“Who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14
God does not recruit without a calling. God calls everybody to use their gifts and the passion they have. But not everybody puts them to use for the Kingdom. The only way you are going to hear is if you listen. You have to be quiet, you have to get alone and spend time with God.
This is just what our kids, Amanda and Kevin did this past year. They listened to the call. They started attending our church, got involved with a Sunday school class and met a very quiet and sweet couple who really needed help getting on their feet. They acted on their gift of compassion and encouragement and found out the couple needed furniture to put in their apartment they had just gotten. Were it not for our kids listening to the call, this couple would not have known to connect with us at the World Impact Thrift Store (WITS) so we could bless them with items to fill their apartment. Never have I seen such a happy couple when given used furniture.
I also had a very hard situation I had to deal with at WITS. A mother and son came in for prayer and spiritual advice. As she shared with me through her tears of how her husband had attempted suicide with a gun but he did not end up passing away from the gunshot. They life watched him to the hospital where she and her son had to make the decision to remove the life support. She chose to remove him from all machines. She then shared how she and her son had accepted Christ but as far as she knew her husband had not. She was sobbing when she said that his eternity has begun. It was very hard to remain composed, but the Lord gave me a couple scriptures to share with her: John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” and Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” This mom and son did not need Bibles but they were eager to take a hymnal. Here is the hymn I shared with them:
A Friend I have, called Jesus, whose love is strong and true, and never fails how-e’er ‘tis tried, no matter what I do; I’ve sinned against this love of His, but when I knelt to pray, confessing all my guilt to Him, The sin-clouds rolled away. Sometimes the clouds of trouble be dim the sky above, I cannot see my Savior’s face, I doubt His wondrous love; But He, from Heaven’s mercy seat, beholding my despair, in pity bursts the clouds between, and shows He is there. When sorrow’s clouds overtake me, and break upon my head, when life seems worse than useless, and I were better dead; I take my grief to Jesus then, Nor do I go in vain, for heavenly hope He gives that cheers like sunshine after rain. Oh, I could sing forever of Jesus’ love divine, of all His care and tenderness for this poor life of mine; His love is in and over all, and wind and waves obey when Jesus whispers, “peace be still!” and rolls the clouds away. It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away, it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day, It’s just like Jesus all along the way, It’s just like His great Love.
Please pray for this young couple we helped with furniture and also this mother and son as they walk this journey. Also please pray for, and consider helping us financially as our support level has dropped. We want to continue our ministry here with WITS, so please pray with us about this.
