March of the Minions

Don’t you just love those little yellow guys?!

A few weeks ago I encouraged you to BE a Minion (for God). My point, in case you missed it, was that we don’t have to do BIG things for God for Him to make BIG things happen in us. This week, I wanted to give you examples of what this can look like, so I’m going to do one of those “best of” thingies where I go through past posts to find other Minions for the MIGHTY. These are people who put their faith in action in the everyday. Read the excerpts and see how you can be ready for when God calls you to do something similar. These are not stories about those who served. They are stories about the people who were impacted. See how God used the servers to fill other’s need of a Savior.

Excerpts from Greg Holt’s testimony—a man who was shown Christ when his life was in shambles. I love how he calls his new friends “those” people. Haven’t many of us been afraid of being one of “those?” See what they do for him …

Along the way in this part of the story God stepped in. My wife was a school bus driver, and picked up a special needs child. She became friends with this child’s parents. They were not my friends. I really did not want to have anything to do with them. To make a long story short…I became friends with this couple. This is when things got really interesting.

This couple, well they were some of “those” people; you know those Christian people. Now I began to really like these guys, even though they were Christians. They would talk about God without shoving it down my throat, always had Christian music on. There was just something different about them. They were so nice and always willing to help me out even with my son who was a handful.

See the whole story. “Greg Holt—A Gomer Testimony”

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Excerpts from Rachel Rutledge’s testimony. She wrote mostly about how the music of Third Day inspired her many times of her life, but what enamored me with her story was when she tells of how a member of the band reached out to her personally. See what I mean …

I was traveling home to Virginia after some girlfriends and I had sung at an event. I stopped at a gas station, when I ran into this band named Third Day! I can't be positive which group member I spoke to (we were all so young then). It was either Mark or David. He wore a 3D t-shirt - upon which I struck up a conversation. I said how I loved the name and that I too was in a group. He then took the next several minutes to witness to me right there in the middle of nowhere at 2am. Even though I was already a Christian, I listened and was so impressed by his heart and willingness to share with a stranger in that situation. It would have been so easy to say hi, thank you, and to move on. From that moment on, I fell in love with Third Day... and more-so with their heart and love for the Lord.

Little did that band member know, but he gave me much hope that night. See, just days before I had been hit several times by my husband while in the car driving to Virginia. I had been in an abusive marriage for 5 years at that point—desperately trying to work things out.

See the whole story. “Rachel Rutledge—A Gomer Testimony"

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Excerpts From Chris Cowans’ testimony. A story about a man who was brought to Christ after an explosion almost took his life. There are many minions in this one.

First, one of his colleagues who’d endured the blast with him …

I need to give you some background on the man with the injured legs. His name is Todd Adams. He had been working with me for over four years. I knew he was a Christian. He and I had numerous discussions over the years about his God and his God’s Word. I had attended a First United Methodist church as a child, but I had not attended any church for over twenty years. I was interested in the discussions we had about Jesus Christ, but I did not see eye to eye with everything we discussed. He said he believed everything as it appeared in the Bible, in other words, there were no contradictions of scripture. I had read some of the Bible before. I found what appeared to me to be many contradictions in the scriptures. I could not follow this line of thinking. I believed in a God who was an all-loving, merciful God. I could confess my sins on my deathbed and all would be forgiven. After the explosion occurred, my eyes and ears were opened to the truth.

…

Todd had managed to drag the injured man lying on the floor, Rick, closer to the open doorway. He then assisted Jeff who was still sitting on the floor. Jeff is about 6’ 5" tall and 250 pounds. Todd’s legs were just about to give out on him at this point. Todd called on the name of Jesus to give him the strength to help his injured co-worker. At this point, help had started to arrive.

