(23rd Psalms, 4th verse)
Those words of the 23rd Psalms have been used by people to comfort others for years. But sometimes, we find ourselves in a peculiar position. Sometimes we are the ones in the middle of a valley experience. We are walking through the valley and trying to be strong in the Lord and life is kicking our butts. Then guess what happens? We run into someone that needs to be witnessed to. Or we run into someone who needs our help. How can you help someone when you need help yourself? By the grace of God, I have found myself in this position before. I was in a terrible spiritual state and I had someone tell me that I was a blessing to them. This totally took me by surprise. How can I be a blessing when I am weak? I have realized over time that my spiritual struggles place me in a position of vulnerability. And that vulnerability allows me to be available for God's use.
I don't know why yet, but when I am going through a rough patch in life, God still allows me to minister to people and help them to go through. I guess the reason why is because our valley moments make us focus on God. When we focus on God, then we are not looking at our situation. People have drawn inspiration from me simply watching me live my life through the good and bad moments. I'm not saying this to brag, my arrogance is only in the Lord. But I am saying that I am a better instrument for God in my weakened state because I am actively seeking Him for an answer. You know the old saying: Don't be afraid to ask a question in a classroom because someone else might have the same question. The same thing can be said of God. You could be seeking God's guidance about something and the answer you receive might be just the thing that someone else needed to hear. I have had people tell me that I was an inspiration to them on a couple of occasions. I notice that this often occurs during my darkest hours. I truly believe that there is a connection between my weakened spiritual state and my ability to be that vessel of encouragement. How does this help you? I hope that you will see that you always have the opportunity to help someone get through their valley situations. But the opportunity is greater when you are in the valley with them. This is because you are both walking together through the valley and you can gain strength from each other... and from God.
Peace and Love
and Happy Father's Day,
Rev Mike
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