There's a special speaker's series going on at my friend Carolyn's church, so I've been attending my own church service on Saturdays and scooting over to hers on Sundays. There's just such an awesome atmosphere of worship and anticipation there. It starts at 10:30.... we got out at 1:30, 2:00. This is a "no rush" kind of church. The people worship and wait for God, and once He shows up, they are in no rush to leave. That may not be everyone's "cup of tea," but I like it! There's a feast of Spiritual food for whoever wants more!
Amy Lancaster was this morning's special speaker. She and her family live and minister in the downtown ghetto of Jackson, MS. What a powerful testimony of what God is doing there. God bless her for answering the call of God on her life!
Afterwards, I had a lovely lunch with my friend, Carolyn and her husband, Jim. We talked about the incredible courage this woman has. She's white. She lives in the middle of the ghetto. People are constantly threatening her life. Yet, she gets up every morning, walks down the street, smiles and blesses the people! It's like God has given her a Supernatural Courage, a Supernatural Joy, a Supernatural Love for the people in that community and a Supernatural Shield of Protection all around her. Not to mention that they are responding quite favorably to her. They figure she's either totally crazy, or God's totally with her.
I'm intrigued by that whole scenario. First of all, God didn't call someone who would "fit in" but instead called someone who would "stick out!" And second, God didn't call someone who was physically big, strong and able to rough it out, but instead called a little bit of a woman who was merely "sold out" for Christ! In the end, that's how He gets the glory!
Supernatural refers to something that is above and beyond our human ability. It's SUPER-natural. That means it's extraordinarily great, over and above ordinary greatness.
It's the amazing by-product of a Divine Partnership. God working incredible, impossibilities through man, or in this case, woman. Just how does God do that? When the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and you yield to that partnership, anything is possible! I know it sounds so simple and easy. And I guess it is, but like all things involving human beings, we tend to complicate things... make it so much more difficult and complex than it actually is.
There's an old saying...
God doesn't call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
That means He doesn't call you because you have what it takes to get the job done. Instead, He calls you knowing that you'll never accomplish it on your own, and then deposits His Divine Provision in you so that you have what is needed to succeed.
Take note: He doesn't really need what I think I have to offer. He's God, remember? He already has everything! Everything except an empty vessel who is willing to let God move through his/her life. The emptier I am, the better.
With that in mind, any one of us can be used by God.
RED shoes not required!
Gail