…

Then, there is Chris’s teacher who had no idea how her lesson would one day come in handy …

I was not a man given over to a steady prayer life, but I felt that, if there was a God, maybe He could help my friends. I began to pray for my friends and co-workers to all be found alive and to thank God for sending all of the help he had provided. 
My fourth grade public elementary reading teacher taught my class the 23rd Psalm back in Decatur, Indiana, during the years 1969-1970. I do not think I understood the significance of the words to this beautiful Psalm during that time. I had not even thought of this Psalm for over 20 years. But while I was lying on the ice praying to God for my friends to be all right, this Psalm popped into my head just as clear and fresh as if I had been reading the words. I felt the Spirit of God descend upon me and immediately the Spirit gave me peace and comfort. I knew I would be all right, and that He was in control of the situation.

…

And here are people Chris had only met once. Don’t think your small acts go unused by the Almighty …

During this time I received many visits from friends and strangers. I had numerous visits from church friends of my injured co-worker. I knew some, but not all of these people. Their love, generosity, and compassion touched me. Two instances, which occurred in the hospital, stand out in my mind. The day I was released, a new nurse was sent in to my room to tend to my injuries. While she was cleaning my burns and applying fresh dressings, she asked me if I knew Jesus. This got my mind to thinking. Did I know Jesus? I had been told of Jesus as a child. I had been told Jesus loved me. But, did I really know Jesus? I couldn’t give her a good answer. I told her I knew of Jesus, but it had been a while since I had been to church or thought about him. She told me Jesus could help me in my road to recovery.  One day before I was released, a woman came into my room. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties and was dressed in a hospital gown. She was a patient at the hospital also. She said she had heard of the accident. She told me to put my faith in the Lord Jesus and he would take care of me. She left the room and I never saw her again. Her picture was in the obituary column the next day. She had died that night. I believe the paper stated she had died of cancer. My mind started to think about the direction my life had been taking and where I needed to be in my walk with God.

Powerful, huh?!!! Look at all those Minions!!!

See the whole story. “How God Got My Attention”

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And there’s more …

A severely disabled girl who inspired a Special Needs Ministry that spans a continent.

“How One Girl Inspired A Ministry of Access”

One man who inspired one man … who inspires thousands.

“The Man Who Inspired A Congregation—Sorta”

The cashier who brightens everyone’s day

“The Button Lady”

The Baker for God

“The Way to God’s Heart Can Be Through His Children’s Stomachs”

The autistic young man who inspires a church service

“Jake, The Encourager” I REALLY love this one!!!

While traveling through this “blast from the past” to pick out tidbits of minions to share with you, I found something amazing. In some of these testimonies there is no mention of another person at all—just an encounter with God. However, I suppose there were those who’d been there in some way, and others who prayed at various times of that person’s life. Either way, it is a reminder that WE are not the be-all and end-all of salvation—“I Am” is. He chooses to use us not because He needs us, but because He wants us in The Body, working together for His Glory.

Do you have minions who’ve meant a lot to you? Tell us about them.

Life with Depth—by Amy Ford

It is my pleasure to have Amy Ford on LBOC today. She is the co-founder of Embrace Grace, a non-profit ministry with the primary goal of empowering churches to be a safe and non-judging place for single girls to go when they find out they are pregnant. Discover more about her and her new book below.

Welcome Amy …

Sometimes I go a few weeks, and it happens WAY too fast, where I glance back and realize that I “coasted” those few weeks. I use that term when there is no acceleration or braking, really doing nothing … just going through life and seeing what happens or falls into my lap. I hate it when that happens! It’s so easy to do though. I never felt like I did something cool or out of the ordinary with investing into my husband or kids, or in general, never accomplished anything in life those few weeks.

I feel like life should be full of little accomplishments that are more than, “I made it through today.” I do realize that we go through seasons in life that are really hard, and maybe that’s all we can offer our world. But most of the time, there is so much more that we can give because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us!

