have or would have been able to manufacture on our own. Lastly I think that along with the ‘new’ things that God started in our lives in 2013 in our ministry in Frankford that He’s going to add to that list of ‘new’ things in 2014.

So, there you have it, three separate, distinct things for 2014:

  1. Something significant coming out of writing this blog
  2. Unusual and unlikely opportunities to be light and salt
  3. New things in ministry

 

One thing is for sure – my choice is to move forward with God in my life, however that plays out.

I hope you stick around to see what He does next!

Be Blessed!

 

 

Wrapping up the year 2013!

2014

 

Wrapping up the year 2013 is going to be a 2-part post with part one being a look back and part two being a look ahead.

 

I should confess that I have been stuck for quite a while now, trying to come up with a way to succinctly summarize the year that has been 2013 and I’m still not sure that I’ve got it right.

 

2013 was the year that should never have been. 2012 was supposed to have been the end of the world and yet here we all are a year later. 😀 (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that comment!!)

 

Even though this post is a look back at 2013, I’m not going to run through a list of events, I did that already in a post called Uncharted Water.

 

Looking back at 2013 is not all about the accident in the river for me, although that was certainly an event that was unlike any other in my life, but there are so many other parts that made up the whole of the year.

 

For me, 2013 has been a year of learning about myself in a depth that I’ve never encountered before.  Of growing closer to God, before the river accident, and then realizing after the accident why He had drawn me closer to Him ahead of time. I’m also closer to my husband Dan at the end of 2013 than I was at the beginning of the year.  There’s been so much growth in virtually every area of my life that pausing to reflect on it all can be overwhelming.

 

I also feel like I have spent a good part of this year trying to figure out how to walk on a new path, one that is different than anything I could have mapped out for myself, or would have even considered really pursuing.

 

Just undertaking a task like this blog and posting 5 days a week would have sent me running for the hills a year ago. The learning curve of the technology, the creativity required to come up with subjects to write on for each post and then the hours upon hours that it takes to pull it all together is way too much for me to take on when added to a full-time career, being the mom of two active teenagers, and being involved in ministry with my husband Dan. Yet, the blog is here, it’s not quite looking the way I’d like it to, but that’s a learning thing that I’m still working through. (Shout out for help to anyone reading this who knows to program WordPress blogs!) There are subjects and posts scheduled several weeks out and when I sit down to compose a post, I rarely sit with my fingers motionless on the keyboard.  Occasionally I’m tempted to ask, ‘ Where is this all coming from’, but I know the answer already.  God has placed this in my heart and it’s simply a pouring out of what’s being poured into me. However, I am amazed daily that it has come together and that it is still coming together, not to say anything of the amazement I feel when I look at the stats page of the blog and realize that people are reading this blog. But that is nothing compared to being out and about on a regular day and having people come up to me to say how much they’re enjoying reading what I’ve been blogging. It feels like I use the word overwhelmed a lot lately to describe how I feel, but I really don’t know of another word to use.

 

Then there have been the opportunities to speak.  There really are no words to describe what it’s like to be physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted on the day that the national media decides to descend on your door step unannounced. Of course, we could have declined the requests for interviews and comments, however after literally a moment of consideration, Dan & I jointly decided to tell the story of the river accident because of God’s incredible hand in the story. It’s never been about us. Not that night, and certainly not in the days, weeks and months since. The story is all about God and what He did. If the speaking opportunities had been limited to a couple of days that would be something considering that in those first couple of days, God communicated His story right across Canada and into many other parts of the world.  However, here we are over ten months later in December and I’m still being contacted about speaking and telling the story that’s been entrusted to us. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve looked to God and asked, “Who am I to tell Your story?” and then gone on to ask Him to give me His words to speak. I wish I could describe better what it’s like to share the story of what God has done and then to literally watch it change people’s lives.  The struggle I have within me to be able to get past my hesitations, nerves and reservations about speaking is a battle that still goes on, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

As I look in wonder at all that has happened in 2013 and realize all that God has done it’s with a heart full of nervous excitement that I look forward to the days ahead…but wait, that’s part two of this post and so we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get a peek at that!

 

Be blessed as you take a look at your own 2013 year. I’d love to hear some of your stories in the comments below!

 

 

Celebrating 23 years of Marriage!

Wedding

 

“Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite”. – Unknown

 

 

In the about me blurb on this blog, it says, “Liane is married to the love of her life, Dan.” That’s for real.  Just ask my kids.  They will tell you, mom married the love of her life.

 

I am so thrilled to be spending my life standing beside and supporting Dan as his wife. He still makes my heart skip a beat when he comes home each day and he is an amazing father to our two daughters. He is honest and caring, patient and loving, strong and encouraging.

