My husband, Rodney, is in a group with three other men who sing in town. Some people have asked me "why aren't you singing with them?" I also have had people in the church ask me, "Why aren't you singing in the choir?" My response was always been one of these two: "I have enough on my plate, I'm too busy," or "the congregation needs more help than the choir."
My pastor was speaking on "Making Excuses" one Sunday. It was a good topic for discussion; it really had value from Luke 14:15-24. I highly recommend you look it over and recognize the excuses that were given to this certain man. If you look, notice the first excuse. The first guest was going after the sun went down to test out his five oxen. Hello, that is like saying we're going to go check the oil in our car in the dark. It is unreasonable.
Then the pastor ended with an altar call. I ended in tears. I heard the Lord ask me, "When are you going to stop giving me excuses?" I knew what he was talking about, but I chose not to respond. He asked me again, "When are you going to stop giving me excuses?" I responded to the Lord with; "When you give Rodney and I a song to sing together, then I will sing." I thought if I put it back on God then that would settle the matter. On the way home I explained to Rodney what I experienced in church. He was elated because he keeps asking me to sing with him and I would give him excuses. Needless to say Rodney was excited.
Three days my life changed. I was talking with Tim Parker one afternoon about property in town. At the end of our conversation he asked me, "Are you coming to church tonight." I asked him what classes were going on and he shared. Then he said "There is also Choir." I heard the Lord say "Ah, did you hear him?" I ignored the voice and went on my way.
As I was leaving the radio station and heading down the road to church, the Lord spoke to me again; "When are you going to stop giving me excuses?" I stopped giving him excuses, but telling him; "I don't know when it starts, when it finishes, what to expect out of myself, it has been a long time you know." I had a whole lot of excuses and questions. The Lord asked me; "When are you going to join the choir?"
I pulled in the parking lot and the tears flooded my eyes, streaming down my face. I thought to myself "I need to talk to Lisa Parson's. She always encourages me to go, yes, I'll ask her. " But it wasn't her I needed to talk to but the first person I met was Shelley Clay. I saw her and I started crying again. I told her I needed to talk and she asked what was wrong. I said "oh nothing, that is the problem." She replied, "what?"
I told her what I was going through and she welcomed me with open arms. I felt like a child on the first day of school; lost. As I entered the room, one member asked, "So what do you sing?" He didn't know I was there to join the choir, did he? So I then began sharing and playing the blame game. It is all Pastor Kirby's fault that I'm here. It's his darn sermon on "Making Excuses." I realized, it was my fault and I need to just follow what God wants. So here I am. Many of the choir members were happy to see me. So many times choir members had encouraged me to bring my praise to the Choir loft.
I read music, I use to sing solos, I use to be in a girl's singing group, and did a lot of praising to the Lord with songs. Now, I've stopped making excuses and am on a journey to utilize the gift God has given me. I know I'm never going to be the same again. I have always said "God you can have anything you want from me." I can't recall ever giving him stipulations, but like Moses I did give excuses.
There isn't a moral to my story, I don't want a pat on the back for what I did, and I certainly don't want center stage (that is for God, the Creator). I guess I just want to share that I run from God just like you do. I have struggles just like you.
If you know God has given you a talent to use, ask him where to use it. If you don't know what your talent is, ask him and when he tells you allow Him to use you in it.
~Be encouraged, we all have stuff stuffed.
No comments:
Post a Comment