Are You In the Right Place?

Well, again I'm struggling to keep up with trying to post at least three times a week. Storm recovery and clean-up is like having a second job for many people in our area. And so, so many folks are working at it way harder and longer than I am. Law enforcement personnel, utility company workers, shelter volunteers and so many more are working around the clock. They are the real heroes.

I'm ashamed to say that one good selfish thing has come out of all of this. I have a new toy - a 16 inch cut chain saw. (I may have mentioned this in an earlier post.) A chain saw is a guy thing, producing the same rush of however much testosterone there is left for a 50+ year old as a power drill, a four wheel drive, and picking the winner of the NCAA Tournament. Most people who know me are pretty worried about it, but, so far, I still have all ten fingers and toes.

In our ice storm recovery, I've gravitated to small limb cutting and removal, trying to help older people and poor people get their yards cleared. I learned quickly that I can only do the small stuff. I don't have the tool or the skill to manage large limb or tree trunks, or especially any broken branches that are still lodged up in trees. If I was to try to do that kind of thing, I would be in the wrong place. The thing we've all been trying to sort out in our town is where each of us fit in for the goal of overall recovery. No one of us can do it all, but we all have a place where we can contribute.

For those of you who are Jesus followers, how are you contributing to the goal of introducing people to Jesus and molding them as disciples? What is your specific contribution? Are you doing too many things, and getting worn down? Are you not doing anything, and thus not using whatever gifts God has given you to contribute to the mission? Do you know your gifts of the Holy Spirit and how God has equipped you? (Google "Equipped for Every Good Work" to find out.)

Today I met with a faith searcher who discovered that God may have prepared him for a role in evangelism ministry. He was inspired by a meeting on Saturday in which a state leader in our denomination spoke about the Church's disciple-making mission. The blend of his gifts of the Holy Spirit and his personality lean him toward witnessing type mission. It's a joy to see the excitement in a relatively new Jesus follower who is discovering the right place for him to contribute to the overall goal.

Are you in the right place? If so, serve the Lord with gladness! If not, what would it take to get you there? I'll see you around the next bend in the river.