Pour. It. Out. (Updated)

3.1.14

     **Yes I broke one of my cardinal rules of blogging- I came back and edited. Just because I felt like I forgot a very important part about expectations. Enjoy.**

      On Saturday morning, Priscilla was back to take the stage. This time, her hair was pulled back off of her face in a ponytail that came down below her shoulders.
      With her on the stage was a bottle of water and a glass sitting on a music stand turned flat-side up.
      Priscilla invited us to turn to Judges, where we find the story of Gideon. Perhaps because I missed the first few weeks of the study and never really caught up, Priscilla started teaching on part of the story that I never connected with. In Judges 6:11-21, the Lord calls Gideon out to be a warrior. Gideon's initial response just makes me laugh (and its one of the reasons I love the Word so much) because of Gideon's honesty to God. He basically says, "If God is with us, why in the H hasn't he taken care of us? Why is this other group of people crushing us and enslaving us?" I mean, the guy has God sitting right there in front of him and he is bold enough to voice his disappointments- no passive aggressiveness here!
    Eventually, Gideon realizes that it is God that is speaking to him, and he asks God to wait there so that he can go and get an offering to present to God. I can only imagine that God is probably chuckling at His creation running off in the distance and yelling back, "Stay there! I'll be right back!"
    Gideon comes back with his offering of meat and broth after who knows how long, and presents it to God. After that quick overview, Priscilla starts to teach.
     "No matter what our state is, we all still have something to bring to God. Even if you don't value it, or think that it is worthy, God sees the value in it," she began. "And let me tell you- if the enemy can't destroy you- he will try to devalue your gifts by comparison to others. He will draw your eyes to what others are bringing, and leave it up to you to devalue what you are bringing. But the challenge is this: what good is our service an our talents if we don't present them to God?"
      Then Priscilla focused on the broth that Gideon had brought as an offering.
      "I want you to imagine that you had slaved for hours to kill this lamb and prepare this meat, and stew this broth. Then, ever so carefully, you bring this meal, these gifts, to God. And what does God tell you to do? He tells you to set the meat and bread on the rock, and then to take that broth that you slaved over and pour it out on the rock." With this last statement, she began to pour out her water bottle into the glass next to it. "Can you imagine what Gideon thought? Here he had slaved away killing, cleaning, and cooking, and God told him to pour it out. When you bring your offering to God, whatever your expectations are for what God will use you for, you need to throw those thoughts away. He will not always use your gifts the way you think they ought to be used."
       "This, ladies, this is what God is all about. We each have gifts, and all of us have different gifts. But if you don't take that gift and give it to God, what use is it? So often times we let our selves get talked out of the glory that God has for us because we think, 'I'm not as good as so-and-so' or 'Her gift is so much better than mine, what could God do with mine?'  Let me tell you something else: I never feel prepared to teach. Every time I get up on this stage, I don't feel prepared, I don't feel ready, I don't feel adequate. But at some point, I have done all the prep work that I can, and it is time to act. And half the time I teach, I am not saying anything I thought about before I came up here. It's just God. I do the prep work, I lay my offering out on The Rock, and God uses me to reach others in ways that are absolutely impossible to me.
      "Ladies, the time to act is now. Do your prep work, but eventually you have to lay that our and give it up to God. Let Him use you. Let Him take your efforts and make them extraordinary. Our God will never disappoint."

This is my challenge to you, faithful blog readers (all 30 of you...)

What are you letting Satan win at? What are you not doing because you see someone else being called in another direction and your gift doesn't feel as valuable? I started this blog 6 months ago as a therapy for myself, and I can honestly tell you it has been one of the most blessed things in my life. I have other Hope Moms tell me that I have helped them. I have had people tell me that my writing challenges them to be better people. But let me tell you, it is still a challenge for me to write. Some days (most days?) I'm tired. I have other things to do. I don't feel inspired to write. But I know how this will all end, and I just have to keep the course until that day comes.

Whatever it is that you feel you are being called to, bring it to God

and pour. it. out.