YOUR TESTIMONY - AMAZING OR ORDINARY?

One of the outreach ministries of our church is the senior’s ministry.  Each month we have a luncheon for the senior members of our church and community at a nominal cost.  Each luncheon includes a short spiritual devotional message as well as a special speaker who addresses different topics of interest to seniors.

Back in the spring I was asked if I would be one of a few who would share my testimony at the September meeting.  In Christian circles when you are asked to share your testimony it’s understood that you will share how you came to faith in Jesus. 

I’ve heard some really wonderful and amazing testimonies in my years as a Christian.  There are the testimonies of prominent people like DL Moody, David Wilkerson, and CS Lewis.  There is the testimony of the man who set out to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was a myth, only to reach the end of that journey with a complete change of heart and a deep faith in the One whose resurrection he first rejected.  There are the testimonies of the drug addicts, prostitutes, and criminals, whose lives were dramatically changed when they came face to face with Jesus. 

Then there is my testimony.  It couldn’t be more ordinary. 

We weren’t a consistent church going family as I was growing up, so when it came to exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I didn’t have a consistent spiritual influence.  My earliest recollection of church was when I’d stayed overnight at an aunts and she took me to Sunday school around the holidays.  Boxes of hard candies were given out and there wasn’t one for me, but thankfully that didn’t have a particularly negative influence. 

When I was in the first and second grade there was a Baptist church on our block.  I remember my mom getting me up to go to Sunday school but I don’t remember my parents going along.  I remember learning to sing “Silent Night” in German for a Christmas program and attending Pioneer Girls (sort of a Christian based Girl Scout group) with my mom helping out.  My fondest memory was of Vacation Bible School and being taught Bible stories on a flannel graph (if you’re familiar with this then you’ll know I must be ancient!).

When we moved to another apartment in the same city I decided that I didn’t just want to go to church because my parents sent me.  I wanted to go to church because God was there.  So began a quest, encouraged by my dad who accompanied me, to find a church we could all attend.  We settled on a Methodist church only a few blocks away, pastored by a wonderful young man who loved Jesus so much that just speaking of Him in a sermon would move him to tears.  His passion struck a chord and we began attending.  We stayed there for some time.  While I loved going to church (and youth group by that time as well), and I loved the pastor’s passion for Jesus, I had no such passion myself.  Church was very much a feel good experience, comfortable, accepting.

More moves, more churches, until I reached the end of my college years.  I sat under the preaching of a godly pastor and his wife, taught Sunday school and sang in the choir, but somehow I still didn’t know Jesus.  I didn’t even know that I didn’t know!  Then, once I married, Jim and I spent years not going to church at all until the Lord began to work in me.

So many people can trace back to THE day when the light of God’s truth dawned.  It was not like that for me.  The only way I could describe it is that God drew me, gently, slowly, with chords of love. Over some time He created a desire to know Him in my heart.  He used the gospel preaching of a radio pastor I listened to on my way to work to help me SEE the truth for the first time and then He opened my previously closed mind to my need for Jesus.  And over time my love for Jesus grew and the entire direction of my life was changed.

I feel a bit weird sharing this testimony.  It doesn’t fit the “pattern” of having a moment when I realized I was a sinner, repented then and there, and was saved, and it isn’t spectacular.  I wasn’t freed from drug abuse or healed of a deadly disease.  No, compared to that kind of testimony, mine is thoroughly ordinary, and yet is it really?

There really is no such thing as an “ordinary” testimony.  Every story of how the Lord changes those about whom He says:

·        “There is NO ONE righteous, no not one”

·        “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

·        “All our good deeds are as filthy rags”

is thoroughly AMAZING, and a testimony, not to the worthiness of the person changed, but to the depth of God’s love for those so mired in their own self-centeredness and sin that they cannot help themselves.

It’s amazing because God knows how trapped we really are in our desire to do our own thing and leave Him out!  Only He knows how helpless we are to help ourselves, to say no to sin, to live a life of loving Him and loving others.  Without Him we have no power, no desire to live any differently.  And yet, amazingly:

God does the seeking of those undeserving of His love.

God does the work – of satisfying His wrath against sin – by paying the penalty – death – Himself through the death of His Son on the cross.

Then God opens the heart to believe by His grace through faith in Jesus, and transforms the sinner from someone who could not NOT sin into someone who can say NO to sin. 

Sin’s penalty paid, sin’s power broken, eternal life beginning in the here and now.  A life made new, a life transformed – a testimony of God’s amazing grace.

Despite what our lives looked like before Jesus saved us, whether He saved us miraculously and seemingly instantaneously, or quietly and gradually, every single testimony is amazing because it is complete and final, and not a one of us did a thing to merit it. 

God saves.  God saves through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, by His grace and through faith because of His great love.  God does FOR us what we could never do for ourselves.  And that IS amazing, every time, in every way, with every person!

So don’t let a seemingly ordinary testimony keep you from celebrating the most amazing thing that has ever, or will ever, happen to you. 

Every testimony is a testimony of God’s amazing grace.

POST TRANSPLANT REFLECTIONS

If you’ve been following my blog posts then you know that almost two weeks ago now I donated a kidney to a friend from church.  I’ve wanted to write some follow ups but just haven’t had the physical or mental energy. Despite my sometimes flagging energy, I can’t believe that I feel so good so soon after major surgery. 

Jennifer, my kidney recipient, has received glowing reports about her health. The doctor told her her recovery has been remarkable!  We are SO thankful that the Lord continues to be faithful and answer prayer.  If you are one who has been praying for us, then thank you so much and may the Lord bless you abundantly!

One of the things I did do this week was attend worship at church.  Wow, what a welcome home I received!  Not long ago I wrote a blog about the beauty of the Body of Christ. Jennifer and I have had a front row seat on the receiving end of their love.

Jennifer and I had been the recipients of the love of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ long before the transplant, but since the surgery they've swung into high gear.  They have certainly prayed for us, but they also ran to the airport to collect family members.  They have made and delivered delicious meals, fit for royalty, and in abundant supply.  They have sent cards and brought flowers.  They have visited.  They have stayed overnight to see to Jennifer’s needs. One of them in the media industry even put us in touch with TV news so that Jennifer and I could get God’s story “out there”.  Our church family has loved us with the love of Jesus in every way.  They are an awesome, living demonstration of the way the unity of the Body of Christ is supposed to be lived out.

But the true Star of our faith experience has been the Lord Himself.  In this week  of enthusiasm dampened by discomfort and weariness, of disrupted sleep and a foggy brain, I’ve just been resting in His nearness and the comfort of His presence.  Being in church yesterday, singing the praises of Jesus, lifted my spirit to remember Who IS all, and above all, and I worshiped:

God who is sovereign.  Sovereign over 66 year old kidneys that looked and worked like 35 year olds! Who knew???  I certainly hadn’t done a single thing to whip those kidneys into good physical shape!

Sovereign over diseased kidneys that didn’t give out until a donor was in place.

Sovereign over the lives of two people – one who need a kidney and another who “happened” to be in the same church and could part with one.

God is sovereign over events, and time, and place, and people.  He would be sovereign whether or not we ever “saw” or acknowledged His sovereignty, but when He gives us a glimpse of it, we are awestruck!

God who is faithful.  Faithful to hear and answer the prayer of His servants.  Jennifer and I have not been carried through these months, and especially these last 2 weeks, because people have been faithful to pray.  People HAVE been faithful to pray, but we were carried through because God is faithful to answer.

He faithfully answered prayer.  He faithfully met us at every single point of need – whether spiritual, emotional or physical.  He faithfully provided through His people, so that we could rest, have rides, have someone to change bandages, guard our rest, see to it that we and our families were fed. 

God who is the Prince of Peace.  The Old Testament prophet Isaiah, in chapter 9, the passage we have all heard around Christmas time, describes the Messiah as, among other things, the “Prince of Peace”.  Jesus says, “My peace I give to you”.

In Philippians 4:6-7 the Apostle Paul says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Our God, who is faithful, proved the reality of Paul’s words in Jennifer’s heart and mine these last few weeks.  He was our peace when we were both facing surgery.  His peace defied human understanding.  We enjoyed peace when fear would have been the human and logical response.  His peace guarded our hearts and minds keeping us focused on Jesus.