I’m always so amazed at people that live life to the fullest every day, no matter what is happening in their life. There is an Embrace Grace girl that seems to be a “carpe diem” kind of girl, and somehow she also seems to have so much favor in her life too. She was texting me last night SO excited because she had just started her new job this week and had already invested time into a new co-worker she had just met, shared her testimony and how the Lord has impacted her life, and then asked the girl if she would like to ask Jesus into her heart and the girl said YES and so they prayed the prayer, right there at her lunch break. She doesn’t waste time. Every moment for her is an opportunity to impact her world.

For me, I think the hardest part is FINISHING. You know I always talk about the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and how much I love it. Well one of my strengths is ACTIVATOR. It’s an awesome strength – and pair that up with me being a big dreamer and visionary and I can get things to happen … but the part I have MAJOR flaws with is FINISHING.

I can come up with ideas all the time. Sometimes I’ll even buy a cute “Idea” journal at Barnes and Noble so I can document all my dreams, goals and ideas … but then I lose it and it doesn’t happen. Or sometimes my “to-do” list seems so big and daunting, and I look at my day and somehow will just decide not to answer my phone all day and maybe just hide under my covers. And then I remember, it’s ONE step at a time. Just one. And then go to the next step. And don’t stop stepping. So then I have the bright idea of buying me a super cute “To-Do” list. I actually bought one yesterday! It’s on a cute clipboard with purple flowers. The only problem is, I lose it. I’m not sure why, it just happens. I have so many journals and to-do lists around my house that only have like 3 pages filled. It’s funny.

On Friday I got my final print copies of my book, A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope & Courage during an Unplanned Pregnancy in the mail. The publisher sent me 4 boxes full and as I opened them, I was amazed and reminded, I CAN finish something. I remember thinking, I want to write a book and had all these dreams and ideas about it, but when it came to actually sitting down to write, it was hard. I could come up with a lot of excuses of why I didn’t have the time. But it really just came down to … one step at a time. The to-do list was huge. 55,000 words written is a GIANT task. It was easy for me to say, that’s too hard and takes too long, plus I lost my notes on it a few days ago … but I didn’t. I might have gotten 100 words in one day, but then another day 4,000 and never quitting writing, until one day I realize, I’m DONE! I did it!

God has equipped us with everything we need in order to carry out the dreams inside of us. He knows our strengths and he knows our flaws … but you can still accomplish something. It might not be a book, maybe it’s going back to school, or leading someone to the Lord like the EG girl did, or getting plugged into a ministry … or even starting your own. There will always be something else to do that might interfere. You just gotta make time, clear your schedule, even if that means staying up super late like I did, to impact your world and change your own life while doing it.

Life is too short to coast through it. Live a life of depth. Be purposeful about your days. Accomplish one of your goals, even if it feels like it will take forever, just don’t quit … one step at a time. You might discover a whole new world by hearing God’s voice, and obeying His words! We get one shot at this time on earth, make it count!

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Amy is passionate about helping girls that are walking this journey of being single, pregnant and alone, since that represents her own journey. She is equally passionate about introducing Jesus in a fresh way to a generation of girls that are daddy-less and suffer from low self-esteem, lacking in knowledge of their worth and value—and Who our identity comes from.  She is the author of A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope & Courage during an Unplanned Pregnancy that released October 1, 2013 with B&H Publishing. She has been a member of Gateway Church for 8 years. She is married to her sweet husband of 15 years, Ryan Ford and they have 4 children: Jess, Mackenzie, Landry & Judah Brave.

Other posts you might like:

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—by Rachel Phifer

Do You Ever Feel Your Offering to God is Too Small?

Did the Apostles Really ‘Dis’ Waitresses?

Owning Up!

It happened for all the wrong reasons, but isn’t that how God often works?

My husband and I got in a fight and I needed to leave the house. I burst out the front door, unlocked my car and fell into the driver’s seat. There, next to me, was the non-functioning, boxed up small appliance I needed to take back to the store before it went out of business the next week. Since I was now in my car and had nowhere else to go, this was my chance to do that.

Still in full fury, I heaved onto the main road, probably cut off a few drivers, and made my way to the store. I marched inside with my defective product, indignant “they” added to the frustration of my day by giving me the extra burden of returning this thing, and dropped the box on the Customer Service counter. “I need my money back. This doesn’t work,” I said, with all the elegance of woman on fire. 

“Do you have the receipt?”

Uh-oh. Having left the house because of my anger toward the hubby, I didn’t think about the receipt as I drove off in haste. The box had already been in the car.

I fished through my wallet to see if—somehow—I might have just put it in there. No luck. I reached into the bowels of my handbag, hoping against hope it might be there. Sheesh! This was just the culmination of my day.

So what did I do?—

“What do you mean I need a receipt?!”

—The only thing I could do given my ugly mood.

“You need a receipt to return this item,” she said, as though it had been said a thousand times that day.

Undaunted, I pushed forward. “It’s obvious I got it from here.” Don’t ask me how I believed this or even if I really did. All I know was that my disgusting mood was being emptied out on this poor woman as I railed against the store policy.

I have to give her credit, though. She spoke truth in a calm, cool, collected manner to me without the hint of a sneer.

I, on the other hand, after harassing her thoroughly, turned to leave, but was stopped by the security guard at the door. “Do you have a receipt for that, ma’am.” He pointed to the boxed appliance I still possessed, due to my lack of receipt.

Who knows what I said. I believe when Jesus washed away the sin of that day, He must have washed away much of my memory of it too. I just remember the look in the security guard’s eyes when he’d obviously caught the gaze of the woman at the counter. She must have spoken volumes in seconds, communicating to him that he just better let me through.

It’s amazing how my sin can wrap around me so thick I can’t see it at all.

I got in my car and drove away. One car cut me off. I spewed some anger he or she could never have heard. Another car almost ran into me so I raised my hand in the air and screamed, “What are you trying to tell me, Lord?”

Then I noticed—sigh—I did not have my headlights on. These cars probably couldn’t even see me. I thought it was their fault they were cutting me off and now I knew it was mine!

At that moment I realized I’d been wrong in everything I had done over the past hour, even the fight with my husband. I told God, “If that same woman is at the counter tomorrow, I promise I will apologize for my abysmal behavior.” Of course, I’d planned to go early, and since this woman worked night shifts, she’d likely not be there.

I hoped.

So, I got home and apologized to my husband—for what, only the Holy Spirit knows now. Then I trudged back to the store the next day—appliance and receipt in hand—and walked over to the counter.

Imagine the feeling in my gut when I saw that woman there. Imagine the look on her face when she saw me.

Tears filled my eyes as I realized God had blessed me and I needed to be grateful for it. I neared the counter trying to drum up some courage and said, “I don’t know if you remember me from last night …” even though it was obvious she had, “ … but I came in here in a very bad mood and took my anger out on you. I am very sorry.”

Her eyes bugged out and her mouth dropped open. The woman behind her stared with the words “Say what?” shooting from her irises. She’d almost dropped the box she’d been carrying.

Clearly, this does not happen often because these women had no idea how to respond. That made my heart ache even more!

Finally, she spoke a thank you and helped me return my item. The other woman kept eying me like an unusual beast that needed further study as she helped another customer.

I asked if the security guard from the night before was there so I could apologize to him. She said no. Evidently, God’s penance for me was now complete. And I was blessed. Really!

You see, showing Christ to the world is not always about doing the right thing, but owning up to when you do it wrong. Acknowledging to the world your own sinfulness and need of a Savior.

Believe it or not, I think I witnessed to both those ladies behind the counter that day. Both were incredulous and both expressed immense gratitude to me—even after I’d been the one who wronged them. But somehow God took even my ugliness and turned it into His glory.

Other posts you might like:

When God Is Not Like A Parent

What Brought You to Christ?

