Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Thursday! All is well here at 811.

The candle is lit…

Dear God, Thank you that Jesus modeled the act of prayer so that I would learn how to talk with you. There are times when I have not trusted you fully and been discouraged because of it. Forgive me, God, and help me to always have hope in you remembering to pray without ceasing about all things.  I love you Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.

A few weeks ago we cleaned out a bedroom to prepare to keep our goddaughter during the week days. The room is fairly spartan. There are freshly painted walls, a dresser, a bed, and area rug and a rocker.  I placed a wax warmer on the dresser with a lightly scented fragrance with a calming nature. Before this past Monday its sole use was for naps and story time.  But on Monday I found it to be a wonderful sanctuary for which to spend a prayer time before going to the ordination interview.  

Between the interview in January and the interview in September I considered giving up on this whole ordination process. We had so many difficult times go on in our life this past year that this one more thing did not seem worth it. I was discouraged in so many ways and battled with myself for a long time. One thing about me is I like to finish what I start and so even though I felt discouraged and somewhere inside me I found the determination to move forward and try again.  When I read my scripture passages tonight about the people of Israel crying out to the Lord to save them from their distress I remembered the sanctuary just one room away.

I sat down in the rocker and began to pray as I had not prayed (yes I pray daily) with passion and remembered that in my prayers I needed to move me to the side and proclaim my faith in God. In other words I remembered to become “God focused” instead of “me focused.” I knew that giving up was not in my nature and that God, my Creator, had given me a spirit of determination and would never give me a spirit of discouragement. So I began to cry out to God for forgiveness, in thankfulness, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to dwell in me and for my doubts to evaporate.  Yes, I was a bit nervous going in, but my heart was a peace because God remained with me. After the committee discussed the interview they called me back in and affirmed me to continue on to the final ordination interview. They asked me to close in prayer. As we joined hands around the table for prayer I told them “Thank you for not giving up on me.”  One of the members responded, “thank you for not giving up on your call.”  God is good and love wins.

Pray my friends and never doubt God and His loving power in your life.

“They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.”

Psalm 107: 13-14

“By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction.”

Psalm 107: 20

Take joy in the journey praying as you go. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene