Planting-Watering-Growing

1 Corinthians 3:6-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we areGod's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid afoundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

Here's a little story of that scripture realized for me:

When I went to Uganda last year I met a beautiful lady when we were doing an outreach ministry in a local slum.  I was attracted to her because she had the most beautiful baby that looked to be the same age as my Grand daughter whom I was missing very much.

One thing led to another and we invited this young lady to church with us.

She showed up.

We went to church and I got to hold her precious baby.

On the way home from church Kathy shared the gospel with  this young lady.  That was the 3rd time she heard it in just a few days...in the slum...in church....and while walking home from church.

It took hold. 

 She asked Jesus to be the Lord of her life that day.  She became a christian that very day.  She had started her day as a muslim and Jesus changed all that as she understood what He did for her and she wanted it.

We came home.

Kathy continued to disciple this young lady, and then Mollee, who is the missionary at Redeemer House picked up from there and began to disciple her and teach her God's Word.

Her husband remained a muslim and would beat her for her new faith in Jesus.   I got an e-mail asking me to pray for my friend. 

 I was heart broken for her.

But God!!!!! 

 He saw fit to bring more of the body into action and my sis and her hubby went to Uganda.

  As they were there they shared the gospel with my friend's hubby..because he was willing to listen to a man, although he would not sit on the furniture because of his muslim faith...he did not want to be "unclean". 

Justin kept speaking truth and my friend kept sharing her testimony, and after a few meetings, Jesus saved this man. 

 He became Christian!!!  

Justin got to baptize my friend and I got to pick her new name...as her old name was a muslim name... and then just a few weeks later Josh, another part of this body, baptized her hubby.

In 6 days, I get to go and see my friend and love on her a bit and encourage her and be encouraged by all that has taken place in a year's time.  

It has been quite a year for both of us. 

God is GOOD!!!  

Baptism

I'm going to get baptized.  

I got baptized by my Grandpa when I was 8. 

 It was the real deal...I remember it...I meant it, and I understood it,

 (as much as any 8 year old can mean it and understand it).

 I have always thought I was good to go....I had THAT marked off the list.

But lately, and I mean for awhile now, I have been thinking the Lord is telling me to get baptized again.

 He is not backing off, He is convicting me stronger and stronger every time the subject comes up. 

 I have given Him and anyone who will listen to me every reason I can think of that I don't need to do this.

I said to my older sis recently, that I don't want to act legalistic and do it.

I explained that I am not questioning my salvation or my relationship with the Lord.

People can get all tangled up with questioning their relationship and their

 salvation if it is based in

"activities I have done".

 For example:  We can get so tangled up with fitting into our little religious boxes of things to do and not do.....did I wear the right thing...did I think the right thoughts...did I hold my breath just right....did I raise my hand long enough when I asked Jesus into my heart...did I pray loud enough...did I really mean it, and the list goes on and on.

(Notice all the I's in that sentence...it's nothing I did...it's always about who

 HE IS AND WHAT HE DID FOR ME AND YOU.)

...and she said...

maybe by your NOT doing it, when you are clearly being asked to, you are being legalistic.  

For example: I already checked that mark off the list, and even though in my heart I know what He is telling me....I keep pointing to that time when I was 8, and the check list that is so neatly marked off.

OUCH!!!  Truth hurts sometimes. 

I can give you a few reasons why I think the Lord is asking me to do this and I can give you 100 reasons why I don't need want to....and I have discussed every single one of those with the Lord in great detail...and I keep getting the same answer....

JUST DO IT!!! 

Here is the bottom line, I feel like He's telling me to do this, and we have been learning a lot about obedience at church, and SO....I'm just going to do it because

 He said so! 

 I don't know why He is telling me to do it again, and I honestly do not WANT to...I would rather get on a plane and go to Africa...but I do want to be obedient and SO, I'm just going to

 DUNK my PRIDE and my FEAR

 and do it

HUMBLY AND AFRAID.

I have thought about Peter...and when Jesus told him to come out of the boat and walk on water with Him...Peter didn't ask 

WHY?  You didn't tell everyone else to get out of the boat!

 he just

 DID IT.