 

No, he is not perfect. “There is no such thing as a perfect man or a perfect marriage. But the one I have is absolutely perfect… for me.” – Happy Wives Club

 

We have been through a lot together. A lot happens over 23 years. I’m so glad to be able to say that we are closer than ever and stronger than ever together as a couple.

 

Thinking about Dan and I together in the river in February of this year, still makes me cry to this day. Dan saved my life. When I couldn’t get out of the river on my own, Dan came back for me.  It sounds like a well, duh, kind of moment, but it’s not to me. Dan suffers from chronic back pain that is made worse when he gets a chill of any kind in his back and he had seriously injured his right shoulder only a couple of weeks before we ended up in the river together. He wasn’t able to lift anything with his right arm and had spent more time with his arm in a sling than out of a sling in the two weeks before the river accident.

 

Even though he was hurt, and even though he was freezing cold, he came back for me, and God literally provided strength that Dan did not have as he used his right arm and shoulder to pull me to safety through a current that was trying to take me away from him. Dan is my knight in shining armor.

 

“My husband is one of my greatest blessings from God. His love is a gift that I open every day”. – Darlene Schacht

 

I am so glad to have been blessed with a husband who follows God and leads our family to do the same.

 

We are 23 years into this marriage and I wouldn’t change a thing.

 

Like Shania Twain sang, “You’re still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, you’re still the one I want for life.”

 

Happy Anniversary my love!

 

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 12 – The Star

12 DOC Day 12

 

Well here we are on Christmas Eve! We have a Christmas Eve tradition in our home for dinner time and my family is excitedly waiting for dinner tonight as we celebrate Christmas Eve with a fondue dinner.  Three courses of fondue, starting with a cheese fondue with bread and veggies to dip into the melted cheese, followed by a meat fondue for the main course with salad and finishing up with a chocolate fondue with plenty of fresh fruit!

 

With a Christmas Eve service at our church, we normally split our meal between the main course and the dessert course, saving the chocolate fondue for when we get home from church. (Of course that way we have more room for chocolate and fruit too!!) It’s a great way to get a sugar rush right before heading to bed! Lol!

 

One of my favourite things to do during the Christmas season is to go for a drive in the evening and look at Christmas lights. I love Christmas lights.  As I wrap up the 12 Days of Christmas series, I thought I would write about the first Christmas light – the star that caught the wise men’s attention.

 

Throughout the Bible, God uses nature to convey messages to us. For example, a rainbow as a promise to never flood the whole world again as first seen by Noah, and dew on a wool fleece but not on the surrounding ground  to show Gideon that God would save Israel.

 

The star in the sky at Christmas was used as a sign to let us know that the Son of God had come to Earth. The Messiah had been born.

 

All of nature is used to tell us about God. Psalms 19:1-3 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” No matter what language we speak or understand, in looking at the beauty and complexity of nature all around us, we can see God’s work and His glory.  Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so  that people are without excuse.” Paul is saying here in Romans, that people have no excuse for rejecting God as all of nature testifies of his existence.

 

In looking at the complexities of a flower, or even a tree, nature is speaking to us. Each part of nature has a purpose in our world and how each part fits together and works together to make earth a place where we can live is amazing.

 

Thinking about the time when Jesus was in a boat with the disciples as told in Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus spoke to the winds and the waves and they listened to him. The wind and the waves calmed down.  Only the God who created all of nature could do something like that.

 

From the rainbow in Genesis right through to the prophecies about what will happen in nature in Revelation, God uses nature to get our attention. The star that was the first Christmas light, was meant to get our attention as well.  As you prepare to celebrate Christmas tomorrow, remember the real reason why we celebrate.  Jesus came to earth to redeem us through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

 

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 11 – The Stable

12 DOC -  Day 11

 

The eve of Christmas Eve! It’s finally the week of Christmas! So exciting!  As I finish up last minute preparations for the holidays this week, I am so looking forward to spending time with my family.

These past few weeks have been a blur of activities from Christmas banquets, Christmas parties, Christmas open houses, and preparing a float for a Santa Claus parade all while trying to do all the normal day to day stuff like working, keeping up with laundry and housework, and trying to manage the schedules of two busy teenagers with our own schedules!

I love the holidays for the time it gives us as a family to spend a little extra time together, to have the opportunity to see and visit with extended family and for the break in hectic schedules!

Family and home is what I’m thinking about today.  In preparing for the holidays, a lot of time and thought goes into planning out our few days together, and as a mother, I always want my family to love what we’re doing together and for things to go well. I know I’m not alone in my feelings as a mom.

