A journey, part 2

“Lord, I am ready to do whatever you want me to do, no matter what.”

That was a hard surrender, and it still is. But not as much, because as I was about to finish The Promise, our pastor challenged us (as in our congregation) to read Radical by David Platt. Not only to read it, but to do the challenge and meet with him after Sunday morning service as a small group and be accountability partners for each other. So I rushed to finish The Promise so I could read Radical when the hubby was done with it. Oh, that was harsh reading. Convicting. See, I’ve been feeling the call to work with the youth for a few weeks, and then right after that, the pastor started preaching/teaching us to start working on discipling. “Coincidentally.” Well, The Promise followed by Radical was just what I need to convince me that I needed to volunteer to help with the youth whether I want to or not. (Kids scare me, by the way.) See, I was discipled by a young lady from when I was 10 to 15. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that is exactly what she was doing with me. (That story is a post in itself.) And I digress.

The day after I finished Radical, I got a book in the mail that I only vaguely remember ordering. Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand. Where those other books had begun to put life in perspective, Tortured for Christ rounded it out. Those of you on Facebook who saw my Sunday status, this book precipitated that. For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, why not? Everybody’s doing it. LOL Seriously, though this is what I posted: “owns multiple Bibles in multiple translations while Christians in many areas of the world cannot get even one Bible and suffer persecution and torture for their faith. I’ve taken my freedom for granted. How about you?”

Well, how about me. What now? What am I going to sacrifice and to whom am I going to give? What am I going to give up that will truly be a sacrifice?

8 Responses to 'A journey, part 2'

  1. Welcome to my world, Martha. I am in the place you are entering. Don’t look back and think about what could have been. Simply look forward and think of what might be. You’ve made the connection – now all you need to do is listen to Him. He speaks loud and clear, but not like the fakers describe.

    You know where I live and what I do. Others may not, but that’s okay. Every day of my life is a sacrifice dedicated to Him. For the curious, read the content of my blog and read between the lines. There’s a lot more there than just the written word.

    Thank you, Martha, for reminding me why I do the things I do.

    • DragonLady says:

      I just spent 3 days last week praying for your little corner of the world. 🙂

      It’s been hard not to get bogged down in regret over what I could’ve/should’ve done over the years. But, I am just thankful every minute I am drawing breath that God isn’t finished with me, and has been patient with me. I can’t change the past, but I can learn from my mistakes, and even use those mistakes to teach others “Hey, here’s how I screwed up” in order to help someone else with their walk.

      And don’t thank me, thank God because he has been putting people in my life to remind me of what is really important. I guess I’m just paying it forward, so to speak. :cheesy:

  2. Molly says:

    oh yeah….so much harder…

    • DragonLady says:

      You know Molly, last week I reached the point where I finally got what it means to deny oneself. That is the essence of sacrifice. That’s why it is going to be so hard for me because I haven’t truly denied myself anything…ever.

  3. mel says:

    If I had to give up something willingly that would truly be a sacrifice, I don’t think I could figure out what to give up either.

  4. Danny Poole says:

    Martha,
    I’ve known you for a long time. Don’t rush into the first thing that seems to call out to you. God’s time is a bit different from ours and when we rush, we goof (re: Abrah and Sara). Now that He has your attention, look and listen. The thing you are to do will come to you, no pursuit needed. Think Moses herding sheep for 40 years before being called (kicking and screaming all the way, LOL). Our emotional enthusiums can really cause problems. When God is ready for you to do something, it pretty much comes without warning and you get an offer “you cannot refuse” without refusing everyting.
    You were always one of the most level-headed people I knew and I believe God will use that analytical, logical, thinking mind for something you probably never thought of.
    As for the youth service, it never hurts to keep busy doing something, but don’t think it may be THE thing…God thinks bigger thoughts than we do.
    Sometime, I will relate to you some of the things I have been led to do…so strange, cannot be made up…

    In Christ,

    Danny

    • DragonLady says:

      Danny, I have always valued your advice, and I thank you for your kind words of encouragement. :salute: You are the third person to tell me not to rush into anything. One of my weak points is patience. 😉 And when I went to our women’s bible study last night (instead of helping with the youth), I saw an opportunity to minister to the community with the other ladies in a way that never occurred to me. It will by all means have me out of my comfort zone, but one of the things I have to keep in mind is that I need to quit thinking I am the one doing the work, and just be open and obedient to let God work through me. 🙂 :hugs: