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Working Life

So I had a week vacation last week, my husband and I after the last several months of grueling schedules decided to take a respite from the world and reconnect.  We planned a very relaxing trip to go to Kentucky, then North Carolina to a family cabin.  We went to Kentucky to visit the Ark Museum, which is a replicated full size Ark, like “ Noah and the Ark.”  We were in awe and wonder of the sheer size of the replica and it solidified what God was already placing in my heart this week.  So dear lovely ones, I pray over this blog and ask God what to give to you, and this week he brought to my attention the mediocre moments of life.   Like an adventurer who wants to have great stories of excitement it is hard when you feel like what you are doing is miniscule, mediocre, and ordinary.   So here are some things I want you to take back from Noah.  

Noah walked with God.
The bible says in Genesis 6 that Noah was a righteous man and God's favor was on his life, it also said Noah walked with God.  This indicates something each of us should always be checking.  Are you walking with God?  I don’t mean going to church every Sunday, I mean do you set aside time with the Lord, time to talk with him.  For me I do this in the morning or at night, I have my bible and my journal and worship music on.  I spend time with God everyday through his word, and I spend time in His presence because I do not want to do anything without God’s presence actively in my life.  I have made this my plea and it's one I work daily to stick with.  “God I need nothing but you,” is my prayer.   Is this yours?  Or does it look like mine used to?  “God when are you going to give me…..”  or “God why didn’t you let me….” my prayer switched to “God I need you.”   You cannot chase after God as a means to get what you want, You will spend your time frustrated and angry until you shift your perspective.  

Noah was given instruction and obeyed them.  
It says in the bible that Noah walked upright with the Lord during wicked days.  He was a righteous man, not perfect, but righteous, blameless among his contemporaries.  God spoke to Noah, now I wanna stop here and say that if you don’t walk with God, he can’t speak to you and you can’t hear his voice.  I was 14 when I prayed that God would speak to me.  I began to dive into his word and listen for his voice.  At the age of 15 I heard him audibly and continued to walk with Him.  If you learn who God is through His word, you will be able to hear his voice.  When I sat down in January of 2015 Propel and On Purpose ministries were never on my radar.  Now almost two years into this I launched a Propel Chapter and we are launching On Purpose Ministries.  The instructions weren’t given in one day, they have been given over time, slowly unfolding during the right season.  Noah did something amazing that I am even challenged on.  

Noah was faithful  
When God told him the massive undertaking he wanted him to do, he went and did it.  Nowhere does it say “He told God no, I can’t it’s too much.”  No he was obedient to what God wanted.  He built the Ark, filled it with the animals God wanted, and prepared for the coming days.  He did this, while there was no sign of rain, no sign of impending doom, he walked by faith.   I am sure it wasn’t an easy task, and looking at the replica I can tell you I would be overwhelmed by the sheer size of it.  It took Noah 100 years to build the Ark.  Let me ask you: ‘do you have the Noah  commitment level?”  Ouch right. I can tell you I didn’t learn how to run a ministry by just one day deciding to do it.  I spent years serving underneath leaders, helping them build ministries, and doing whatever needed to be done.  My husband and I served faithfully for a five year period for a revival and took care of the minister as best we could.  I have stayed longer than I wanted to do in ministries that I loved but leaders that I didn’t.  Faithfulness will take you farther than feelings every will and even if everything in you wants to run don’t you dare tap out until God is done with you there.  Faithfulness will take you farther than talent ever will.  

Noah got more work.  

Some of you need to stop asking God “when is this going to happen?”  and start asking “God what do I need to do to build endurance?”  God remade Noah from a man who walked with Him, to a man who was completely committed to God’s cause.  Noah once the flood came had a whole bunch of work to do.  No longer building but caring, he had animals that needed tending, family that needed leadership, and a whole new world view he had to wrap his head around.  Noah’s Ark took him to places unknown, and he didn’t know what was going to happen or when it was going to happen.  Can you imagine? 40 days and 40 nights of rain,  you are in a boat, not in control just trying to keep stewarding what you have and waiting for the next season.  Some of you are there.  God told you to build, so you built, enjoying the planning, but then the rain came the storm has been raging and you don’t know when and if it will ever stop.  Trust the one who put you in the safe place.  He may need to wreck your world and only save that which is important.  Let go of what is being lost in the rain of the storm and look around at what was saved.  Get an attitude of gratitude and a mindset of discipline and wisdom.  You never arrive till you stand before Jesus, so become more aware of what he has given you.  

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