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Doing Things God's Way
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5, NKJV
After following Jesus' instructions to throw their nets on the other side of the boat, the disciples hauled in a huge catch of fish. Back on the beach, He invited them to "come and have breakfast" (John 21:12, NIV). With furtive glances and downcast faces, "none of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?'" (John 21:12, NIV). They knew. And on that early spring morning beside the sparkling sea, Jesus took the bread and fish from the fire and fed His disciples breakfast! They feasted and were satisfied, not only by the food He had provided, but also by the fish they had caught.
Jesus was teaching them an important life lesson. They had been out in the boat, apparently trying to meet their own needs, doing what they were naturally good at, but basically living their lives without Him. And they had come up empty. Unfulfilled. But when He was in their lives, and they obeyed His Word, and they served Him in His way, not only were they successful, but they were also satisfied!
As I read, I realized that this applies so much to what Frank and I are doing. How? We know that helping the homeless is what God has asked us to do. We know that He will not put anything in front of us that we can't handle, because He is guiding us and directing our paths. But, as humans, we get lost in the daily opportunities for growth and obedience, because we (or maybe I should say I) try to solve every problem, and there are many, because we feel we are naturally good at it - just like the fishermen disciples. If I took the time to pray and meditate on God's word BEFORE attempting to solve these problems, I would not be so confused and not have to rely solely on my own understanding. We don't live our lives without Him, so much as we don't take advantage of all the tools He has given us in His word. Please pray for me, especially, that I tackle every situation by FIRST consulting His guidebook and SECOND seeking His counsel. Also please pray that I wait on Him to answer and not rush ahead "without Him".
It also occurred to me that the specific situation which was causing me stress was directly related to those living in the world and of the world. I don't know if I have mentioned Carole* before. She is the 21 year old daughter of Three, who was the subject of my most recent post. She dropped out of school in the 9th grade when she became pregnant with her son, who is now 4 and living in a terrible environment with his biological father and his family. My heart breaks each time I pick this precious little boy up for church - he LOVES going to church - it's the highlight of his week. She has never received her HS diploma or GED and has trouble with reading comprehension. She also has a 2-1/2 year old daughter, who was taken from her by DSS at only 2-1/2 months old. This child has been fostered by a wonderful family, who I shall not name. I have talked to her foster mother by phone, several members of my family have met her. She is well taken care of and in the best possible Christian environment.
Carole realized about 2 weeks ago that if she wanted to get her life back on track, she could not live in an environment where illegal drugs are sold and used and where she is constantly being belittled by her son's parental grandmother. I can't even bring myself to write what I heard this woman say to her as we loaded my Blazer with what few belongings she has. It was so nasty that she was called a name I have NEVER used - and believe me, I have been known to string together some curse words in my past. Carole's goals are simple; to be drug-free, get her GED, get a job, and get her kids back into her custody. Frank and I sat with her about 10 days ago and outlined a plan:
1. She will show her willingness to "change" by staying at the shelter for a 30 day period.
2. At the end of the 30 days, she will pass a drug test.
3. When she has satisfied these requirements, we will take her in, on a different basis than the others here. Although she is 21, her social skills and comprehension level are about 15-16 years old.
4. Once here, she will have a curfew, ask before having company, do daily chores, participate in bible study and learn mothering skills, such as cooking, cleaning, basically being a functional person.
5. Our Sarah will help her navigate the GED system at SCC.
Carole has basically been "out in the boat", trying to meet her own needs, doing what she was naturally good at, but living her life without Him. And she has come up empty. Unfulfilled. Frank and I talked to her tonight for a while. We prayed, showed her scripture which applied to her situation and encouraged her to let Jesus meet her where she is. She wants to do what's right and get her life on track, but her years of having no one love her or try to help her make her naturally skeptical that 2 practical strangers can love her, in the midst of her sin. She has a limited knowledge about God, but we will continue to point her in the right direction - to the Word and to His feet. She knows she needs God, but is scared to take that final step of acknowledgement, repentance and obedience. She was SO close tonight to accepting Jesus Christ, but her fear held her back. Please pray for her. She needs to be covered in prayer as she leans on men and looks to them to fill the void in her heart left by her absent children. She has submitted herself willingly to Monarch's program and professes to be marijuana free. We must be diligent about prescription drugs. We are finding that a pattern is emerging with some of the people we work with - they use the ER for prescription drugs, to ease the cravings for the illegal drugs their bodies are used to, also as a source of income, as they sell a few here and there for cigarette money, etc. I cautioned her tonight that she needs to become independent of men who tell her what to do and when to do it. She is easily led. Frank laid down the law with the young man she is currently involved with - defining what is and is not a Godly relationship. I have seen so many women put their trust and faith in an earthly partner to mask their depression and sadness. I encouraged her to put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ, for only He can fill that void and make us whole. Without Him, we are unfulfilled.
We go forward, day to day, knowing that we are doing what God wants. We just need to remember that HE knows how to do this and we do not. Tough love is tough. I'm not good at it. But God is. I'm asking Him to teach me. We will have success and we will failures. I'm okay with both, because as long as we "do it God's way", the results and timing are in His hands. We are the body and our arms are reaching.
God Bless all of you who pray for us - we love you!
Tracy
*Carole has given me permission to write about her, but I have changed her name - she understands the purpose of this blog.
Isn't it funny how we try to manipulate God into doing what WE want or think we need? Good thing we can't do that with him!
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