The perfect illustration of that was on the day of surgery when two emergency transplants during the night pushed our surgery from 1:30 to 5:30 PM.  Instead of worrying or entertaining second thoughts, we visited and joked and loved on one another and our families.  The pre-op time was filled with joyful anticipation.

It has occurred to me that some of you reading these blogs might be thinking –Why would I want to follow Jesus if He asks people to do things like donate kidneys? 

Well, calm down. The truth is the vast majority of Christians have never been given the opportunity to donate a kidney!  But following Jesus IS a commitment – a commitment of a life, a commitment of a lifetime.  A commitment to a Savior and Master.  A commitment to follow where He leads wherever that is, and surprise of surprises, finding that when you do, there is joy, and peace, and a deep sense of satisfaction, and a knowledge of Jesus - not just in your head, but in your experience - that makes Him REAL!

Dear friend, never be afraid of joining your life to that of Jesus.  There is no other life worth living.

 

 

 

 

CLIMBING EVEREST

The week before I went into the hospital for the kidney surgery I finished a book entitled, “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer.  It tells the story of the author, an avid mountain climber, who was approached by a popular climber’s magazine to go on an expedition to the base camp at Mt. Everest in order to gather information for an article on the commercialization of the climbing of that mountain.  

 

The offer rekindled Krakauer’s dream to climb Everest himself and so he agreed to do the article on the condition that the magazine pick up the tab for the climb, not just to base camp, but to the top of Everest, and they agreed.  And so, in May of 1996, he and his team, plus several other climbing teams set off to climb Mt. Everest.  Their trek would have tragic results when a fierce, unexpected storm strikes just below the pinnacle, wiping out many of the climbers in his party as they tried to make their way back down to camp.

Not being an avid climber, jogger, hiker, golfer, __?____ (fill in the blank with anything physically demanding), reading or hearing stories like that, the immediate question that forms in my mind is, “Why?”.  Why would anyone, especially someone with a wife or husband or children, take that kind of risk to do something that can, and too often does, end in tragedy?

Everest climbers seem to be a breed of people passionate about mountain climbing – the physical challenge of it, the technicality of the climb, the competitiveness of doing something other climbers have done, as well as the challenge of climbing a mountain you’ve never climbed, persevering over exhaustion, high altitude, and weather.  Many of them had already climbed other extraordinarily high peaks and Everest was just the last of the greats for them.  Even after the tragedy of that May 1996 many of the survivors, despite having lost friends that year, went on to climb other peaks.  They know the dangers but they can’t resist the challenging of doing it anyway.

I don’t understand the kind of passion that causes people to want to climb physical mountains or push to accomplish some other physical goal, but I do understand passion – the kind that prompts one to do the unexpected, the challenging, the adventurous, the extreme.  I do understand the passion that motivates someone to step outside their comfort zone, to say yes when no seems like a much better idea, to see challenge as opportunity, to keep their eye on the goal even if there is pain along the way.  

I’ve seen this passion in missionaries, serving long years in remote places, away from family and friends, with few of the creature comforts most of us take for granted, in order to bring hope and life to people who have never heard about Jesus.

I’ve seen it in pastors laboring in inner city parishes, or in remote regions of our country and our world, who keep on keeping on, often without ever seeing results in the lives of those to whom they minister. 

I’ve seen it in the Bahamas among those who faithfully minister at a camp for those with HIV/AIDS, providing clean water, meals and medicine to those who could never hope to give back and who are too sick and disabled to do so, even if they could.

One of the things I noticed about the climbers of Everest is the motivation for their passion – sometimes it was fame, sometimes money, sometimes it was some personal goal they wanted to reach, sometimes it was just because Everest was THERE, and why not climb it  – for these things they risked their lives, their health and well-being, and their future earning possibilities and the well being of their families – for what to me just seems like bragging rights. 

Isn’t it amazing then when Jesus says, “He who would be great among you must be the servant of all”?  Not - at the top of his class, the most intelligent, well educated, most degreed, most influential, most powerful, most physically fit? No, in the economy of Jesus the greatest is the servant.

