My Conversation with God

What a trip we've had so far. Traveling 26 hours in two days with a 4 month old baby wasn't a picnic but we managed. From there we went to the Osborn Reunion in Grove OK, where I re-connected with my family, some whom I hadn't seen in 24 years. From there we went back to Woodward, OK where we spent time with my parents and other friends which was also a great time. Then I headed to Tulsa for the Tulsa Evangelism Workshop fully prepared to hear new ideas about ministry and evangelism and ready to take them back to the Church with renewed vigor and vitality.

Of course God had different ideas and I found myself in the first two classes being convicted and on my knees in repentance for allowing myself to be work oriented and not God focused. I heard lessons on surrender and a non-judgmental spirit, and humility, and many other things that as I spend hours each week working for the Church and God, I tend to forget or ignore. This brings me to my conversation with God. I found myself telling God that He just didn't understand. I wasn't here to be convicted or spiritually challenged myself; I was here to bring more passion and excitement back to Sacramento. "I'm here to help lead a Church along the path of transformation they are called to, don't you know that God?"

His response was equally as aggravating as the process leading up to it, I could almost audibly hear Him saying to me, "You need to be transformed in order to lead anyone else into transformation, but then you know that don't you Lance"? All week of classes and sermons I was hearing great ideas and ways to help the Church become more mission minded and reach the unsaved but even while hearing these, there was a constant reminder that I need to let God work through me, and lead me as I team up with the elders to lead the Church. God works, He delivers, He saves, and He deserves the credit and glory that humans like me try to take sometimes.

So this week of surrender and forced humility, coupled with the encouragement, and exhortation I received results in an overall excitement of getting to go back home and continue to work in the greatest organization of all time, the Kingdom of God. Thank you for reading my rambling thoughts.