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What is God’s Purpose for You?

What is God’s purpose for YOU?

I can’t say it any better than Gus Yepiz!!!

“…I will use you according to your designed purpose.”  This is profound and one area that God had to work on in my life. When we become Christians, Satan comes along and gives us this horrible assumption that God will turn us into “supermen”, able to leap tall building with a single bounce so to speak. We assume He will change our personality, give us new giftings, and replace our old talents with new ones. God never intended or promised any such thing! He never intended to take our broken pot made of clay and turn us into a vessel of gold, he only promised to take the pieces of the broken pot, turn them back into clay, and then remake the same pot using the same clay. The difference is that He has removed the dross and contaminants that caused the pot’s uselessness in the first place. It is like the master craftsman who cuts down the big oak tree on his land and makes from it a beautiful chair. Everyone is in awe of the woodwork and carvings of such a beautiful chair. Old women now sit on the chair and rest their weary feet, young men stand on it to reach the fruit from the orchard, a mother rocks and feeds her baby from the comfort of that chair. Such magnificent beauty, strength, and usefulness are now that oak chair’s portion! And that, of course, is exactly the point…, it is still by its very nature oak! The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. God doesn’t give us new gifts and personalities when we become Christians. He won’t turn our clay to gold or our oak to ebony in order to perform His work…, rather He says, “Stand back and watch what I can do with clay and oak!”

By Gus Yepiz
(Reproduction permission given by Glory Odemenene)

God, It's Me and Awaken Me

Awaken Me on Amazon.com and BN.com
    God, It’s Me – Coming Soon!

My Housekeeper

I love my housekeeper.

Yesterday I received a Facebook post from my good friend Glory. It was simple and easy to read, but so powerful. It simply said, “Become friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.” I do not know the source of this statement, but knowing my friend who posted it, I feel sure she meant that this is how you grow as a Christian.

Glory's post FB 2

As an USA expat living in Lagos, Nigeria, I have now seen poverty, unbelievable health problems, corruption, and the tears of people reaching out to God for help. But, I have also seen the calm sweet spirit of those who love Jesus and want to be obedient to Him no matter what life has brought them.

In Nigeria, most expats have housekeepers, cooks, and drivers. I am no exception. Yesterday, I told my housekeeper to show up, but that she was not going to clean for me, because I wanted to take her out for a birthday lunch. I decided to take her to a simple place next to our flat where we could walk to and not spend too much time.

I was ready to go. Mary (not her real name) showed up in a nice, lovely suit for the occasion. I was just wearing my regular old jeans that I had worn the past two days. I was gently jolted into reminding myself that this lunch was a very special occasion for her. We arrived at the restaurant. Remember, it is Nigeria. We had to proceed through a scanner and have our purses checked before being allowed entrance. The table in the main restaurant was covered with a bright white tablecloth adorned with a lovely folded cloth napkin. I ordered a steak and French fries. She ordered a hamburger and French fries. She ate her French fries with a fork. We laughed. I told her that in America, we eat our French fries with our fingers. I made her order a dessert since it was her birthday. She ordered an apple pie to go. She wanted to share her special occasion by bringing something home to her husband and son. Throughout the meal, we shared our lives. She told me about her tribal wedding and her white wedding. She asked me if I drove a car. She was shocked that someone from the USA didn’t have a driver to drive them everywhere. She doesn’t drive. You see, there is no opportunity here for her to ever own a car. She takes multiple buses to get home after cleaning my flat – sometimes taking up to three hours to get home.

table set

One day I asked her what she really wanted if I could bring her one thing back from the U.S. Her answer wasn’t fancy clothes, toys for her son, or needed medicine. She wanted a new watch. Hers wasn’t keeping time correctly, so she wanted a new watch, so she wouldn’t be late to work.

The lunch ended. We walked back to my flat. She left. I sat down and I thanked God for an opportunity to share with someone who was not my age, someone I had to ask to repeat what she said when she jumped into her tribal dialect, and someone who definitely was not from my social class.

Then, later that night, when I read the post from my friend, I could totally relate to it, because I had just experienced it and lived it this very same day.

While my housekeeper thanked me for my kindness towards her, I thanked God for the blessing I had just received.

Bible Verses:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

“I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.” Ezekiel 34:26

Six hours after I posted this blog, I received a message from Mary that I want to share. It is written exactly as she wrote it.

“Gudeven mum. I am very happy and appreciated for what u did for me .may almighty God reward u and bless ur family in jesus amen.I love u mum .thanks Mary.”

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

A Bitter-Sweet Moment

When I drove up to the house, I saw “the package” on the doorstep. I knew it was the “long-awaited” Fed-Ex package from my publisher CrossBooks. After months and months of working so hard on my first book ‘Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal’ I just wanted to spend time treasuring and savoring the first glance through my first published book. So, I quickly took the groceries out of the car, and put them on the counter. The last thing I was expecting was a bitter-sweet moment!