Whether we have a lot of material possessions or just a few, love can make a home out of just about anywhere for a family.

Thinking about Mary and the journey she and Joseph had to take because of the census so late in her pregnancy, I wonder about her feelings as a mother. She ended up giving birth in a stable to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  I’m sure that Mary wanted to give her son the very best.  Mother’s want the very best of everything for their children. In the midst of that stable, holding her new born son, Mary created a home as best she could for that first night as a family.  Using a manger for a crib shows us how resourceful  Mary was.

There are many families that struggle financially during the holidays, many that struggle financially all the time. Regardless of how much money you have or don’t have, you can be rich in loving your family. As wives and mothers as we love our families and do our best to provide a comfortable home for our children. It’s our attitudes that can set the tone in our homes. As much as I don’t like the statement, there is some truth in it – ‘If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy’.

Not sweating the big stuff, and figuring out how to be content with what we have and where we are, these are big steps towards finding peace and being able to pour out our love for our families.

With all the stress and busyness of the holidays I would like to encourage you to take a moment or two to pause and be grateful for whatever you have. Whether it’s your health, your family, a warm home, a good meal, or something else, there is always something to be thankful and grateful for. Focus on the positives and on making your home a happy place for your family.

If Mary, with her love, could make a home in a stable for the King of Kings, we can make homes filled with love for our families. A home is not about ‘stuff’,  it’s about people and our relationships with them.

I’m praying that you will have a wonderful Christmas and will be able to make time to spend with the people who mean the most to you.

Be blessed.

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 10 – John the Baptist

12 DOC - Day 10

 

Christmas day is getting so close!  Everyone I talk to is busy making final preparations for Christmas next week. Lots of people are getting ready to gather together with family members and friends, and to feast on meals that have been planned out for quite a while.

 

It’s often easy to lose the real meaning of Christmas in all of the busyness that comes along with the holiday season. As we prepare to celebrate Christ coming to earth in flesh I am reminded of someone else who spent their life preparing the way ahead of Christ.

 

John the Baptist.

 

Before John was even conceived, Gabriel told Zechariah what John’s purpose would be. In Luke 1:16-17, Gabriel says about John, “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” True to God’s word delivered by Gabriel, this is exactly what John did with his life.

 

As Christians, we too are called to prepare people. Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus speaks the words that have come to be known as the great commission to His disciples, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

 

We have a very similar call on our lives as Christians to what John the Baptist had on his life.

 

While John the Baptist worked in the spirit and power of Elijah, we have the Holy Spirit and his power.

 

This Christmas season that rolls around every 12 months reminds us of why we celebrate – because Jesus, God’s own son, came to earth and lived with mankind. He came to redeem us.

 

Each and every one of us who professes faith in Jesus Christ has a call to make disciples.  Fortunately we don’t have to do it on our own, Jesus is with us (see the scripture from Matthew above) and we have the power of the Holy Spirit with us as well.

 

We don’t have the luxury of time to procrastinate on our call because we don’t know how long any of us has on this earth.  While you may be here tomorrow, the person you just crossed paths with today may not be. Watching the news, I am constantly reminded of how fragile and fleeting life is. I hope we have a lot of time to tell the world about Jesus, however, there are no guarantees about how much time we have.

 

This Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I would encourage you to embrace your call as a Christian. To draw close to God, to pray for boldness and to listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He brings opportunities across your path.

 

Be blessed.

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 9 – Wisemen

12 DOC - Day 9

 

The Magi, or the wisemen’s part in the Christmas story is found in Matthew 2:1-12. The Magi weren’t Jewish, but they knew the prophecies concerning the Jewish Messiah. The Magi’s made the trip to Bethlehem as a result of their study of the prophecies and because they saw the star which they recognized as being the Messiah’s star.

Here we are on day 9 of the 12 days of Christmas series and as I sit here pondering the scriptures that mention the Magi and their visit to see the Messiah, I am transfixed by their commitment to studying and their commitment to set out on a trip to follow a star in the hopes of finding the Messiah.

The question that has come into my mind is, do I know the scriptures and prophecies well enough that I would recognize the signs of Christ’s second coming with the same degree of accuracy that the Magi had?

Mark 13:32 tells us that no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s second coming, but in Mark 13:28 & 29, Jesus tells us that when we see the things mentioned earlier in the same passage we will know the time is getting close. It’s so important for us to know the whole Bible for ourselves and not just bits and pieces. There’s no quick fix or crash course for really getting a solid understanding of the Bible, it takes study over time and with some effort on our parts. I’m certainly not going to put myself out there as an expert on scripture, because I don’t think that I am.  What I know of the Bible has come through my own personal study, and being a part of Bible studies at my church. I have no degree in theology from any school, or any type of formal education related to the Bible.  But I think that’s ok because the Magi didn’t have those types of credentials either.

