You Have This One Day

Have you heard the quote that we all have an amazing gift every morning when we wake up...it's called the "Present"?  Or something like that.  I am recognizing that more and more each day.

Most of you know that when we transitioned home from Bolivia for health reasons, God gave me a job to serve people in a way I never expected:  a funeral home.  And while I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs initially, it was mainly because of the issues I had been having in Bolivia; anxiety, severe depression, panic attacks (all of which I did my best to keep hidden), and last but not least, my thyroid decided to take a vacay.

(free photo via Pixabay)

Oh, wait!  Raise your hand if you thought you could only serve God in ministry as a pastor, youth pastor or missionary.  I think when God places a call on our lives to serve Him, that's immediately where we first go to in our minds.  We become a stammering, stuttering Moses, trying to talk God out of it.  

Hey, listen Linda. When Jeff and I were Young Adult Pastors at Grace Assembly, I remember looking out in the class room and seeing a wide variety of "ministers".  They came in the form of  EMTs, paramedics, nurses, daycare staff, a deputy or two, a school teacher, an awesome biscuit maker at Hardees (at the time), a fireman, and even a student or two, just to name the ones I remember.  

God hand selected all these individuals to minister and serve Him, and lead others to Christ by the example of their lives as they worked daily, one-on-one with the world.  We loved this amazing group and that aspect of ministry.   We also served as the Mission Pastors and learned our true passion:  Foreign Missions.  God taught me a LOT while we served.  Most of all--He reminded me that we have one chance in this life to make a difference in the lives of others.  

You may be in a place where you work with the same individuals on a daily basis, or you may preach to basically the same congregation every week, but you have this one chance...on this one gifted day because you are given this ONE life.  You weren't here before as a butterfly or a bird--or even an alligator, although I did work with someone when I was still a teenager that I would almost swear (I don't swear) might have been kin to an English bulldog.  He had the jowls.  Don't worry...you don't know him and it's been so long I don't even remember his name--and he has long since passed on.

What is my point?  Oh--sorry.  YOU and I HAVE ONE LIFE and ONE chance to make a difference wherever God has planted you and ONE chance to show them JESUS.  

If you call yourself a believer in Christ, then He has taken up residence inside of your heart and life.  Keep that in mind when you open your mouth and I bet you might refrain from saying some of the things you say when you hit your thumb with the hammer?.... just sayin'

God has reminded me almost daily, because of where I work, we have one chance.  I meet families every week that are hurting--and every single one of them wish they had just a little more time.  They have all the regrets of things they said, and things they wish they had said.

My sweet Bolivian niece, Violeta

I know I have written about prayer a lot lately,  probably because it has been the main thing on my heart for months.  I have had my private quiet time with Jesus for many years--and enjoyed every minute of it--but lately, my heart has pounded with urgency to make sure I am leaving my loved ones with enough instructions (by living the example) to know Jesus fully--and to enjoy every second that they can spend with the LORD.

I want them to know without a doubt that God is a God who hears.  Always.  And He loves when we make it a point to get with Him in solitude.  

That is my favorite time of the day:  Jesus Time.  My kids and grandkids need to know it.  I have some precious grandkids that the enemy has targeted....I guess he didn't think that in placing a target on them it would cause this Nana to pray like never before.  He probably never imagined I'd pull out every weapon to send the attackers back to hell.  He thought wrong.

I've gotten up at 2 and 3 in the morning to pray for them because the urgency burns in my heart.  I've stayed up some nights when Jeff and Rylan went to bed because the call to pray was greater than my desire to sleep.

THAT is what it is going to take to save them.  I pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of what the devil is trying to do.  

I pray that God severs all contaminating influences that have infiltrated their lives.  

I pray that they become strong men and women of God to lead others to Jesus.  

I pray that the Holy Spirit so fills them with anointing and power that you can't shut them up from talking about God.  

I pray that they lead your lost son or daughter to Christ by example and words.  

I pray that God calls them to the mission field.  

I pray that He calls them to teach, serve as deputies, nurses, doctors, lawyers, farmers, foster parents, community leaders....most of all:  

I just pray.   And I want them to learn to pray.  

I want them to know the importance of prayer.  It's a life line. It's what I have to communicate with my Lord.  There's no cell tower involved....just the cross.

I urge you with all that I have in me:  FIND A PLACE TO PRAY.

One of my favorite mission-traveling buddies, Deborah.

You knew it would come back to that didn't you.  I can't stop and won't stop.  God is calling out prayer warriors.  Don't let anything or anyone stop you from calling out to God.  

Make it a priority.  Make HIM a priority.....    He made you a priority.

© Angie Knight. All rights reserved. 

 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT