Dear SCC & Friends,
…from vessel to vessel ~Jeremiah 48:11
Reflection #236
Virtually every good thing in my life has been in spite of me, not because of me. It is amazing how the Lord orchestrates our steps without us being fully aware that He is orchestrating. Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way? ~Prov. 20:24 He’s forever the Potter and we are ever the clay… molded and shaped through His direction, wisdom and love. I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. ~Jer. 10:23 The crises and disruptions of this life should serve as constant reminders that control is an illusion. Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions. ~Matthew Henry~ …for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. ~Philip. 2:13 ~Selah~
The circumstances we ask God to change are often the circumstances He uses to change us. ~Mark Batterson~ Disruption begins at birth, and transition is a way of life. Just when we think we’ve “got it,” you guessed it, another disruption. I was ordained when I was twenty-nine years old. I supervised a Christian school, served as an elder, preached regularly and planned on making Georgia our home. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a disruptive move to California. Upon arrival, I was no longer “an elder,” nor preaching regularly… In fact, I went into business as a “cold call” salesman, something I initially hated… straight commission, lots of rejection with no guarantees or safety net. The Lord used those days to produce a change in me that resonates to this day… without His intervention we simply won’t change. …if we are not poured from vessel to vessel… we retain our flavor, and our aroma remains unchanged. ~Jer. 48:11 Our path to growth and maturity is etched with His disruptive goodness throughout our lives! We were made for these days…
Keep up the good work,
Kevin