I’m inspired by the Magi to study the Bible and the prophecies it contains.  I really think it only makes sense if someone calls themselves a Christian, then that person should know what they believe and why they believe it. It’s not enough to take another person’s word for it, or to adopt someone else’s opinion for yourself. Reading the Bible, studying it, and praying through it is the only way to gain a personal understanding of the scripture and what it contains.

I can’t imagine someone calling themselves a doctor and acting like a doctor and getting away with it if they never studied medicine for themselves. Or how about a lawyer who never studied law? Not that Christianity is a profession or an occupation, because it’s not.  It’s a life-long commitment to be in relationship with Jesus Christ.

So then, how about if I said I was Dan Wood’s wife, but I never spent any time with him, never talked to him and had no idea about any of his interests, likes or dislikes?  When I say I’m Dan Wood’s wife and people watch me interact in conversation with him, see me make his coffee just the way he likes it, or see how he acts towards me, they know I’m not making it up.  The relationship between us has been built over time (celebrating 23 years of marriage to the same guy this month!!) and through the years we’ve grown closer and our relationship has grown richer. I know Dan because I’ve spent a whole lot of time with him, I’ve studied him (because I find him fascinating!), and I pay attention to him.

In John 10:27 Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” If we’re in relationship with Jesus and call ourselves Christians, we need to spend time studying the Bible (His word). That’s how we get to know Him.

And then maybe, just maybe someday we’ll be like the Magi and be able to recognize the signs of the times and ages so that we will know for ourselves and not because someone else told us, but because we are able to match them up to His word accurately just like the Magi did.

Be blessed.

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 8 – Anna

12 DOC - Day 8

 

Please don’t ever think you’re too old to be used by God. Today is about Anna. She is briefly mentioned in Luke 2:36-38 in 3 short verses. She was 84 years old and a widow.  This passage in scripture tells us that she never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.

 

I have heard more than one senior say they can’t do this anymore or aren’t able to do that anymore and that they feel they really can’t contribute anything of ‘value’ to their community of faith any longer. I disagree.  There may be some physical limitations that come with aging, and maybe some memory lapses from time to time as well, but in no way does this render a person useless or of no value.

 

I thank God for a grandmother who prays for her family every day.  She is in her mid-eighties and is a widow. She has some physical limitations that flare up from time to time, but she still prays faithfully. I am so proud of my grandma. At my request this past February, she came to a special service at our church and gave her testimony of her involvement (by prayer) in the river rescue that my husband and I were involved in.  My grandma lives about an hour and a half away by car from me, however, that distance is nothing for the Holy Spirit.

 

My grandma being full of the Holy Spirit knew that we were in danger at the exact time that my husband and I were in the icy, fast-flowing river rescuing Megan. She didn’t know what was happening to us, but she knew we were in danger and that she needed to pray for us.  She says it was a very unusual time of praying in the Holy Spirit but that she felt that she had to pray for us immediately. She had been having a rough day physically, but thankfully, she didn’t let that stop her from praying for us.

 

The fire chief that was on the scene of the accident that night told the media the next day that it was miraculous that Dan and I weren’t swept away by the current. It was a miracle that night and my grandma was a part of that miracle through her prayers for us.

 

I asked her to come to our church and share her testimony because I felt and still feel that people need to know how important prayer is and how no matter what our age – old or young – we can help out in any situation by praying.  The effects of prayer are powerful. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

 

A friend of mine, Pastor Chuck Price has said, “As long as you’re walking on God’s earth and breathing His air, He has something for you to do.”

 

Anna’s story in just three short verses shows us exactly this. There is something for every one of us to do.

 

I hope this blesses someone today!

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 7 – Simeon

12 DOC - Day 7

Simeon is one of those people in the Christmas story that many would over look. However, as I read through the Christmas story, I’m drawn to the brief mentioning of Simeon in Luke 2:25-35.

Before Jesus ascended to Heaven and before the Holy Spirit was given to believers, in Luke2:25, we read that the Holy Spirit was with Simeon, revealing things to Simeon (Luke 2:26) and moving or prompting Simeon (Luke 2:27).

 

What a precious gift we have been given in the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through these few verses about Simeon, we learn not just about Simeon, but also about how the Holy Spirit can work with us.

