Humble pie

Maybe you can relate, I have struggled with humility. I was born with a healthy sense of self worth. I guess I am lucky that way- it really helped me through the teen years. But as they say your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.

About four years ago when my children were passed the toddler age and I began to regain some "me" time, I sought the Lord's advice on what ministry He would want me to get involved in. I had begun singing in church and really thought that was where it would be- more singing or an expanded singing ministry. But what opened up before me was the position of Church secretary. Honestly a pretty thankless job, that is way behind the scenes. As I prayed about how badly I did not want to take this position, God- as he can do with crystal clarity pointed out to me, I did not want the job because it had no "glamour". I wanted people to see and admire what I was doing. Ouch, coming face to face with my own pride was harsh, so I took the position on a volunteer basis to learn a little more about humility. It really wasn't a bad job. I love to organize and had secretarial experience so it was mostly smooth sailing. 3 years later the opportunity came to pass the work on someone else and I did.


Now, I started to pray again. Oh, Lord what would you have me to do? I am all done with the humility lesson, so what new exciting thing do you have for me now? Slowly but very clearly He began pressing on my heart the word PRAYER. Prayer? As a ministry? You know the kind of thing you do alone, at home, by yourself? Sure you can go and pray for people, the home bound, hospitalized, etc... but most of my prayer happened at home. I began to also sense that this kind of ministry would require time, hours of time. Not just a quick little help so and so with this and that amen, type prayer. Wow, at this point you can almost see my face drop right. Could it get any less in the spot light?


Much to my shame I will admit I took this message and sat on it for a year. Surely if I did not act, it would change, right? Wrong-o. I just felt it more and more and more, until it was burning a hole in my conscious. Prayer is total humility. Seeking an all powerful God from a place of total powerlessness. Admitting my own schedule was not as important as hours spent quiet and still thinking and speaking with God. Guys, I am a verb person. I am type A. I do check lists.


I am finally making peace with this. I am beginning the long journey of submitting myself to this call. Over the past year God has been teaching me how important prayer is. How far beyond my minds ability to understand it goes. I have yet to set aside the largest parts of my day for prayer but it's my goal.


This week is the week of the National day of Prayer and I don't think it was an accident that God put it on my heart to share this today. God's direction to His people in His word was to take your relationship with Him and prayer seriously. 1Peter 4:7 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." The following verses remind us to pray and be doing his work for the church and the lost because time is short on this earth, either by death or His return. I pray by His strength and power we would take these words to heart and determine in our hearts to pray like our lives depend on it, because they do and so do the lives of others.