I love to encourage people to get baptized..... why would I not be willing to

 DO

 what I encourage others to

 DO.  

One last part to this...I really just want Charlie to fill up the bathtub and dunk me and I can tell the Lord,

 "THERE, I DID IT!"

BUT, I kinda know THAT is not what He means. He isn't just interested in my

 "action",

 He's interested in my heart and my obedience and apparently my transparency.

Because I went from...let's just get this done in the privacy of my own bathtub...to hey, I'll just blog about it.  

UGH!

We were discussing this very topic at Bible Study on Thursday and something that stuck out to me is this:

My walk with the Lord is very different than it was when I was 8

 (thanks be to God),

and  if this is a step of faith for me to further my relationship with Him.....

DUNK ME AGAIN!!!

Quote from Amy.  :)

Perspective

I have a very fresh perspective on some things right now.

 I have a front row seat with several people that have recently lost a loved one or are losing a loved one.
 It's difficult and holy at the same time.
 I see these people that have their focus right on target.

It's as if people get tunnel vision.

 Living out every minute with intention.
 They aren't necessarily whipping the world into shape and getting everything under the sun done with a list of to-dos......they are taking the moments as they get them and living and speaking with such conviction and truth.
  The filters are gone and everything that is said and done is with one filter...and that filter is

God's Word.

The Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus!

It's as if the fluff and distraction and lies of this world are intolerable and everything gets very focused and yet urgent.

  Urgent to LOVE and LIVE!

There is an urgency to let people know WHO LOVE is and WHO LIFE is all about.

People get very honest and blunt.

It is hard to watch suffering and sadness, but I love the perspective that comes.

 I pray there is peace and relief for those that are suffering or grieving, but I pray that we are  never the same, that we never forget this "perspective" and this "urgency" and this "intentional living".

It is Holy Ground. 

Would I Do Anything??

The Lord was preparing me for something about a month ago and I didn't even know it.

  I was running and just spending some time praying and it came to my mind...

"Would I do anything the Lord asked of me?" 

 Whenever I get that question I instantly throw Charlie under the bus.

  I say, 

 "Yes, Lord...Charlie will do anything, and we are one, so technically, yes".  lol

  And I go on to say, "I will support and pray and help Charlie do whatever you throw our way." 

 So I finished by knowing I had every good reason to not do anything out of the ordinary. 

 Of course I went through the list of why I'm not a good one to call on.

  I went through the list of things I can't do,

 I emphasized ALL my weaknesses, and there are many, 

 and then I went through the list of  my kids, and there are many,

 and then the list of  things I'm responsible for, and there are many,

 and felt like I let myself off the hook for everything outside of my

 safe and comfortable home and routine.

About 3 weeks after that little talk with the Lord, it came up that someone would need to go to Uganda and take our newest missionary there to serve in Redeemer House.

  I instantly did my usual default and threw Charlie right under that bus...I said, "It's only logical...he is going at the end of December...we can just change his ticket."

  All the while I knew...I knew and remembered the conversation me and the Lord had just recently had.  

As it turned out Charlie crawled out from under the bus that I threw him under and  he explained to me that he is unable to change his schedule.  

Several of us committed to pray for the Lord to send the right person....again,

 all the while...knowing it was me.  

I woke up in the night one night and was wrestling through the whole thing and I said,

 "OK, Lord I will go, but I just ask one thing...the kids need to go on and not miss a beat...because I know and you know Lord, we are all still bonding and adjusting to having a new big wonderful treasure in our family (our newest child), 

and he does 

 NOT

 need to have any crazy changes....not even for a week or a day". 

As the Lord would have it....Lashae and Maubry and maybe one other sweet niece get to come and be better than just me for a week!!

 I have to thank the Lord for going above and beyond anything I could have requested and also I need to thank Lashae and Miss Maubry for being willing servants to come and without a hint of hesitation and I thank my wonderful Son-in-Law for "sending" his wife without hesitation. 

GOD IS SUPER SUPER GOOD!!!!

I will post more about the details later...I haven't even had a chance to fill my family in.  :)