 

As I read Simeon’s story in these ten verses, I noticed in verse 27 it says, “Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.” That made me think – what if Simeon hadn’t acting on that prompting from the Holy Spirit – Simeon could have missed meeting Jesus that day. How many God moments do we miss when we don’t follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives – when we allow our wills and wants to be more important than God’s will and wants for us?

 

Does the way we live our lives reflect the passion we say we have for God, or do our actions (or inactions) reveal the true nature of our feelings for God?  I think it’s not so much about our words as it is about our willingness to listen to God, to listen for God and being willing and open to act when He prompts us to.

 

Lifeway Research recently released the results of a survey that was focussed on Christians in Canada. You can read about it here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/november/new-research-state-of-discipleship-in-canada.html.

 

What’s interesting is that 66% of the people that participated in the study agreed with the statement, “I desire to please and honour Jesus in all I do.” but by the time they got to a statement about studying the Bible, 53% say they rarely or never study the Bible. Only 3% said they do in-depth Bible study on a daily basis.

 

We are nowhere near to using the full resources of what’s available to us as Christians through the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  I didn’t need a survey to arrive at that conclusion, but the numbers are very telling. Thanks Lifeway.

 

Two-thirds of the respondents to the survey want to please and honour Jesus in all they do. What would happen if more people who profess to be Christians actually started doing in-depth Bible study on a daily basis? What would happen if more Christians started listening and being willing to act when the Holy Spirit prompts them?

 

I don’t know the exact answer to those questions, but I think more people would experience moments like Simeon did that day in the temple courts when he got to meet Jesus. I also think that daily in-depth Bible study helps Christians live Biblically based lives.

 

If you have a sincere desire to please and honour Jesus and you aren’t studying your Bible daily at the moment, please consider checking out the link on this blog for online Bible studies for women – http://www.peacewithgod.ca/online-bible-studies-for-women/. Beyond looking at that web page, I hope you’re moved to action by joining us in daily Bible study.

 

It’s not overwhelming, or a major time commitment. Most women in the group say they can get through the material in 10 to 15 minutes a day. It’s a great way to dig in to God’s Word and start a new habit of spending time with God each and every day.

 

Simeon is a great example of what a close relationship with God can look like in everyday life.

 

I hope this post helps someone today.

 

Be blessed.

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 6 – Shepherds

12 DOC - Day 6

Here we are, half way through the 12 days of Christmas.  Today I want to write about the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20. Two things stand out to me about the shepherds in the Christmas story.

 

First is that they were just going about their jobs, doing their everyday, same routine when God interrupted them. It is encouraging to me to know that God can connect with me anytime, anywhere, no matter what I’m doing. I don’t have to be on a spiritual retreat to hear from God, or I don’t have to be in a specific church service with a specific preacher speaking either.  In the middle of my ordinary, normal, sometimes boring life, God can speak and work.

 

Second is that God chose to announce the birth of His son to shepherds, who were considered fairly low on the social status scale in their society as opposed to the elite A-list crowd of that day. You don’t have to ‘be’ anyone ‘special’ for God to notice you or to speak to you.  This one is huge. I wish everyone would understand this point.  My husband is a pastor and he has had more than one person come to him over the years asking him what God is telling him that they should be doing about something in their lives. For real. People think that pastors, spiritual, or religious people have an ‘in’ with ‘the big guy’.

 

My husband spends a lot of time in prayer and studying the bible.  He’s blessed with the opportunity to spend a lot of time doing those things.  What I love is when he tells me that God spoke something into his heart while doing things like, cutting the grass or driving his motorcycle, or walking to pick up the mail. God is in the everyday, normal, sometimes boring things that are a part of our lives.

 

It’s the same for me too. Over the course of my life so far, my personal encounters with God have most often happened in the middle of doing some normal things like laundry, or shovelling snow off a driveway or rocking a crying baby late at night.

 

You don’t have to be somebody important in society, or be doing some ultra-religious task to hear from God.  But when He speaks, I hope you’re listening.

 

The shepherds heard the message delivered to them by angels and then they hurried off to find Mary and Joseph and Jesus. They were moved to action by the message from God. I guess that’s the third thing that’s standing out to me about the shepherds.  Ordinary guys, doing their ordinary normal thing, who were moved to action when they heard the message from God.

 

Listen for God in your life. You’ll never know when He’s about to prompt your heart or whisper something to you. I’m glad the shepherds heard the message that was meant for them that night and am happy for the blessing they received being some of the first to meet Jesus in person. You just never know what God has in store for your life each day.

 

So stick with the ordinary, everyday, normal things that are a part of your life, no matter if you’re a somebody, or if you think you’re a nobody.  Every person is important to God and if we’ll listen, He will speak into our lives too.

 

Be blessed.