Rooted in Jesus

It's Sunday afternoon, and on a good week, this is the time that I'm taking a little snoozy.  I love a Sunday afternoon nap.  There is something so perfect about spending a morning in worship and an afternoon resting in God's arms.  It's refreshing, renewing, revitalizing.  Today, however, I can't sleep.  I can't turn my brain off.  I can't stop thinking about the truth is today's message.  I can't stop thinking about the words I'll share tonight at youth group.  I can't stop thinking about God's incredible, unfailing, perfect love.

This weekend, our church family was so blessed to have Wayne Kerr and his band from Katy, TX lead us in worship.  His music and message blessed my soul.  I knew that he would do a great job with our students.  I knew that his message would be powerful for them.  I knew students would have a new favorite singer for the next few weeks.  I arranged to have Wayne here for the kids.  I'd heard him before, and I knew our students would love him...and I prayed his message and music would play a big part in shaping our students and encouraging them in their walk with Jesus.  What I didn't know, is that his message would encourage me also.  I didn't know that his words would remind me of why I do this...of my purpose...of my calling.

Wayne spoke from his heart.  He used Psalm 1 as his text, and his recent trip to the Redwood forest as his illustration.  Then, as corny as it might seem, he made an acrostic from the word roots.  (I would share it with you now, but I can't remember it.  Man, it would be great if I could.)  Oh wait.  It's coming back...let me give it a shot:  Renew your relationship with God daily.  O...hmmm.  Obey God daily.  Till God's Word daily.  Surrender?  No...Serve.  Yes, Serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.  Okay, so I have all of them but the first O.  That wasn't really the most important part...or obviously the part that spoke mostly to me.  I was struck most by several things:

1)  Wayne spoke truth.  He spoke straight from his heart.  His honesty and humility allowed me to let my guard down.  It gave me permission to surrender to God's presence in the midst of my work place.  This, my friends, is no small thing. 

2)  Wayne asked us to write down the acrostic.  (I did, but I left it in my office, hence the reason that I can't recall it all now.)  But what I witnessed throughout the congregation were people looking around for pens and paper.  It reminded me that these people were my brothers and sisters.  My brothers and sisters who are hungry and searching for God's love, for direction, for peace.  Wayne reminded us that the church was not made up of perfect people who have it all together, but that the church is made up of people who know they don't, people who know they're imperfect--but who also know that they were created by a great and mighty God.

3)  Wayne reminded me that I am God's masterpiece, created for good works. Using Ephesians 2:10, he said that each of us are uniquely created for something that no one else on the planet is created to do.  As I looked at my hands...hands that are too often idle, too often used for self interests, too often more hurtful than healing...I was reminded that God created me for good.  

The world screams, lures and entices.  God whispers, loves and provides.  When life is the most full, the busiest, the most exciting, my time with God withers.  It's ironic that the gifts from God are so often what drives me to complacency.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.