I Failed God’s Test

Captive in Iran—Book Commentary

When I first heard about Captive in Iran, by Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, I knew it would be interesting—a story of two women in an Iranian prison, jailed for their faith—but it was so much more than that. It was more than an opportunity to learn about another’s culture and how it oppresses the faith I take for granted in my own country. It was a reminder of God’s unending love, unceasing providence and extraordinary wisdom. Though the story is told through two women, I think they’d be the first to agree, it’s not their story—it’s God’s.

What did I gain from reading this account of how two women were unfairly imprisoned with no knowledge of the actual charges and no idea if they’d be executed for them? Hmmm. Let’s see …

I was inspired to maintain faith through storms, long periods of “drought” and to remember that God is always working behind the scenes.

I learned God uses all things for His glory, even in persecution.

I learned He is mightiest when all seems lost.

I learned the power of forgiveness, the power of friendship, the power of love, the power of prayer and even the power of blogging :o)!

I learned miracles happen today.

I learned not to judge others whose lives are very different from mine.

I learned what is really important in life.

I learned to appreciate freedom of religion.

I learned a lot about Iran I hadn’t known before, like the confusing laws about faith, the horrible treatment of women (sanctioned by the prevailing religious forces) and the propaganda against Christianity (like the selling of a false Christian gospel in the stores). I also learned about the “underground believers” who know the real Jesus Christ, but cannot acknowledge Him in public for fear of their safety.

Pray for these people!!!

Lastly, I learned how to evangelize. These women did not push their faith in prison, they just built friendships based on respect and trustworthiness and spoke truth when asked questions.

Read this book and pray for the people of Iran!

Other posts you might like:

A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy

When It Rains, He’s There

Let Me See Redemption Win

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—By Rachel Phifer

I was born with a thin skin. One of my earliest memories is sitting on the floor, rocking, trying to comfort myself because the noise of the television and people talking in the kitchen was overwhelming. My mother says I was eight before I stopped crying about getting dressed, “because the clothes touched me.” At school, the sound of pencils scratching against paper made me shiver and a sharp look from a teacher would reduce me to tears.

A few years ago, I read about something called sensory integration disorder. It was me all over. The experts describe it as having the knobs on your senses turned up at a constantly high volume.

Here’s the thing though. What I remember most about those early years of childhood is not tears, not trauma. I remember how lush the grass felt between my toes. I remember an orange harvest moon hanging so low in the sky I couldn’t believe it was out of reach. I remember crisp pages leafing between my eight-year old fingers, and the delight I felt as the voices at church flowed over me in song.

Is that a disorder?

And the words. Oh my goodness, the words. When I wrote, I could practically taste the words. I could feel their shape and rhythm. It’s as if I could take a word off my tongue and weigh it in my hand. I’m a writer because I have a sensory processing “disorder.”

We say someone has a “disability” or “disorder” – sensory issues or ADHD, Aspergers or dyslexia. but what we mean is “they don’t fit the mold.” You can’t have the light without the dark, or creativity without bursting the seams of what’s expected.

Successful people from Charles Schwab to Michael Phelps have been diagnosed with ADHD. Were they successful in spite of their condition or because of it? Einstein and Thomas Edison were irritations to their teacher because they were unable to do rote work, and Bill Gates dropped out of college. The fact is they were meant for something greater than the classroom. I’ve read that dyslexics tend to have strong spatial abilities. I know it was true of my dad. Writing a letter was painful for him, even as a grown man, but he was a skilled painter, photographer, athlete and gardener.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know disorders have a wide range of severity. And I know it can be frustrating to feel like your brain is on fire because there’s too much stimuli. It’s probably most frustrating of all to be the parent of a kid who struggles with school or the ability to carry on a normal conversation. But you can be sure that the God who brought giraffes and tigers and dolphins into being has more in store for us than simply living identical lives.

What we have to realize is that no gift is one dimensional. The same qualities that bring us joy will bring challenges.

So the one who is exploding with brilliant ideas will probably find a classroom stifling. The one who can memorize reams of data may find social skills a challenge. And the one who can paint masterpieces might be overwhelmed by a crowded party full of visual images.

