Less is More

After two years off and on again employment I thought my big break had come. After six interviews and an all expense paid trip to Washington state, I was sure I would get the position. So when the recruiter called me the following day I was expecting to hear, 'we cannot wait for you to come be part of our team' instead the words 'we are moving forward with other candidates' shot my confidence full of holes. My heart sank. Anger smouldered and I started to feel God betrayed me...until I remembered my Bible reading two weeks ago.



"Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”  Exodus 16:4-5 NLT

The people of Israel were in the wilderness and constantly complaining. They felt betrayed by God and instead of having a positive attitude, they chose to bicker and dwell on the past. Ultimately, their pessimistic attitudes prevented them from reaching the Promised Land in a timely manner. Much like the Israelites, I have displayed my own displeasures and disobedience and through selfish actions have put myself first and often times have closed doors that God had opened for me. And even after putting myself first and getting in the way, He has still poured out blessings upon my family. The Lord has truly shown me patience and humility during this season and while it is not the most exciting time, I am learning a lot and am eternally grateful for His provision and protection.

We are truly blessed and have learned to live on less. Going from a job making more than $70,000 a year to living on an unemployment income of $435 a week has definitely taught us to be faithful with less. We have had to learn to stretch our money and live on less. While this definitely limits your extracurricular activities and eating out it teaches self-discipline and creativity. One of the most important lessons I have learned during this season is that in order to truly see the hand of provision from God you must truly allow Him to have full control. You cannot lie down and quit and just expect God to give you something because you are one of His children. He expects us to put forth an effort. When you are out of work, you have to look for work and be willing to put away your pride and find employment. We must take care of our families and provide for them; especially if there is no money coming in.

When I finally received that call from the recruiter, even though it crushed me and left a sour taste of disappointment in my mouth, I quickly was reminded that when one door closes another will open. This closed door was an answered prayer and God reminded me that He had something else in mind for me. I remembered something that God had spoken to me over 2 weeks ago and He said that I had to quit trying to do it myself and let Him take control. I had spent countless hours trying to get the job through my works and had drained myself to a point of complete frustration and doubt. I finally surrendered all of my efforts to God and told Him I was done and He was going to have to take over.

It came down to either finding employment or ultimately suffer even more difficult times with no income. Last Thursday I walked into a local restaurant and after meeting with the General Manager, I was offered a position on the spot. Finally, an opportunity for employment. While it is not the ideal position, pay or hours that I would want, it is no longer what I want, but where God wants me. I am truly blessed to have employment. God knows what we need and is providing the avenues for this to happen. He is still teaching me to trust in Him and to let Him line things up. I know that greater things are yet to come and I am excited to see what He has in store for us next. If we truly trust Him, He will see us through these times of wilderness and guide us to the promised land.

40 days and counting

40 days from tomorrow I will be headed to Dallas, Texas to catch a flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to catch an even longer flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. I can't believe that the trip is almost here and I know before I know it months will have flown by. I am doing something that I have never done and that is to go abroad. I am going to be traveling to Jerusalem, Israel with 18 other men and women who are absolutely in love with Jesus and we are going to share the love of Christ in the same areas where Jesus walked and taught. I knows time have definitely changed, but God has not. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

I am not going to prove a point or anything crazy like that. I am going because the one who gave me life has placed a calling on my life. That calling is to serve Him and to be a minister of the gospel. That calling includes sharing the gospel everywhere across this great world. While I know that I can share the gospel right here in Oklahoma...I can also share it across the world as well. The Word of God says GO! and preach the gospel unto all the ends of the earth...from one corner to the other. It did not say to just stay in my comfort zone and where I live, if it did, that would be too easy. We are to stretch ourselves and see what God wants to do with us. He wants to use us in so many ways, but many times He cannot because we have allowed distractions and our own pride to get in the way of His will.

I am done satisfying my own flesh and my own desires. I am done trying to make everyone else happy. I am done doing what the world wants me to do. I am done. It is no longer about me. It is about Him. I must give up myself in order for Him to rise up in me. I must take up my cross daily and follow Him. I am ready to lay down my pride, my desires and sacrifice everything. In order to gain something from Christ, we must be willing to give up something that means something to us. That is why fasting is so important. Fasting is a way for us to get quiet before the Lord and listen. It is a way to mute the distractions and to silence the voices around us. It is a time for us to lay down ourselves so that Christ might rise up in us. If we want to hear from Him and to have Him do something for us...we must give up something that means something to us.

So for the next 40 days before my trip to Israel I will be fasting from things that take my time away from the Lord. I will be fasting from Facebook, television, video games, a good percentage of the Internet other than what I have to use for job searches, etc. and some food. This is to get my mind off the world and more on Him. I want to hear what He has to say.

Not only do I want to hear what He has to say about Israel and the trip, I want to hear what He says about my future job and where He is taking me. I know there will be several who consider me crazy or insane for going on this trip without a job in place, etc. I have news for them, I am still going. God has confirmed for me to go and I am not letting some challenges keep me from what God has for me. God has begun to orchestrate a new beginning in my life. Where one door closed, another is opening. I no longer see myself apart of the corporate world, but apart of the ministry. Where He leads, only He knows right now, but I am definitely seeking Him and His face.

As I was reading this evening I came across a prayer in Jeremiah 32:17-21 that speaks volumes. Jeremiah is praying for understanding from the Lord, much as I am praying for understanding as well. In a nutshell the prayer states that nothing is too hard for God. We should never sell God out and think He cannot accomplish something. The creator of the universe can do anything He so desires. He wants to see so many powerful blessings flow through us, but we must ask and we must seek. As I continued to read I came across one of my favorite passages and it is Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me and I will answer thee and I will show you great and mighty things you don't yet know." God just wants to hear from His sons and daughters.

Lord, I am calling upon You and seeking You for wisdom and understanding. I don't know it all. Open my eyes so that I may see, open my ears so that I may hear, open my mind so that I may understand the things You have laid before me. I ask that you would show me the things I don't know already and show me a glimpse of your glory. I want more of You and need more of You. I give you all of me and am willing to lay down my life and sacrifice everything for You.

In the name above all other names!

Amen