Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Know Who you Are in Christ

     Knowing who you are in Christ is an adventure you must choose to go on. It is the star in your heart that wants to find its way out to the sky to shine for all to see. It is who you are meant to be.  The journey to releasing it and accepting it as who you are is worth every step.

     My whole life there has been a spark inside of me jumping around trying to find its way out. It knew things others did not know. It felt things others did not feel.  It saw things others ignored or were blind to. It heard what others could not hear. There was something in me that said "You are meant to be a great benefit, a hero of sorts." But that spark got ignored much, put down much, kept inside always.

     Today I know who I am in Christ is a pastor. Pastor at its origin means: shepherd, or feeder, servant of others. I have always wanted to help people more than I felt I was able. When I grew older I was told what and how I was able to help others in the church and it felt so very inadiquite to what God was calling me to be. I believed, reluctantly, for the longest time, what people told me my potential was instead of embracing who I was inside. The who God had created me to be. 

"Don't let anyone but God put you in your place. And don't stop forging ahead when you encounter opposition." Steven Furtick

     This is something I learned along my journey of self discovery. When I was young I would listen and cry inside thinking "I wish I knew the bible, I wish the Lord and I were one and  I could know exactly what to say to help everyone who shares with me their struggles." But I did not have words of wisdom such as memorized verses or divine proverbial sayings. I just had my ears and heart willing to listen. I felt like a failure at being all God would have me be. Now as an adult who has taken many bible classes and read the bible many times, and still can't quote much of it, I realize something. I see what people really need is not what I thought I was lacking, words of wisdom, no what people need is my time, love, patience, and for me to shut up and listen, just like I did when I was young. Knowing scripture has helped me to hear God's voice on how to guide people with words of wisdom. But much of what I say is not heard or put into practice. Words of wisdom, much of the time have to  form in the persons heart as they discover for themselves what words are true. It is the time you spend with people loving them, caring about who they are and are meant to be that people remember. It is your belief in them that will spur them on to greatness. 

     Don't think that I am saying when your heart pounds and you know the Lord wants you to speak up its okay if you don't. Nope, you had better say what ever God asks you to say when ever he asks you to say it or you will regret it forever when the moment passes. What I am saying is if you don't have anything great to say its okay and you are probably not suppose to have anything. So, no need to bumble and jumble words as you try and make something up and ruin the moment of just being there for someone in their time of need. 

     God and I, we have gone on some great treasure hunts and I have come out all the richer afterward. We dig in his word together and the discoveries I make are limitless. I used to think it was okay to just write down my adventures I took with God and when I died one day, perhaps, the treasure would be found and put to good use. Now I know better. The jewels God gives me through his word and time with him are meant to be shared. My testimonies are important to others. I have been given opportunities to speak in front of a group of people and share a few of these treasures with others. It is in these moments when I have felt most alive. It is in these moments when the star inside, the who I am bursts out and gets to be all I am meant to be in Christ. But those moments, though are amazing for me, are not my most amazing moments of benefiting others. My most amazing moments have been when I am with someone one on one and they realize they are special, loved, beautiful even. That God does have a plan for them and loves them enough to help them be all they are meant to be. In these moments, my silence is all that is needed or a few words God has me say. Peoples stories shared bring these moments, a gift from above lost if time is never given. These moments I want thousands of, Millions of. I want every person that crosses my path to know they are loved and important. So I smile and I pray silently and I say hello and give people a piece of my time to help them see they are worth the time of day to be recognized and have the potential to be who they are meant to be. 

     I am a pastor, someone who desires to serve others, feed others, care for others. Some very amazing people have spoken some words of encouragement in my life. It is those who believed in me that spurred me on to finding and pursuing who I am meant to be. One such person is Lee Hitchcock who one day said to me, when I was looking to find a pastor to pray for someone, looking me in the eyes, he said "Nora You are A Pastor." 

     You can be anything and do anything God has set your heart to be and do. Have you begun your journey? Who are you meant to be? What is the star bouncing around in you saying you want to do and be? 
 Listen, pray and listen some more then step out on your adventure and pursue who you are in Christ everyday!