Be a Noticer
Thank You, Father, for the beautifully warm day to get a few things outside. I’ll take 60s in February in Ohio any time!
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I sat down to write this evening and I got a notification on my phone and, long story short, I found something that I had shared on Facebook seven years ago. It caught my eye and I felt compelled to share it again…except this time with you!
Far too often we get so caught up in focusing on what “needs” done that we miss so many other things that need to be noticed. Let this post inspire you.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. James 1:17 AMP
My daughter handed me her school progress report. Although it displayed a steady stream of positive check marks, there was one check mark standing dejectedly alone from the rest.
“How am I doing, Mom?” my child asked with a level of maturity that did not match the small disheveled person gazing up at me with smudged eyeglasses that teetered on the tip of her nose. With her small finger, she pointed to her teacher’s neatly printed words next to the lone check mark.
It read: Distracted in large groups. But I already knew this. I knew this long before it was written on an official report card. Since she was a toddler, this child has offered astute observations of the world around her.
After pointing out all the positives on the progress report, I told her what was written. Upon hearing the news, she gave a tiny, uncertain smile and shyly admitted, “I do look around a lot.”
But before my child could feel one ounce of shame, one iota of failure, I came down on bended knee and looked her straight in the eye. I didn’t want her to just hear these words, I wanted her to feel them. This is what I said:
“Yes. You do look around a lot. You noticed Sam sitting off by himself with a skinned knee on the field trip, and you comforted him.
You noticed Banjo had a running nose, and the vet said it was a good thing we brought him in when we did.
You noticed our waitress was working really hard and suggested we leave an extra good tip.
You noticed Grandpa was walking slower than the rest of us so you waited for him.
You notice the beautiful view every time we cross the bridge to go to swim practice.
And you know what? I don’t ever want you to stop noticing because that is your gift. It is your gift that you give to the world.”
As I watched my daughter beam with the glow of acceptance, I realized her approach to life had the power to change the world.
You see, we are all just waiting for someone to notice—notice our pain, notice our scars, notice our fear, notice our joy, notice our triumphs, notice our courage.
And the one who notices is a rare and beautiful gift.
Let us all be Noticers today.
© Rachel Macy Stafford 2011
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If you’d like to check out more from Rachel Macy Stafford check out her The Hands Free Revolution Facebook page and also here is a link to her book Hands Free Life – which she shares the above story in as well!
Feb 21st, 2022, Mon, 7:29 pm
Not Limited to Serving Tables
Thank You, Father, for Your word in our services today, for safe travels, for sustenance, for loving family, for working to bring some home, and that we are home and winding down after a full day from beginning to end.
Acts 6:8-15 (<<click here to read the passage)
I had an interesting conversation with a fine gentleman the other day. He was servicing an appliance in our home. He is the owner of his own business and intermittently between his work and me finishing up preparations for Sunday’s service we chatted.
Through the course of our interaction, he jokingly made a comment about switching jobs. He knew I was a school bus driver but didn’t realize that I also was a pastor. When I smiled and said as such, he referenced that his grandfather had been a minister and declared that that would never be him. My reply was something to the effect that, you never know…and I believed it!
In today’s passage Stephen and who he is and what he did, is the focal point. If you will recall he was one of the seven who were chosen to serve tables and manage the distribution of food enabling the apostles to continue teaching the word of God… Acts 6:2 NLT
But, if you will also recall, these upstanding men were the cream of the crop in their service to the Lord – and Stephen, specifically, was pointed out as being a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit v5
So how did Stephen go from serving tables and food distribution to being such a strong debater on theological topics that none of a certain synagogue (consecrated spaces used for…Jewish prayer, study, assembly, and reading of the… Hebrew Bible… – Wikipedia) in Jerusalem could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke (v11)?
He didn’t go anywhere! This wasn’t a new and improved Stephen. This was the same Spirit-filled server of tables and distributor of food, but his “job” did not define who he was. God defined who Stephen was. And it was God’s will to use this man who was full of the Spirit and of wisdom… v3
The same goes for us all! What we do does not define us. Our creator defines us. He who knows us best and loves us most can use us to accomplish His will in this world…if we are open to His call upon our lives. The key is not inhibiting God’s will by our fears and hesitancies. We must trust Him in faith, believing that He will give us all we need to accomplish His will. We mustn’t undersell ourselves. God has proven time and time again that he could use anyone to accomplish anything!
Lord Jesus, may we never presume to be worthless. In Your eyes, we are of great value, and You can use us – if we are willing – to accomplish great things for Your Kingdom! Amen.
Feb 20th, 2022, Sun, 8:01 pm
Laying on of Hands
There have been events we have not expected this evening, Father. In faith, we trust that Your hand will be upon them all. Amen.
Acts 6:3-6 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the most significant events of my life took place on July 11th, 2000, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. That date marked the culmination of many hours of prayer, study, and dedication in pursuing a life committed to ministry. On that day, as my certificate states, I was “set apart and ordained an Elder in the Church of God according to the rules of the Church of the Nazarene”.
One of most humbling – and amazing! – part of that service was kneeling at the altar in the Chapel of Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and having my dad (now a retired elder) and every other elder in attendance that night lay their hands on my back and shoulders or on the elder in front of them. Also, in front of me was General Superintendent, James H. Diehl – who lead the prayer over me, District Superintendent, Jack Archer, and District Secretary, Robert J. Wiens, all elders themselves. I will never forget that experience!
