God at Work...

God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. 

It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. 

Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. 

Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you. 

–Romans 14:17-18

Ever heard that old saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? It means of course that you're focusing on details too much & can't see the "big picture."

This is where I am finding myself this week in my quest to see God working.  Here’s what I mean…

This week is particularly busy. On top of work & our regular evening stuff, my husband & I have been schlepping our daughter to Jr. High dance team tryouts every day. Several nights this means eating something in the car between meetings & practices. Yesterday I was literally out of my house for over fifteen hours. 

I say all this because last night as I waited in the car for jazz practice to get out, I wondered aloud like a crazy person, “How am I supposed to see God working if I’m spending the majority of my days in a cubical & in the car. 

God at Work magnet

When I finally drug my poor worn out body into the house around 9:30… PM… & walked by the refrigerator, on the way to put on my pajamas, something caught my eye. It was a magnet that I hadn’t seen before.  It was of a yellow road sign that says, ‘God at Work’. 

What the? 

I stood there for a moment…  paralyzed really. 

Then it hit me. 

God IS moving in the forest of my life. 

He IS moving as I spend invaluable time with my daughter in the car, chatting about anything & everything that is on her little heart.  He IS moving when I hang out with other dance moms & laugh as we commiserate about our newfound chauffer statuses. He IS moving when I buy my kid her favorite chicken sandwich from McDonalds & tell her that she’s beautiful & amazing & special even though she’s tired & cranky. He IS moving when I choose to set my own desires aside & be the cheerleader that my little girl needs this week. 

Cause THIS is Kingdom work people. 

As we maneuver our day to day life & schedules, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that Kingdom work should be grander. That these little things don’t matter. That they are somehow a distraction. Somewhere along the line we’ve decided that Kingdom work happens on a big event stage, under flashing lights, a fog machine & is accompanied by a super awesome soundtrack… We’ve come to believe that Kingdom results should be largely measured by statistics, high emotion & KABOOM moments . 

Truth is… Kingdom work happens in much more miraculous way. It happens in our day to day routines. It happens in small acts of kindness that may not be noticed. It happens in gentle words of encouragement, & precious grace given even when we are exhausted. It happens when we least expect it. 

I have much to learn about how God works… but I’m willing & waiting…. with my eyes & heart  wide open… 

“The "show business," which is so incorporated into our view of Christian work today, has caused us to drift far from Our Lord's conception of discipleship. It is instilled in us to think that we have to do exceptional things for God; we have not. We have to be exceptional in ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, surrounded by sordid sinners. That is not learned in five minutes.” 

–Oswald Chambers