B.U.S.Y.

One of my mentors in the faith recently pointed out the fact that, if one is going to have a blog, one needs to consistently post on that blog, in order to keep followers of said blog coming back to read. I confess I have been lax in fulfilling that self-imposed obligation in recent weeks. This is mostly due to my life becoming more and more busy over the past month or so. That's not an excuse; it's just a fact. Reflection on this condition reminded me of a devotional I read some time ago. I don't recall the exact wording, but the general idea still rings true.

The writer suggested that the word "busy" was actually an acronym. The letters B.U.S.Y. stood for (B)ound (U)nder (S)atan's (Y)oke. I'll expound on this idea after giving some background on my experiences.

I was saved some time during my pre-teen years. It was on February 4th, and I wish I could remember the exact year. I wrote it on a calendar shortly thereafter, but that calendar has long since disappeared. So did my church attendance, not long afterward. For years, I struggled with living in the world yet not being of the world with little to no guidance. I had accepted the gift of eternal life, yet I had no idea how to live for the Lord. It was not until my family and I moved to Oxford in the summer of 2008 that things began to turn around.

I was generally a lazy guy during that time. I did whatever it took to get the job done when necessary, but oftentimes "getting the job done" required only minimal effort, so that's all I put forth. I can't recall ever being truly busy (i.e. going non-stop) during those years. It was the local AWANA program that drew me to First Baptist Church. I found myself in a Wednesday evening prayer service after having taken my son to AWANA, and for reasons only the Holy Spirit could explain, I kept coming back.

In April of 2009, for the first time ever, I felt the need to be in a church building on Good Friday. I found myself knocking on the pastor's office door, and we talked for a solid hour. I walked away with a glow in my heart and a Directions Discipleship book in my hands. God changed my life over the course of the 18 weeks the pastor took to lead me through that book. Finally, I had simple, concise instructions for being a disciple of Jesus Christ. I committed my life to serving God during the very first week of study, not having any idea where that commitment would lead me.

Before the year was over, I found myself standing in an airport in São Paulo, Brazil, waiting on a vaguely familiar face to appear, not knowing the local language, not knowing what on Earth I was doing there, for nearly 2 hours. After having exhausted all possible avenues of rescue, I finally prayed. My contacts appeared less than 2 minutes later. God had already taught me obedience through discipleship. He used this first mission trip to teach me total dependence on Him.

Am I busy today? You better believe it. I have things in the home to take care of: Family, dishes, laundry, meals, shopping, bills. I have things at work to take care of: Projects, meetings, pseudo-emergencies. I have things at church to take care of: Song leading, choir, AWANA, doctrines class. I have school things to take care of: Studies, tests, reading. How can I possibly get all this done on my own?

The answer is simple. I can't. I get up every morning and pray. I admit to the Lord that I can't do it without Him. I ask for the tools I need: strength, wisdom, patience, perseverance. I ask Him to help me accomplish what must be done.

Do I feel "bound under Satan's yoke"? Some days, I wonder if I might be. Most of the time, though, I tend to believe that God is using this time in my life to stretch me and to train me for service to come. For that, I praise His name!

PS- If you're looking for me this evening, sorry. I'm...BUSY! The AWANA camp-out is tonight!

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Kickoff Night!

With the beginning of the new school year, it's also AWANA time! It's a new year, with new leaders, and even a new commander. Last night was our kickoff night, complete with pizza, games, and a short devotional. For me, it was also a time to reflect on how God has answered prayer in the past, as well as how He continues to answer prayer in the present.

When I found out that last year's commander would be stepping down, I prayed diligently for God to provide us with His choice for commander, one who would take our AWANA program to a new level. Without a doubt, God has answered that prayer. The level of excitement that man displayed last night bordered on intense! He set the tone for the evening. He helped to fan the flame for God that I carry in my own heart. Perhaps most importantly, he got the kids excited too!

Possibly one of the best changes the commander made this year was establishing a mandate that all leaders be present a half hour in advance for group prayer. He reminds all of us by doing this that getting in touch with the Lord and asking for His blessing, guidance, and wisdom, before we begin any work in His name, is a must. It puts everyone's focus back on Him and helps us to remember that we give our best effort, but the successes are all His. We prayed for each other. We prayed for our clubbers. We prayed for souls to be saved and minds to be discipled.

Last year's kickoff night was only about fun; this year's kickoff night was about God, yet somehow the level of fun was intensified. Last year, we hadn't even planned on leading someone to Christ during the first night, and it didn't happen; consequently, i think most of us had not planned on it this year either. May God be praised for not only answering our prayers, but for providing above and beyond our own expectations. Three children professed Christ last night! Two were clubbers from previous years; one was a first-timer. All three were related to each other. What are the odds of that?

What's really exciting about all these new happenings is that this is just the beginning. We have a long year ahead of us. We still have many clubbers who are unsaved and many more who are not living their lives for God. However, in one single night, God has opened my eyes to the potential that exists when we put all our focus where it belongs - on our master, our creator, our redeemer, and our provider. AWANA kickoff night was a great blessing and encouragement to me this year, and I look forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to use us as the year progresses.

To God be the glory!

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." - 1 Timothy 6:12

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33