So what do you think of when you think of a servant?  I think “Downton Abbey”.  I think, setting aside what you might want to do to care for others.  I think, living “downstairs” in the humblier quarters.  I think, working all hours of the day and night at the beck and call of your master.  I think, living to make your master look good, not you.  I think, “Yes Sir, whatever you wish Sir”. 

 That’s the topsy turvy nature of the kingdom of Jesus.  His is the last shall be first, the greatest is the servant, sort of kingdom.

Those who belong to Jesus know about passion – not for fulfilling some personal best, or gaining notoriety. 

Missionaries will give their lives for the passion to serve their Master and the people He loves to whom He sent them.  They will serve for no reward but the pleasure of the Lord.

Pastors will labor in spiritual vineyards their whole lives, many seeing only a glimpse of the harvest.  But they don’t work for the harvest, they serve at the pleasure of the Harvester.

The Kingdom of Jesus is a topsy turvy one when compared to what is valued in this earthly one.  But, as a bumper sticker I read once said: “the rewards are out of this world”. 

The Apostle Paul describes the nature of these passionate servants of God’s kingdom like this in I Corinthians 1:26-30:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world (the servants) to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

The servants in the Kingdom of Jesus will be passionate about something.  They will be passionate about Jesus – about His glory, His work, His kingdom, His reputation.  If a servant is going to lose his life for anything, let it be about Jesus because in His kingdom, to lose one’s life for His sake is to gain eternal life. 

When I was being interviewed by the psychiatrist at NY Presbyterian Hospital in preparation for qualifying as a kidney donor, she wanted to know if I saw the kidney donation as some kind of “personal best”, the culmination of my walk of faith.  I thought that was really funny.

The “personal best” of the servant of Jesus is magnifying Jesus, making the Master look good, while the servant blends into the background.  If that's accomplished by this or anything else, then yes, it's a personal best!

KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD

How does one know the will of God?  I can remember, almost 40 years ago now, as a young Christian, wonder whether this thing or that was God’s will for me. I found it endlessly confusing and was always hoping He would make His path straight for me so I wouldn’t make the wrong choice.  I don’t find myself losing sleep or peace so much anymore wondering what the Lord’s will is. 

If you’ve read my blogs before then you know how much I love Oswald Chamber’s devotional book, “My Utmost for His Highest”.  The book was edited by his wife after his death and contains his writings and teachings on all sorts of subjects important to believers in Jesus.  When he speaks of the will of God he speaks in terms of our unity with Christ.  He says things like:

“Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.”

“Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.”

“The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me.”

“Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. . .  most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship - being a friend of the Bridegroom”.

“The Cross is God exhibiting His nature.  It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God.”

“The only responsibility you have is to stay in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your cooperation with Him.”

What Chambers has to say about the importance of relationship is what Jesus said in John’s gospel, chapter 15:1; 4-5 :

“I am the True Vine and my Father is the gardener. . . Remain in me and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. . . .

Knowing the will of God so that we might do it, occurs in the context of relationship with Jesus – abiding, or remaining, in Him.  It assumes that the most basic of spiritual relationships, that of receiving Jesus as Savior for the forgiveness of sin already exists, and that the importance of cultivating that relationship is present.

One of the ways Christians remain in Jesus is by reading and studying the Bible because it is in the Bible (especially the New Testament) that we see the person and work of Jesus revealed. (If you’re looking for it, you can also see Jesus throughout the Old Testament as well, since what is concealed there about Him is revealed in the New.)

Years ago when I was first married my husband was stationed in Viet Nam in the conflict there.  Back then our only means of communication was MARS calls (transmitted by ham operators all over the country), the occasional call Jim made by standing in line all day for a turn, and the more frequent and reliable snail mail. 

Letters could take two weeks to get to me.  But I longed for those letters because they communicated Jim’s love for me while we were separated.  That’s what the Bible is like. It is God’s Word, communicating His love for me in the person of Jesus, through His Words until I see Him in heaven.  Reading God’s Word, getting to know Jesus personally, leads to a deeper love relationship with Him, the abiding or remaining Jesus speaks of in John’s gospel.

This past week I had surgery to donate a kidney.  One of the pieces of paperwork I had to complete was a proxy form.  On that form I had to list the kinds of life saving measures I did, or didn’t, want performed in case something went wrong in the surgery and I couldn’t make decisions for myself.  I designated my husband as my proxy to make those important decisions in my stead.

