Coincidence? I think not...

Our church service on Sunday morning was such a blessing. The message was given by one of the youth in our church who has decided to go on a mission trip to Zimbabwe AND to join the ministry. He told us of his decision to become a minister and about the journey that led him to making that decision. He is embarking on a journey this coming August to Zimbabwe, Africa in hopes that the impact of the trip and the experience itself, will have a lifelong effect with his ministry. We were blessed to hear him speak. And you could hear a pin drop in that room. He had everyone's undivided attention.

Levi talked at length about the number of times someone suggested the ministry to him for his future...and the number of times he denied the idea. He brushed it off as if the people speaking to him about it were crazy. And finally, he heard the call for himself. Sitting there listening to this young man speak, I thought, How many times has God suggested something in my life that I have completely ignored? Just because God himself wasn't telling Levi that he should be come a pastor...God was in fact speaking to him through others. Levi never truly entertained the idea until he opened his ears enough to hear what God had to say to him.

At the end of Levi's message, he spoke about his favorite verse..

Luke 5: 27-28

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Later Sunday night, at Bible Study, a friend and I were trying to tell the rest of the group about the verse that came out of the message. We told Levi's story and could not for the life of us think of this verse. It was a very powerful point to the end of the message and we just wanted to share with the others how cool this calling was for him. But...we were also trying to get on with our own bible study, so we stopped looking. I was so frustrated that I couldn't remember the verse...(not quite sure how I thought I'd ever remember it though...considering I can't remember where I put my coffee 5 minutes ago)

Last night, I received a text from one of my friends in the study...

Day 2 of our weekly work...

was about the verse that we all searched to find.

Coincidence?????

I think Not.

God's timing people...totally. For whatever reason, God wanted us to find that verse in his timing. Maybe after we'd let the story sink in. Maybe after we'd given serious thought to sponsoring Levi's trip. Maybe it wasn't about Levi at all...maybe it was about our desire to leave everything to follow him. I don't know...and I am guessing God wants it that way. But in His timing...we saw the light.

LOVE IT!!!

Thank you Lord for your continual touches in my life. Thank you for giving me reason after reason to live my life for you. Thank you for reminding me that you...(not me) is in complete control of every aspect of my life. You are amazing...and I am fully and completely yours.
Amen

Have a blessed day all! And if you feel called to sponsor Levi in some way, please do. You can make your checks out to Mulvane United Methodist Church and write Levi Nord Mission Trip in the memo line. Pastor Rick will be handling the collection efforts for Levi. I know...that this kid is going to do big things in his life. He is touched by God. He is following as he is told. And I also know that I want to help him in any way that I can. If you would like to join me in this effort, please mail your checks to

Attn: Pastor Rick Just
107 S. Central
Mulvane, KS 67110

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3