In our less than perfect world, every gift comes with its share of frustrations and difficulties. But make no mistake. Every gift comes from God and is good by definition.

Note: In my book, The Language of Sparrows, one of my characters finds it difficult to handle crowds or make eye contact. But it is the same quality that gives her an uncanny ability to pick up new languages and sends foreign phrases murmuring through her dreams at night.

The Language of Sparrows …

Brilliant and fluent in too many languages to count, 15-year-old Sierra Wright can't seem to communicate what is important to her in any language. Though April Wright stubbornly keeps an upbeat attitude about her daughter's future, she has let her own dreams slip away. Just across the bridge lives old Luca, scarred from his time in a Romanian gulag years before. Though he has seemingly given up on people, Sierra is drawn to him despite his prickly edges.
No one else is comfortable with the unpredictable old man spending time alone with Sierra, not even Luca's son. Yet it is this unconventional relationship that will bring two families together to form friendships and unearth their family stories, stories that just might give them all the courage to soar on wings toward a new future.

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As the daughter of missionaries, Rachel Phifer grew up in Malawi, South Africa and Kenya, and managed to attend eleven schools by the time she graduated from high school. Books, empty notebooks and cool pens were her most reliable friends as she moved from one place to another. She holds a B.A. in English and psychology from Houston Baptist University, and lives in Houston with her family.

Website: www.rachelphifer.com

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-Sparrows-Rachel-Phifer/dp/0781410487

Other posts you might like:

D is for Dyslexia

I’m Dyslexic—By Jane Perrine

How to Treat A Child with Autism

BE a Minion!

If you read this blog often, you’ll have noticed I changed the look a bit. I also changed the tagline. Where it once read, “Get out of your seat and LIVE your part,” it now says, “Motivating minions for the MIGHTY.”

There are three questions that come from this change:
1) Why in the world would I call God’s people minions? (see “What’s A Minion?”)
2) Why in the world do I feel the need to motivate them? And …
3) Why did the Needtobreathe song, Difference Maker, keep coming to mind after I did?

I think it has something to do with addictions ;o).

You see, sometimes, when we sinful human creatures first become born again, or we come from a particularly powerful sermon, or we read a blog about all we CAN do FOR Christ, it’s like a drug. There were times in my own life where I called on the Lord for guidance and help, and I received it in such force it was intoxicating.

God is just that amazing.

So what does the human do when they come down from that high? They rush out and seek more of the very thing that made them drunk. But God is not a drug, and He will not heel at your beck and call.

When I first became a Christian Counselor I found it very effective to pray on my knees before every counseling session. I humbled myself before the Lord and invited Him into the session to do the work. But, just as the Israelites so often did with the things God gave them, that prayer became a tool for my counseling rather than an opportunity to honor Him. The power of it waned because I saw it as mine and not His. I was trying to be A difference maker rather than allowing myself to be His empty vessel.

I so often hear young people or new Christians say “I want to make a difference,” as they ride the zeal of their burgeoning faith. I’ve also seen many become burned out as their “big” plans to save the lost meet with great disappointment. They ask, “Why wasn’t God faithful to me when I was faithful to Him?” The question I have is, “Were your big plans God’s or yours?”

I hear others talk about how they believe God is calling them to do something great like so-and-so did. But if they looked at so-and-so, they might notice he or she did not set out to do something great, only something for the Lord.

That’s what I am hoping for you, my reader.

How does one truly become an empty vessel of the Lord? Or, as I now like to call it “a minion for the mighty?”

Hmmm, for me it’s really not about being one, but about noticing when I drift into my own self-importance and then turning the rudder so I can right my course. I’m sorry to say, my self always gets in the way.

How do I move the rudder back? By keeping my eye on who “I Am” is. For me, that comes with Bible study and prayer. Not a study that memorizes empty facts, but coming to know The Story of the One who loves me deeply and I want to love back. Not a prayer that asks, “God, can you do this for me,” but time spent in the presence of my Father, telling Him about my day, asking if He has any thoughts on it, and maybe even praising Him a little.

Stuff like that.

My final thought is to suggest you put away the idea that you must do something big. Remember, the bigness doesn’t come from what you’ve done, but from what HE makes of what you’ve done. In fact, I sometimes think our goal of bigness stalls us from getting started in the first place. Think of the boy with the loaves of bread and two fish. He didn’t bring them to feed thousands, but when given to Jesus, they did.

You can be that boy.

You can be a minion.

This is the place where I often list other posts from this blog that you might like. Today, I would love for you to read another story from another site, about a real Minion for the Mighty and know your empty vessel can be used for great things and you might not even know it’s happening. Take a look! You won’t be sorry. Worldwide Impact of a Humble Street Preacher Lives on Today

When God Is Not Like A Parent

Having worked as a counselor with victims of abuse and neglect I always cringe when preachers say something like, “Your earthly father would never …” <insert something awful here>, in an effort to demonstrate God’s paternal yearnings for His children. The message is, if your earthly father would do anything to take care of you, how much more would your heavenly Father?

Why do I cringe? Because I’ve known of too many earthly fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles and even supposed pillars of the church, who’ve done some pretty disgusting things to the little ones in their charge. That’s just a hazard of the mental health counseling field.

Yes, most of us have an innate desire to care for our young, but each of us are flawed sinners, and some of those sins have left some pretty horrific scars.

That’s why today, I want to talk about how God is NOT like an earthly parent.

But before I do, let me throw in a few disclaimers.

First, let me stress, God tells us to honor our father and mother, to treat them with respect. Though they are human and flawed, God has given this role to them for a reason. If we honor God’s call for us to honor them, He will see us through the sometimes difficult road of dealing with their sins.

Second, I am not only the child of a parent, but a parent myself. I’ve seen both sides of this coin now, and have learned to better respect the edicts I’d once spurned in my naiveté. Parents, though flawed, still tend to know more than the child so much younger than themselves—reason to listen to their advice.

However, God is our ultimate authority.

So how is God different from our parents?

First, He is ALL-knowing.

Where our parent’s wisdom comes from greater time inhabiting this earth and living life, God’s comes from creating every minute detail of what we inhabit. He doesn’t just know one life, but all. He doesn’t just know your actions, but your thoughts, your emotions, your motivations. He knows what is truly good and what is truly bad.

He knows everything!

Second, He is ALL-loving.

Yes, most parents really love their children. I don’t think anyone can understand the depths of this kind of love (not to mention our human frailties surrounding it) until they’ve become a parent themselves. I know I didn’t.

But God’s love is greater, more complete. He’s not putting on a show so the world can give Him kudos. He’s not hoping His kids will return the favor and care for him in His old age. He needs none of that. He’s not loving us because He’s supposed to. He created us to love us. In fact, He came from His lofty, protected, regal perch, became one of us, and suffered a horrible, violent death so we could live in eternity in His Glory—with Him.

That’s love!

Third, He is ALL-powerful.

I don’t mean He can withhold our allowance or put us in time out if we misbehave. He can strike us with lightning if He wants, reducing us to dust. But instead He gives us free will and when we choose not to listen to Him, and fall on our faces from the ramifications of our own choices, He picks us up, brushes us off, reminds us of His love, then sends us back to try again.

Why did I feel it necessary to draw this ALL-consuming picture of God? Because too often we treat God like we treat an earthly parent—like He doesn’t know what He’s talking about, or He has no idea how we feel, or He doesn’t understand who we truly are. An earthly parent may be missing some of these things (though maybe not as much as we believe) ...

But God is not.

He formed you for a purpose. He’s numbered the hairs on your head. He knows how you were made, and what you were made for. And He knows that in following His will—no matter how crazy it may seem—you will find Joy like you’ve never had before.

Trust Him. Believe in Him. Follow Him.

Other posts you might like:

Thankful in Hard Times

A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy

You Are Holy