After 43 years of marriage, however, we probably didn’t need to write any of my preferences down.  Six years ago when my mom died we each talked about what we did and didn’t want in terms of lifesaving measures, and we have talked about it since.  I wouldn’t really need to ask Jim and he wouldn’t really need to ask me.  We each knew what the other wanted based on our long standing love relationship.

I believe that’s the way the Lord works in terms of His will.  There are things God specifically says in His Word that are His will, and those we obviously need to obey.  But in those life situations where He hasn’t specifically said, do this or don’t do that, if we’ve been walking closely with Him in relationship, then it’s not so hard to figure out what He might want us to do.

That’s how it was with this kidney donation.  When I saw Jennifer’s link on Facebook suggesting a place to look in the event anyone was interested in being a live donor, God the Holy Spirit simply nudged me and I thought, “Wow, look at that.  I wonder if I might qualify as a donor.”

Once that happened, I took it as a sign of God’s will for me to pursue the idea and just see what would happen.  If it was truly God’s will, I knew He’d keep me moving in that direction, and if it wasn’t, somewhere along the line things would break down. 

When I completed the first step of checking to see if she and I had the same blood type and discovered that we did, I simply took the next step of having more blood drawn to discover if we were a cross match.  So when Jennifer called to give me the news that we were INDEED a perfect cross match, I could say, “Well, of course we are!” because that was my confirmation that the Lord was doing the leading. And of course, in terms of a kidney transplant, the rest as they say “is history!”

This is the life of faith I have always longed to live.  A life in relationship with Jesus – my Savior, and also my Master – the One who loves me enough to die for me, and the One who calls the shots in my life.  A life of letting Him sit in the driver’s seat while I sit on the passenger side. 

Do you want to know the will of God?  Then simply enter into a relationship with Jesus, stay close so you can recognize His “voice” when He calls, and vow to do whatever it is He says, and you’ll know.

I’m never sure where His will will take me, but I’m sure it will be an exciting adventure of faith and trust. 

TRANSPLANT SUCCESS!

For those of you “out there” in cyberspace who just might want to know what happened with the transplant, here is your update.

Jennifer and I both arrived at the hospital before 11 AM on Wednesday, Aug. 14 and filled out our paperwork. Family members were there to support us and from then on that waiting room became prayer central!  Jennifer and I prayed for one another, my brother (who is a pastor) also prayed with us.  Then our churches’ pastor of youth and family ministries came and he did some more praying. With all this praying it’s not surprising that Jennifer and I were pumped!  We were just so excited that our day had finally arrived!

Originally our surgery was scheduled for around 1:30 but because of an emergency transplant during the night, all of Wednesday’s procedures were pushed back.  So we spent four hours waiting in the pre-op area!  If I had had a single doubt about going ahead with the plan to donate my kidney those 4 hours of waiting could have changed my mind!  But I never did, ever, have a doubt, with so much confirmation from the Lord that He was directing my life in this.

Jennifer and I and our families did some traveling from one pre-op “room” to the other, encouraging one another and just occupying our time as best we could.  And there were many photos taken as well.

Finally I was ushered into the operating room for the surgery and didn’t know a thing until I woke up in recovery.  I was actually alert enough to see Jennifer rolled in just before they took me up to my room.

The doctor told my husband that I had the kidney of a 30 year old.  Now that kidney is occupying Jennifer’s body and since Wednesday has been working perfectly, producing urine without any sign of rejection.

I came home yesterday and, apart from the expected discomfort, I’m managing on Tylenol and rest.  Jennifer has been given the news that she’ll be going home tomorrow.  She is overjoyed that she finally has a good working kidney!

We marvel – at the amazing plan of God – because we would NEVER in a million years come up with adventures like the ones He has for us!  And we marvel – that He chooses to use ordinary mortals like us to display His power, strength and majesty! 

Our God is an awesome God!

AND THE BLESSINGS KEEP COMING - GLORY TO GOD!

So, are you sick of hearing all the amazing things the Lord is up to with this transplant thing?  I hope not, because I think there will be many more reports like this one. 