(I continue to be a minister in good standing in the Church of the Nazarene, though I am “on loan” to the United Methodist Church, being that we are sister denominations.)
As we have already seen, the events in Acts chapter 6, speak of seven men who were chosen to minister to the needs the Church felt at that time. My encounter was a continuation of what took place in verse 6. The Life Application Study Bible states,
Spiritual leadership is serious business and must not be taken lightly by the church or its leaders. In the early church, the chosen men were commissioned (by prayer and laying on of hands) by the apostles. Laying hands on someone, an ancient Jewish practice, was a way to set a person apart for special service (see Numbers 27:23; Deuteronomy 34:9 where Moses first laid hands on his “successor” Joshua).
But something I must stress is the fact that God called me to do what I do, but He calls us all. Yes, you might not ever want to step behind a pulpit to speak, but we are all gifted by the Holy Spirit will all kinds of talent and abilities to lift up the Church. God uses us all.
A few years ago, my one church regularly listed in their service bulletin the Servant Leaders for that day. The very first header was Ministers and after that, you didn’t see my name but what was there was the word Congregation. Each of us is in a particular place in life where God can use us to impact the world for Him. We are in unique places of opportunity and if we don’t step up to the cause…who will?
Lord Jesus, lay your hands upon us. Set us apart for service to You. Amen.
Feb 17th, 2022, Thurs, 7:35 pm
Cracks of Division
Another good man has left us to join You, Father. May his family find true peace in You, the Source of a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). Amen.
Acts 6:1-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
If anything makes me shudder it is division. For me, division anywhere is uncomfortable but, in the Church, it can be so counterproductive.
Unfortunately, division is a far too common occurrence in the Church. Growing up in a pastor’s home it was blatantly obvious what division could do. In all those years (from kindergarten through college), we never lived in one place for more than four years. For the most part, our moves were instigated by division.
Even in my own experience (I was a Minister of Music, then a Minister of Youth and Music), division took place. My times of service were cut short because one group of people had vastly different ideas of how things should work than other groups.
Where I currently serve has had very little division and I have joyfully served, the one congregation in particular, for 20 years this summer! Unity is far more productive!
In today’s passage, the Church was a relative newborn, with believers full of the Holy Spirit and all that came with Him, still, a crack of division began.
An internal problem developed…between the Hebrew-speaking Christians (probably local Jews who had been converted) and the Greek-speaking Christians (probably Jews from other lands who had been converted at Pentecost). The Greek-speaking Christians complained that their widows were being unfairly treated. This favoritism was probably not intentional but was more likely caused by the language barrier.*
The thing is, it was soundly and mindfully addressed. And because the apostles did so, bathing it in prayer and placing only the best individuals in responsibility, they were able to move forward whole and holy.
Keep in mind that these upstanding men were the cream of the crop in their service to the Lord. The Twelve insisted that seven men be chosen and that they be men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity] and full of the Spirit and of wisdom… v3 It helped greatly, too, that by their names we can tell they spoke Greek.
Interestingly enough, these esteemed men – and honestly there were! – were chosen to serve tables and manage the distribution of food enabling the apostles to continue teaching the word of God… v2 There was no jealousy or haughtiness involved, they were all out to serve their Lord in whatever capacity needed.
Lord Jesus, we know that quite often division is unavoidable. But seeking the guidance and direction of Your Holy Spirit can stop it dead in its tracks. Doing so allows us to address the issues at hand and move forward stronger than ever!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Feb 16th, 2022, Wed, 7:00 pm
Don’t Self-Medicate!
A fair amount of activity today, Father, and I’m feeling it! Thank You for motivating me through Massey to do so. It’s all for the good!
Acts 5:42 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of life’s biggest adversaries is cancer. It can be fought. In some cases, we win but many times cancer wins. It’s one of those things too that we can win and then without warning, it will show up again and the fight begins anew.
If a scientist discovered something that would take all cancer out in a single blow, it would be a great tragedy if word did not get out to the masses. An even greater tragedy would be if those suffering from incurable cancer refused to take the cure seriously but instead decided to put themselves through all the misery of traditional treatments feeling that that was their only hope of victory.
I feel silly even typing that out. It would make zero sense to do that. But…humanity does it all the time! Not regarding cancer but sin!
Jesus once and for all provided us the cure for sin…not just some sin, but all sin! Incredibly we often prefer to “self-medicate”, thinking, “I don’t need some ‘god’ to take care of my issues. I can take care of this myself. There are all kinds of things out there to help me…one has got to work!”
Be we can’t and they don’t! Nothing we can do can take care of what ills us. Only the Great Physician, Jesus the Messiah, can irradicate that sin. A portion of Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
When we allow Jesus to irradicate that sin, it is gone for good! Here are a few verses to drive that concept home.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 NLT
“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Isaiah 43:25 NLT
He shall again have compassion on us;
He will subdue and tread underfoot our wickedness [destroying sin’s power].
Yes, You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 AMP
So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]… Acts 3:19 AMP
Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. Romans 8:1 AMP
For generations, the Israelites had dreamed of the coming Messiah and all He would do for them. And that “good news” is what the followers of Jesus used as the heart of their proclamation!
And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). v42 AMP
That alone is where our hope is found…in Jesus Christ!
May we be about His business, the business of telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ!
Feb 15th, 2022, Tues, 6:45 pm