TWILY Ministries | Love Notes | July 2010
Am I in the
Good job perks can be tough to come by, and obtaining
them takes some pretty tough negotiating skills.
Of course, that's not always the case,
because I sure didn't negotiate the
"perk" of being able to look outside our office window where I
can often see unique
birds, unusual
wildlife, and in the fall, one of the
prettiest displays of
color leaves on earth! Yes, I consider all of these things to be GREAT perks!
After years
of enjoying these things, though, I suppose I should be a little less inclined to grab the camera every time I witness something interesting. I guess
I'm not, though, because one afternoon, having
already left the parking lot for an appointment, I found myself backing up
to snap this picture, and how
could I not? I mean, look at
these two birds! CLEARLY,
they were in the wrong place! I know our office manager would agree -
After all, it was her car!
Anyway, after that impromptu photo session, I
hurried on to my appointment, still thinking about the two birds, so 
comfortably perched
in the wrong place. It was more to it than that, though, that is, more to the reason
why the scene had struck me like it had. Then it dawned on me:
I had recently been praying with
several people who, for one reason or
another, had been asking themselves a pretty big question:
"Am I in the right
place?"
Many people will
ask that same question, at some point in their lives, and for many people, the
answer won't always be so CLEAR.
What about when it IS clear, though, that a
person is, say, serving in
the wrong place, and on top of that, they are serving
there, NOT by choice or calling, but because someone said they MUST? - That sounds farfetched, doesn't it? Believe it or not, though, this kind of thing really happens, at
least it did to one former pastor's wife.
He
shared her story, during a worship seminar, and here's the gist of what he said:
It was early in his pastoral career and he'd
taken on the pastorate of a particular church. Somehow, he had overlooked one of the church's
policies, that being: "the pastor's wife is required to
teach the Women's Bible classes." That was a BIG problem, because not only did his
wife lack the desire to teach Bible
classes - more importantly - she lacked the biblical
knowledge and gift to do so. However, out of sheer commitment
and obligation, they attempted to comply.
According to him, it was quite a disaster;
"she
simply was no good at it." The longer
she tried, the more stressed she became.
On top of that, his sermon prep time was being greatly hindered, because he was
constantly trying to help her prepare her lessons. It was bad all the way
around.
To keep from sinking deep into depression, she
spent time with the Lord in prayer, while taking long walks through the
colorful field adjacent to their property. She enjoyed picking the
different varieties of wildflowers and greenery, which she would skillfully
rope into beautiful wreaths of all sizes. She shared them with neighbors, took them
to nursing homes, and before long, someone asked her to display
them at the local craft show. Her husband said "they
were some of the most beautiful wreaths anyone had ever seen", including
Hallmark, Inc.
One of their
Sales Representatives had seen her work on display at a craft shows, and when
he did - eventually - he placed an order and started selling them in their
stores.
She was so happy in her new "place", oh, and
not because she had landed a contract with Hallmark,
but because she was able to use her true gifts and talents to both contribute
to her household and support
her husband in ministry.
It was quite a testimony, though I don't remember what we had been discussing that had led us
there; perhaps it had something to do with serving
authentically. - Who knows? Whatever it was, her testimony had driven home
a very familiar point: We'll
never find joy trying to please man!
There was something else, too, well
worth mentioning. When she was going through her rough time, she never stopped fellowshipping with the Lord. She
continued praying, loving Him with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength and also, expressing
love to her neighbors - (para. Mark 12:29-31). That, no doubt, helped to keep her
in the right place spiritually, something that is important, not only as we
wait for the Lord to work out some matter in our lives, but also when things
are going nice and smoothly! That really is the key, staying in the right
spiritual place - daily!
In closing, then,
if you are worried - wondering if you are
"in the right place" - be encouraged. Wherever the Lord has
purposed you to be, in His perfect timing, He will guide you there! Until then,
keep on fellowshipping with Him through prayer and worship, getting strength
to journey on! You may still have moments when you find yourself asking, "Am I in the right place?", but when you do, you'll also have the answer: "I am for
today!"
Thank you for reading this edition. I'm praying for you all, and
God willing, see you soon!
Love in
Christ,
Joyce
© Joyce
Bailey July 2010