You Were Born For This
You may remember his book The Prayer of Jabez. It was faith-building book that challenged us to pray. In his new book, You Were Born for This Bruce Wilkinson takes it a step further; he challenges us to be someone’s answer to prayer.
At Calvary we talk frequently about the power of doing good. Our theme verse for 2009 talks about the good deeds that God has planned in advance for us to do. In other words, it’s not just about doing good, it’s about doing the good God has planed for us to do. When we combine our good deeds with God’s good power, awesome stuff happens.
Here’s the question I would ask you, “What would happen if you walked out the door each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through you to someone in need? How do we do that? How do we know when we run into a God-opportunity to do good? With great stories, and simple, practical principles, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be part of God’s miracle delivery system.
I loved the book. The stories were inspiring and faith-building. I read it through in a couple of days and lately I’ve been asking God to open my eyes to the good He has prepared for me.
So here is the deal. I have ONE BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. If you would like the book, respond to this blog post in the comment section and share a time when God used you to do good, a time when you were the answer to someone else’s prayer. All of your stories will inspire me and I will choose one of you to receive the free book.
If you would like to listen to Bruce Wilkinson share about the book, watch the video below.
I love walking with the Holy Spirit leading the way. I have to walk, often in blind faith, not knowing what He may lead me into, knowing only that He will hold me there, sustain me, and NO MATTER HOW I AM FEELING OR SOUNDING, EVEN IF INSIDE I AM SHAKEN AND DUMBSTRUCK, HE WILL PROVIDE WHAT I NEED FOR THAT MOMENT IN THAT SITUATION and HE WILL COVER WHAT I SEE AS MY MISTAKES WITH HIS PERFECT LOVE.
As you have written in this blog, He doesn’t demand our best, rather our willingness to be used by Him in the act of surrending and trusting Him for the outcome. I LOOK TO THESE POSTS EACH DAY AS I GREET THE DAY FOR INSPIRITION, AFFIRMATION, AND CONFORMATION WHICH CREATES THIS FEELING OF COMMUNITY OF BEING ONE IN THE SPIRIT AS BELIEVERS.
I only have time at this moment to express my GRATITUDE to Our Holy Father God for the way His Spirit is moving in this Community and thru this Community via the media to the world. I will share a story later, after Holy Spirit has let me know which one He would like to tell.
Blessings be upon this blog, the writer, the community, and all that the Holy Spirit leads to this site, and all that need to know what is shared herein. Together may we share the Word of His GREAT LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS to all that have the HUNGER FOR MORE than what they have now.
I’ve been working on a new body of art for the last two years…preparing for a gallery show at the HUB-ROBESON at PSU. Last night, at the close of the Artist Reception, I had an encounter with the parent of one of my students. This is a man who spends his life as a bartender in Altoona, pouring drinks and listening to many tales, day after day, night after night…yet, when he approached me, I could see that the work had touched him.
“You asked the questions about God that I’ve been thinking about for the last 20 years of my life”, he said. FAITH and ART. The two are intertwined…God spoke through His workmanship – through the hands of His servant. And one life was made changed. I am truly in humbled-mode this morning. Gee, God, thanks for inspiring the work and for causing me to be brave enough to put my work and my words to service in a non-traditional “church” venue! I’m in awe.
I was panicking. I was in Idaho on a mission trip and my cell phone broke. My cell phones are computers intergrated with my lap top. Hubby Bob had always taken care of my phones and I wondered if I could do this. I finally found a phone store, which was surprisingly hard where I was, and was trying to figure out what I needed to know when I heard an older voice yelling, “But I can’t understand all that mumbo jumbo. Please help me. I can’t afford this phone and I don’t know what to do.” I looked over to see an older man on oxygen leaning heavily against the counter.
“Sir,” the young sales person said firmly. “You’ll have to use the 800 number to cancel your service.”
“I tried,” the man cried. “I can’t do it and the bills keep coming.”
I rushed over and offered to help. The sales clerk glared and told me they were handling things. “It doesn’t sound like it. This man needs help,” I said. “I’m a Christian and this is what we do. Sir, how can I help you?”
“My wife just died. She always paid the bills. I can’t afford this phone and for 2 months now, I keep trying to call and I can’t understand what to do.” His name was Ira and he was a Korean war vet. “I earned the money and she took care of everything else. I just can’t do this.”
The sales clerk said, “We can’t help him here. He has to call the 800 number. He keeps coming back and we keep telling him the same thing.”
“Older people can’t always understand how to work automated responses,” I explained. “He needs help.”
“That’s right,” Ira says. “I can’t understand them. I’ve been in the store several times and they won’t help me. The bills just keep coming and coming.”
