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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Dangerous Surrender


I recently finished a Book study in my woman's ministry group. The book was by Kay Warren called Dangerous Surrender. You have already read a little about my experience with this book. It's the kind of book that makes you look in the mirror and ask yourself am I doing enough? Am I putting myself out there to help people in need? Am I picking up the cross and serving others? Am I dying to self and living for Jesus? Not everyone is suppose to go over seas in the mission field.. There is a huge mission field right outside our front door. Look at our communities... There are homeless shelters, AIDS Clinics, newborn babies addicted to drugs, children in Foster care homes that want to belong to a family, and so much more...There are people that need us.. and I really think we need these people too.
Kay Warren wrote that we need to get disturbed about what is out there.. Disturbed enough to help cure the problems..disturbed enough to love our brothers and sisters...enough to surrender to God's purpose for our lives..
Mark 8:34-37 Then (Jesus) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
In the verse where Jesus says "take up the cross" what that means is saying yes. "Yes, God, I will do whatever you ask of me - whatever, whenever." It's agreeing with God that His way is best in every situation and choosing to obey Him over every other authority, regardless of how you feel about it. This is "dying" to self-will and self-centeredness...
This is a really hard one for me. I do not like getting dirty, sweating, and I don't like being out of my "comfort zone". My idea of roughing it is sleeping in a 3 star hotel.. Okay that's a little exaggeration.. I do like to camp out... but only on my terms.. fresh water.. clean toilets...tent with a blow up mattress... So I am asking myself why am I seriously considering flying all the way to West Africa?? Oh and I absolutely hate flying... since I am a control freak.. trusting my life to an airplane pilot is really hard..... but you know.. I'm getting okay with that..Why am I thinking about getting so far out of my comfort zone it's scary..? What is God putting on my heart? and why? Will I go to West Africa? I don't really know. My husband, Dusty thinks I should wait until the girls are in college...at least that's what he thinks today...who knows if God will speak to him too... I never thought I would be where I am today...
Whether it's here or way over there..there are people that need us...People that are suffering and we can help... praying, giving your time, giving your money, and just giving yourself... Are you willing to be seriously disturbed?
*quotes taken from 'Dangerous Surrender'

1 comment:

From the Heart said...

Wow! Gives a person a lot to think about. I will add this to my prayer list. I'm at the age that some of the things I couldn't do especially with the health issues I've had, but I can pray and God has been dealing with me about my prayer life. He has been so good to me, why is it so hard to give myself to Him in prayer not only for my family but for others as you've mentioned.
Thanks for sharing.
AliceE.

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