Sunday, March 4, 2012

GET BUSY

I'm enjoying the day! I was able to attend worship, have lunch with my wonderful husband and have this beautiful afternoon to spend as I please. I'm sitting at my craft desk with a snoring dog in my lap. I'm so thankful for today...not only that, I'm thankful for this minute in this day! Being a cancer patient has made me take each moment as it comes. Some moments are good, some moments are bad - I hope I will remember to always be grateful for the good moments and hold tightly to God's hand during the bad moments.

One of the issues I struggle with is wondering how I am suppose to serve God during all of these moments. I always imagined myself doing something grand...mission trips, orphanages, serving the less fortunate and believe me, I have spent hours in prayer telling God I could be more useful to His Kingdom if He would cure me of cancer. I promised to happily serve Him all the days of my very long life. Now, with this cancer and the diagnosis of months, not years, left to serve on this earth I've wondered what I could possible do to serve God. The treatments leave me sick, weak and home bound most of the time. I can't go on mission trips, I can barely leave my house!

I am a strong believer that each day we spend on this earth is ordained by God. He has a purpose for each of us, if we choose to live out that purpose. I know He has a purpose for my life or I would not be sitting here (with my snoring dog). But I need to stay in contact with Him through prayer and reading His word for Him to communicate with me.

God is so good at providing what we need when we seek him! I had been praying to God about my frustration of feeling useless in serving Him. My prayers went to a new level after hearing Pastor Kevin a couple of weeks ago. A portion of his sermon was, "Get busy doing what you know to do". Under that section I had written in my notes, "What should I be doing for the Kingdom of God?" and then, "Do what God has for you right now." I kept thinking about those two sentences I had written. The next day it was still on my mind as I sat on the back deck (probably with a snoring dog in my lap). Our unusually warm winter has encouraged plants to bloom early this year. My eyes were drawn to one particular azalea bush. Among all the brown, lifeless branches sat one glorious bloom. At that moment I was given the thought, "bloom where you are planted so those that are too discouraged to bloom will have hope."

Was that a God moment or what??

I can encourages folks! I can do that at the cancer center, on facebook, wherever! Yes, God, I can do that! I believe that if I was not sick there would be something else God would want me to do, but right now I can bloom right where I am planted! Thank you God for your Word and that little azalea bush!

I appreciate all your prayers for me the past three years. God has given me the strength to either endure or enjoy each moment as it comes.

Victory in Him,

AmyLou


P.S. If you would like to see Pastor Kevin's sermon I mentioned in this post, go to www.gfbc.com there are tabs that will direct you to videos of sermons. This one is entitled, "Leadership Lessons from a Burning Bush"