“Give me a phone,” I instruced the sales clerk. “I’ll help him cancel the service.”
The sales clerk angrily slammed a phone on the counter. I looked at him and said gently, “He’s a vet. He served his country for you. You’ll be old one day too and you’d better hope someone is willing to help you. I need you to help me help him. Not only are we going to cancel his service, we’re going to get him a refund for his service since he’s been trying to cancel it.”
The sales clerk sighed and started clicking. Together, we cancelled Ira’s service. After a little encouragement, the sales clerk even got him a refund. I walked Ira to the car and went back in and finally figured out what I needed to do to get my phone phone. That sales clerk even helped me sync my computer and phone. It turns out that I really could do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I walked to my car praying for Ira and thanking God that broken phone put me in the right place at the right time.
A small thing, but after your message last week about do good, here,now….I couldn’t stop thinking about our new neighbor. She is the raspy voiced lady on the other side of our walls that smokes non-stop and spends a good bit of her day yelling for her son to listen to her. As I listened to your message I realized that in my heart I have been building walls of “boundary” between her and her son and our family. I feel guarded and skeptical. I judge her and show her kindness only skin deep.
When I listened to God’s message last week that He shared through you, my heart was convicted. I need to go out of my way to trust her and love her.
By the end of the day on Sunday, God gave me an opportunity. In the front lawn she told me of how her transmission had gone out on her car the day before and that she didn’t know how she would get her son to preschool the next morning.
I smiled and told her that I would be happy to give her and her son a ride….amazed at the gentleness and goodness of our Father.
Anyone that knows me personally, knows that I have a passion for the people of Ukraine. I’ve had the opportunity to travel there three times and would love to be able to do it again someday. My first trip to Ukraine was in the summer of 2003 and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life! I spent 8 weeks there teaching English, using an easy to read version of the books of Luke and Acts, to ten people. One of my students was a woman who’s husband refused to allow her to return to our sessions when he found out we were discussing the Bible. Another student was a scientist that became my student because someone on my team overbooked her sessions. He and I still communicate to this day. But, the student I want to talk about this time around is probably one of the most influential men I’ve ever encountered.
His name is Nicholas Seridnyak. He was such a reserved man when we first met. Because of his hesitations, we started our first few sessions just getting to know one another. He’s a husband and a father. He spent the younger part of his life in the Russian military before the USSR fell. He told me that being open about faith was just not acceptable during that time. People that were brave enough to venture into churches would be beaten and ridiculed and their families would turn their backs on them. When the USSR fell from power, he and his family fled to Ukraine. The only church he’d ever known was the Orthodox church, so that’s where he began attending services. Unfortunately, he had no knowledge of the Bible or the joy that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ. He was just going on the traditions that had been passed down from his parents and grandparents. He began to ask questions about the Bible and how to gain a personal relationship with Christ. Our relationship grew closer and closer during our time together. He brought his wife and son to meet me during one session and he was so eager to share with them the joy he had discovered in Christ.
Our last session together was on my last day in Ukraine. He was late to the session, which was a little strange. When he finally walked in the door, his hands were full of gifts for me. He’d gotten me a book of the places we’d seen around Kiev, a box of chocolates, a Russian/English dictionary, a picture of his family, and a jewelery box. I graciously thanked him for the gifts and we did our last reading session together. As he got up to leave, he turned and smiled. He started to walk away again, but he turned and took my hands in his. For the third time, he tried to leave. He turned and embraced me in the biggest hug I’ve ever received. When he pulled away, we were both in tears. He held my hands in his and, in his broken English, said, “Lisa, you’re not just teaching me English. You’re teaching me God. I was so lost and you showed me the truth.” What more could I have asked for? This man was yearning for something that no one other than God could give and He chose me to be that light in Nick’s life. I know that this post is supposed to be about a time when I was a help to someone or the answer to someone’s prayers, but I think I gained just as much, if not more, from my time spent with Nick. I still see his smile and can’t wait until that day when we meet again in our heavenly father’s kingdom.
My wife, Kathy, worked for the guards in South Dakota, and she had this checking account there, unknown to me her husband. One day she left it on the table and our friend picked it up and started reading off the checks. My eyes grew wide with surprize, and I became a little angry.
Several years later, after my wife died, one of Kathy’s patients wrote me a letter describing her encounter.. After a long counselling session, Kathy wrote a prescription for some medication and further counselling, but her patient began crying all the more since she couldn’t afford the medication prescribed. So, Kathy simply got out her checkbook and wrote her a check so she could afford the medication!
I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs. Sorry, this one doesn’t qualify for the book.
I wouldn’t mind making a donation to your book give-away fund.