The excitement is building to a fever pitch in Jennifer and me as we await our big day, tomorrow, Aug. 14 at 11 AM!  I didn’t mention it to her, or my girls either, but all week long I have been battling vertigo, the kind that sets the room spinning every time I move too quickly or get in and out of bed.  And it has sometimes been accompanied by nausea.  So if I was anxious about anything this week it was that.  I drank lots of water in case it was caused by dehydration, but it didn’t help much.

More than anything in the world I did not want to even entertain the idea of postponing the surgery.  Jennifer’s daughter flew in from Montana this past Thursday to be with her mom and will only be here a week, so the surgery had to be this week!  Finally, after waiting and hoping it would just go away on its own, yesterday I went to see my primary care physician to see what was going on.

I admit I spoke to the Lord and assured Him I was not going to postpone the surgery unless He made it abundantly clear to me that I would be in danger, or that, for reasons of His own, He wanted it postponed.  But after my doctor took an EKG, my blood pressure, and blood work, he determined that I’m probably suffering from recurring positional vertigo – no medical emergency – although he said I might not feel well.  Whew!  Confirmation from the Lord that we are still a GO!  Actually, now that I KNOW it's not serious, I feel a bit better!

If you have been reading these kidney transplant blogs then you know how much Jennifer and I want to bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus in everything we say and do during these days of adventure.  So she’s been writing her column for the local paper expressing her faith and I’ve been writing my blogs, doing the same.  We’ve told nurses, transplant coordinators, psychiatrists, social workers, lab tecs and doctors – anyone who will listen – about how the Lord has led us in this together.

And today we were presented with another opportunity.  Jennifer had a call from her transplant coordinator asking if he had permission to give her number to the hospital public relations rep who wanted to speak with us both.  As it turns out, she would like to interview us so that we could tell our story! 

What an opportunity – on public media – to share how the Lord has been at work in this adventure in which He has invited us to participate.

Yes, we ARE having surgery tomorrow.  Yes, we ARE excited!  More excited than scared, more trusting than worried.

We have a GREAT and AWESOME God and we are anxious to tell others about His greatness!

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”

Psalm 34:1

 

SUFFERING IN THE CENTER OF GOD'S WILL

Some time ago a very kind friend, out of concern for me, cautioned me to think carefully about donating a kidney because of the potential danger to myself. My answer was that the Lord Himself had clearly led me to do so and I couldn’t say no to Him.

I can imagine that there might be those, who when they hear that someone is about to donate a kidney to someone they barely knew before they said yes, would think that person was absolutely CRAZY!  From a human perspective, they just might be!  But this is where the incredible, often topsy turvy nature of the kingdom of God comes in.  The truth is that sometimes God asks us to do what seems contrary to our human nature, and that “something” just might include craziness!

Today I was catching up on my reading of Oswald Chambers’s, “My Utmost for His Highest”, my favorite devotional.  In the reading for August 10 he says:

“Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will – even if it means you will suffer – is something very different.  No normal, healthy (believer in Jesus) ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.”

Chambers goes on to say:

“Look at God’s incredible waste of (His children) according to the world’s judgment.  God seems to plant His children in the most useless places.  And then we say, ‘God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.’  Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use.  God places His children where they will bring the most glory to Him and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.”

On Wednesday of this week, in obedience to the will of God, Jim and I will drive into New York City where I will donate a kidney to my now dear friend Jennifer.  It will definitely result in some suffering, I know that going in. 

As I prepare my heart to take this incredible journey, I’m so encouraged by what David says in Psalm 34:

“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from ALL my fears!”

“Those who look to the LORD are RADIANT!

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.”

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the (wo)man who takes refuge in Him.”

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears attentive to their cry.”

“The LORD redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.”

Someone has said that it is better to be in the heat of dangerous battle in the CENTER of God’s will than to be in perfect peace outside of it!

I might be walking right into suffering, but there is nowhere else I’d rather be than in the center of God’s will!

The standard by which to measure what is about to happen is not, “is this the best use of me”.  The standard is, “Is this the place where God will get the most glory?”

If this is the place where He has led me, and I firmly believe it is, then I pray that His glory WILL be revealed in every way.