The Big Mo' - continued

Here's a real valley story for you:

I find myself in a hotel room in the middle of a potential hurricane in Mobile, Alabama. "Why in Mobile?" you might ask. I will be moving here to serve as the Education Pastor for First Baptist North Mobile (it's actually in Saraland). The plans are to begin serving July 1. Which means I am in the midst of a different kind of valley right now. One that is focused more on "things to do" than personal issues - like living life after loosing a spouse. I need to sell my house in Lufkin, find and buy a house in Saraland/Mobile, move, go on a student camp trip to Panama City, FL (so the stuff I have to do is not all that hard, but I still have commitments to keep), jump in at FBNM and get the ball rolling to kick off the fall, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What does this have to do with momentum? It has everything to do with it! It is the unimpeded force of God that brought me here. It is the unchecked, unrestrained, unobstructed force of God in my life that allows me to be here. How I got here is something only God, in his mysterious way, could orchestrate. That story is for another time.

All I can say is that when I stepped out on courage to be nothing BUT obedient then I found myself going and doing and saying things I thought would never be a part of my life.

Example: Last night while eating at Logan's Roadhouse in Mobile with the Executive Pastor, Dr. Mike Cook, I struck up a conversation with the waitress. Stop right there! Those of you who know me are already thinking, "Mike, talk? No kidding!" (I'm rolling my eyes right about here). Anyway . . . her name is Jillian. Jillian had a unique object hanging from a chain around her neck. When I asked about it she replied that it was a zipper from the pants of her ex-girlfriend. I continued to joking with her about it. (It's right about here that I'm thinking how many of our churches would open our hearts and arm and wrap them around Jillian?)

Later in the evening I found out we were the only table she had shared her name with and that we were her nicest table. As we were leaving she told us that she was ready to go home. The night had not been kind to Jillian. Here's the amazing part, I offered to pray for her, asking God to help her get through the night. Her response? "Thank you," and a wonderful smile. What a night!!

You see, people's lives are their own and I usually don't like to interfere or get too close. But when I stepped out on courage and was obedient to the Lord's impressing . . . man what I wouldn't give for Jillian to experience the love of God first hand. That was my prayer, not just that Jillian would get through the night and finish her shift, but that she would experience God's love first hand, maybe for the first time. I felt the momentum, the unimpeded force of God run through my veins - what a rush!

It's about the Big Mo'. When I found out about momentum in the life of the believer I began seeing the valley in a whole new way. If your a valley experiencer, grant God compete and unlimited access to your life, then have the courage to be obedient. It will renew your strength, your spirit, and your trust in him. It will give you fresh eyes - eyes that see other, not just our own journey, but the journey of those God puts in our path each and every day.

Moving with momentum,
Mike