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I just returned from a training session with the Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization and I am both amazed, and humbled, to have been chosen for such a role!
There are over 6,000 trained disaster relief Baptist's in Oklahoma, (more than 90,000 nationwide, the largest faith-based disaster relief organization in the world) and when the BGCO (Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma) decided to pick 25 of those to serve as initial responders to any disaster, I was among those chosen. I'm not bragging, (believe me, I'm NOT), but it just blows my mind to be among them!
We will be the first in, the first to enter a disaster area to survey the damage and make recommendations as to what kind of assistance is needed. We must commit to being out the door within 3 hours of a notification and deploy anywhere nationwide. More importantly, we will be the very first Christian's people will meet in their hour of greatest need, eye to eye, and set the tone for any of their interactions with Christian's during the rebuilding period. We will be their first impression of Jesus!
Here's thing: I KNOW what my failures and weaknesses are, what sins remain in my life, what the thorns in my flesh are, what temptations I'm subject to. I know this much better than do those who chose me, but so does Christ. He knows me better than I do! Yet, HE STILL CHOSE ME TO BE AMONG THOSE WHO WILL REPRESENT HIM FIRST!
This is just totally mind-boggling. If I had to chose among all the world's billions of Christians for such an important job, I would be the last person I'd recommend, but here I am.
I just wanted to share this with my believing Brothers and Sisters. What would YOU feel or think if you were chosen by The Master for such a role? Would you feel qualified? Appropriate for the job? "Christian" enough?
It just makes me want to weep from gratitude that my service to Him has been found to be sufficient to move up into this calling. What a magnificent demonstration of the Grace of God!
Last edited by stillkit; 07-12-2009 at 03:14 PM..
Reason: Change wording.
Thanks for doing your part, now encourage the little ones around you to do the same. You were chosen for a reason. Here's to finding your purpose! Bless you.
Thanks for doing your part, now encourage the little ones around you to do the same. You were chosen for a reason. Here's to finding your purpose! Bless you.
Oh, don't worry...I do! In fact, this training session was a lesson for my eldest grandson in that regard. I had to miss his birthday party because of it and explained to him why. He got it.
As for my purpose? This is it! My whole life has been leading up to this and I'm excited about what might come next!
Last edited by stillkit; 07-12-2009 at 03:38 PM..
Reason: Additional comments
Oh, don't worry...I do! In fact, this training session was a lesson for my eldest grandson in that regard. I had to miss his birthday party because of it and explained to him why. He got it.
As for my purpose? This is it! My whole life has been leading up to this and I'm excited about what might come next!
Wow this sounds really exciting! Godspeed and much blessings in your future encounters...
You are living your faith! I think what you are doing, along with all the others who are involved, is commendable! Thank God for Christians like you!
Nancy
Yes, it is living faith, but what astonishes me the most is that faith is about all I have to offer as I'm far from perfect, yet Jesus found that sufficient.
To me, it's a validation of what I've been trying to teach my Sunday School class for years: That we are called to love God with all our hearts and love our nieghbors as we love ourselves...and NOTHING MORE! That alone is enough to fufill all the rules and regulations, to get "credit" for having kept the law and to bring down the blessings of God. It just goes to show that if we'll forget trying to follow all the rules and just let the love of God flow through us to other people in practical ways, God is pleased with us. We don't have to do anything else.
How many times do we get wrapped around the axle trying to do what a "good" Christian should do and make our lives miserable with angst and worry about our failures, when we should just ask His forgiveness for our failures and move on? We're not called to legalism; we're called to service in His name as an act of love for our fellow man and obedience to Him.
Last edited by stillkit; 07-13-2009 at 03:23 AM..
Reason: Additional comments
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