However, 6 months ago, the discussion of considering pursuing what I viewed as "someone else's dream" began to evolve from the encouragement of several great friends and my pastor. Back in September, I was asked by my pastor if I was ready to "come out of retirement" and consider volunteering in a role to help my church raise a substanial amount of money for a new home. I didn't jump up gleefully and say yes right away. I knew the time involved in a commitment like that, so I forced myself to take the time to pray about my decision. Yes, I said I forced myself to pray about it. Can you see the beginning of a lesson God is about to teach me in control here?
I remember during that week of prayer that I told God that he was crazy. I complained about him calling me to do something that I wasn't equipped for. I demanded that he call me to do something that made sense. Something that I was certain I could accomplish and not fail at.
It was during that week of prayer and study that I literally stumbled upon 1 Chronicles. I STUMBLED...and God's word smacked me right upside the head with 1 Chronicles 28:20... “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."
I finally shut up. I decided that God must be right and even though I still might think he is crazy. For the first time in my life, I decided to stop complaining, serve HIM, and wait to see if I could trust him. I was not prepared for the beauty of his blessings.
I worked as hard as I possibly could with our church staff on fast tracking a capital campaign effort. In the secular world, that is just plain craziness. I would like to say that I 100% faithfully trusted God in this, but I didn't. I was expecting to feel defeated, but instead God worked on the hearts of his people through the teaching and leadership of Pastor Matt Brown, and on November 15 our church received $4 million in pledges and over $1 million in cash gifts.
God floored me. His mercy and blessings are abundant and around us everyday, but I am so blind to them. I am clouded by the ignorance of my perception of the one who created me. I tearfully asked God to forgive me for doubting his power. There is no other explanation for how we raised that money other than that it was God. I didn't raise that money. I was merely a tool God used to aid in the process, HE did it. I didn't see it coming, but God was using this blessing and experience in trusting HIM to lead me down yet another CRAZY path.
Very quickly, he would be teaching me that there was more to life than laundry.
