The Truth About the Pie
I followed a nudge from God to bake pies to raise funds for South Sudan. I realize that "a nudge from God" might sound strange, so I will explain.
I was at our Christian Horizons annual leadership conference at the beginning of November, listening to people sharing about the work our organization does globally. Two of our coworkers plunged into the icy waters of Lake Couchiching to raise funds. They raised about $2000 with their frigid swim!
I felt that God was tapping me on the shoulder to help in some way and I turned to the person next to me during the final keynote speech and said, "I think I have to bake pies again!" I've done it before as a fund raiser, a couple of years ago; offering the simple gift of something I can do and watching God use it.
The day after we got back, my friend Jane emailed me and asked, "Do you by chance have any pies for sale?" and I took that as confirmation! :)
So that weekend I put it out to the world on Face Book, sharing the project of the guest house in South Sudan; sharing the vision.
Five days later this is an excerpt from my journal:
"....In five days I have orders for 81 pies and donations of pie boxes; apples; people to peel apples. And a nervous stomach!
Yes, that is the bare naked truth.
And yet I think that is exactly how I ought to be feeling; anything different and I would be out of touch with reality.
It's exactly the feeling that will cause me to constantly run back to God and remember that:
And when we place our trembling hands in his great strong one, it is an opportunity for him to be shown to the watching world, right here, right now; not in the pages of the past."
I was at our Christian Horizons annual leadership conference at the beginning of November, listening to people sharing about the work our organization does globally. Two of our coworkers plunged into the icy waters of Lake Couchiching to raise funds. They raised about $2000 with their frigid swim!
I felt that God was tapping me on the shoulder to help in some way and I turned to the person next to me during the final keynote speech and said, "I think I have to bake pies again!" I've done it before as a fund raiser, a couple of years ago; offering the simple gift of something I can do and watching God use it.
The day after we got back, my friend Jane emailed me and asked, "Do you by chance have any pies for sale?" and I took that as confirmation! :)
So that weekend I put it out to the world on Face Book, sharing the project of the guest house in South Sudan; sharing the vision.
Five days later this is an excerpt from my journal:
"....In five days I have orders for 81 pies and donations of pie boxes; apples; people to peel apples. And a nervous stomach!
Yes, that is the bare naked truth.
And yet I think that is exactly how I ought to be feeling; anything different and I would be out of touch with reality.
It's exactly the feeling that will cause me to constantly run back to God and remember that:
It was his call I heardI just need to remember to relax and breathe--and stick closely connected to his heart and voice. This is how radical obedience works in practice.
The massive orders came because it was his call
He calls us to what is possible--in partnership with him
I can trust him completely for the resources of time, energy and provisions to fulfill the assignment
And when we place our trembling hands in his great strong one, it is an opportunity for him to be shown to the watching world, right here, right now; not in the pages of the past."
Comments
I use to carry a false guilt around for things I could never do for the Lord. I would never be a foreign missionary, nor a great speaker, or even a loving mother. I actually let my lack of greatness stop me from any giving of littleness.
It is all about attitude, isn't it? Your attitude of listening to the urgings of the Spirit; your attitude of giving what you have; your attitude of obedience - and the Lord has taken it, nerves an all, and turned it in to something meaningful to you. About you and Him. And in deepening that relationship others will benefit. That is truly the joy of the Lord!
LL