It started out being a long day. Not having much to eat made it seem longer. I could feel my body begin to wear down from lack of energy. I ate a small snack when I got home and then some dinner before I was off again. I'd forgotten what it was like to be on the go. I had told a friend that I'd help them out with a class this semester. I've helped in the past and I was looking forward to it. However, today was one of those days I just wanted to stay home...I didn't even get my workout in. My energy pepped up a bit and I headed to the class. Upon arriving I ran into old friends. It was as if we'd just seen each other yesterday.
Perspectives is the class I'm referring to. I took it in 2005 and I helped with the Cabot class last year. This class puts a new perspective on missions and God. Each time something new is revealed to me. Tonight was just a night of revelation for me. Do you ever get so excited you feel like you're about to jump out of your skin? That's how I felt tonight. I couldn't wait to get home and write this. At break I posted Facebook status which prompted a Friend to txt me inquiring about my amazing news. It was in the middle class & I was so overcome with excitement of what I wanted to share. It was hard to contain until after the class.
The person speaking tonight was Bill Elliff. He's my former pastor from the Church I attended growing up. He's since started The Summit Church in NLR. We talked about God being a Missionary God. We started by discussing the glory of God. Have you ever thought about that? I've heard it all my life and it's throughout the scripture. The glory of God...it's his nature, character, magnificence, majestic etc. Ps 19 "The heavens declare the glory of God..." We were created to display God's glory. We're to reflect His image. We've also been given the choice to choose to follow him or rebel. Yet if we rebel he doesn't turn his back on us he's still there waiting for us. We always have the option of choosing to follow God. Mr. Elliff told us a story about his brother-in-law who bought an raggedy antique car. He was a pastor and every parsonage they went to the car went with them. He worked on it for years. Finally one day the brother-in-law told Bill he wanted to show him something. He opened the garage and there was the most beautiful car one had ever seen. Everything had been restored to look like the original and it ran smooth. That's how God is with us. When we come to him he works to restore us back to His specifications. I can attest to this because God knows I've made horrible decisions and choices that I regret. If you want more on that just look back through my blog & you'll find my testimony. Through God's grace I've changed (for the good) and he's restoring me back to His specifications. I still struggle with things, but God's not through with me yet. "God manifests His love through His intervening grace." To put it another way "God doing something for you that you could not do yourself." Grace...what does it mean to you?
As God restores us back to His nature, He restores us to his mission.
Sometimes we just need a new lens to see things more clearly. Tonight, I saw things in a whole new light and I was in awe!
If this has intrigued you there are classes throughout the nation. In central AR it's at the Summit in Little Rock (Mon), there is one in Conway (Sun), and at First Baptist Cabot on Tuesday night.
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