So with a skip in my step, I turned the corner to go to the front door to get my “treasured” package. It was then I encountered a horrific scene – a scene so horrific that instantly I felt a big ‘ol Texas pit right in the middle of my abdomen and I found myself immediately doubled over in pain.

In the hallway, I found that my knick-knack curio shelf had fallen down. And there, shattered in the hallway, was my grandmother’s entire shoe collection, my especially treasured cup and saucer sets given to me by Aunt Mary, and the only treasured gift recently given to me when my Aunt Terry passed away. Along with all those memories were the shoe collection my husband, parents, and children, had given me over the years – cute shoes – gifts I have loved.

Items on this shelf had to be special to make the cut to the shelf. Lovely heirlooms –ALL SHATTERED. I wanted to cry. But, between being shocked and not feeling well, I just found the closest couch and sat down for a few minutes still holding my abdomen.

As I gained composure, I tip-toed over the sacred mess and I opened the door to get the Fed Ex package. The mature, sensible thought that ran briefly through my mind was “out with the old, and in with the new” – basically, the “things happen mentality!”

I stumbled back to the old gray couch with my box in hand. I wasn’t feeling the way I thought I would be when I visualized this moment. It wasn’t even close. After all the hard work on the book, I anticipated a jittery, glow from above, Holy Spirit type moment. Instead, I experienced a dull, flat sensation along with only a slight sliver of anticipation.

When I opened the package, the cover was gorgeous. A smile crossed my face. I browsed though the book, and then decided to take some photos and do a little writing about the conflicting life scenario I just encountered.

On the one hand, I am experiencing sadness, but then on the other hand, I am experiencing happiness. Honestly though – right now I don’t think I have the strength to clean up and sift through the memory mess. Maybe one or two or even three memories will make the cut as to remaining a heirloom. I hope so.

I think I am in the midst of what people call a “bittersweet” moment! I am not sure I have had such a vivid, contrasting dichotomy packed in such a short period of time before.

I don’t have a bucket list. But, if I did, I would be crossing off “bittersweet moment” now. But, since no such list exists, I think I should go and put my groceries away, take a nap, and sort through the rubble later.

Who knows maybe GOD just wrote my first blog. He is good, isn’t He?

September 14th, 2014

For almost a year and a half, I kept all my broken pieces in a nice, little gift bag. I put the bag on the same bookshelf that I keep my most treasured stack of Shutterfly memory albums. But, one day, I was browsing my neighborhood’s newly created site that post things for sale, and low and behold I saw an ad that intrigued me.

A lady named “Mary” was offering to make designer crosses for people.

I promptly contacted Mary to see if she had ever made crosses using china pieces. She hadn’t, but she said she would try. And try she did. She worked meticulously creating a cross to preserve my family memories. I really had no idea what to expect. And, Mary admitted that she was a little nervous and worried that  I might not like what she had done.

But yesterday, I was working at a craft fair in Cy-Fair where she brought me a box with my cross in it. Mary had wrapped the cross in some beautiful purplish-violet tissue paper. As I contemplated pushing the tissue paper aside, I pre-decided to act excited no matter what because I did not want to hurt Mary’s feelings. I was very apprehensive but hopeful.

But, WOW! As soon as I saw Mary’s creation, I loved it. I started pointing out things, i.e. “This was my Aunt Mary’s dish.” “This was my grandmother Jess’ shoe. It just brought back so many fond memories of people that the Lord had placed in my life over the years.

While I am only talking about broken china and glass memory pieces, sometimes our lives take an unexpected turn, i.e. a tragic event occurs, our health deteriorates, or our family breaks up. When these things happen, it is time to reflect and discern what to do next. It may mean “sitting on a shelf” for a while; it may mean actively rearranging your spiritual life; or it may mean deciding to do the next best thing.

Mary took my broken memories and eventually turned them into a beautiful mosaic cross. God will take the shattered and sharp pieces of our lives and mold them and us into a beautiful creation if we allow Him to. It may take time, but don’t throw away or despise your life experiences. Let God take whatever they are and allow Him to mold you through those experiences into the person He wants you to be.

Now, I can not only look back and be grateful, but I can also  look forward and trust that the next time I feel broken and shattered, like my knick-knack pieces, I can trust that the Lord sees the big picture and that in His time, those pieces can be molded together to make something beautiful for His purpose.

Thanks Mary for letting God use you to bless me!

If you have any jewelry or cross needs, let Mary know. She is awesome. You can contact her below or see some of her wares at her Etsy Store DEJAVU143!

The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the LORD gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.
Jeremiah 18:1-6 (New Living Translation)

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com