I recently went to a funeral of a precious young mother. Several family members shared their memories of her. But when her brother stood and begin to share his memories, the whole audience became quiet. I noticed that the soft crying stopped when Ken began to speak. Tissues were set aside and people listened attentively.   I sensed there was something different about him. Ken had a way of connecting with the audience. He walked around the podium—with an urgency to express his feelings. I remember thinking, “I wonder if he knows that God is moving right now?”

As he continued to speak, I again thought, “I wonder if he knows where God is moving in his life?” And God –very clearly—said to me, “Ask him!” At first I started to explain that I didn’t know this young man, that he’d think I was crazy…and then I realized that these were just excuses. And an excuse is just a reason stuffed with a lie—a way to make life more convenient. I learned a long time ago that God doesn’t accept my excuses…He wants my obedience to whatever He asks me to do. So I settled back in the pew and wondered how I could get an opportunity to speak to Ken.

As we left the service, I questioned again how would I find Ken in this great press of people. He was with his family, and it seemed as if I was at least a million miles away. As we walked out the door of the sanctuary, RJ whispered that he needed to go to the bathroom before we started the trip home. A crowd of people surrounded us. Fearing we’d never find each other again, I promised I would wait for him and wouldn’t move from this spot. Then a sea of people engulfed him.

There I stood with my back to the wall and waited thinking, “Well, I was willing to try Lord, but Ken is nowhere to be seen.” Then I looked to my left and you’ll never guess who was standing with his back to me. Yup, it was Ken visiting with some people.

I took a deep breath and took a step forward. I waited for the conversation to slow down and taped him on his shoulder (well, he is so tall, I could only reach as high as his elbow). He looked down with a question in his eyes. I quickly told him my name and that I was a friend of his mothers. He was very gracious and thanked me for attending the funeral service. I told him I had a question for him—that it wasn’t my question—that I believed it was God’s question.

Then I began to tell him how the audience responded to his time of sharing about his sister…how quiet everyone was, how he held the attention of the teenagers and the elderly. Then I said, “My question is, Do you know where God is moving in your life?” I could tell he didn’t understand my question, so I begin to explain. I asked, “When you go to church, who are you usually surrounded by? Is it teenagers? Maybe young marrieds? Who do you like to spend time with?” “Could God be nudging you to use your God-given ability to communicate to share His love with others?” I could see the lady standing beside him (I assumed it was his wife) nodding her head in agreement.

I quickly reiterated that I didn’t want an answer. I just wanted him to be aware of his surroundings and notice what was going on around him. I told him I wouldn’t call him or hassle him for an answer. I believed this was between him and God. I did tell him that I might call his mother and see if he had mentioned that God was leading in some way.

As I’ve thought about this experience in the following weeks, God seemed to be nudging me to share this experience with you and to ask you if you know where God is moving in your life? Recognizing that God is moving in your life isn’t a step-by-step program or applying a certain method to your life. It’s the result of a love relationship with the Lord.

God is always moving all around you. But we get so caught up in our schedules and agendas and our plans that we don’t recognize where He is moving. We stay on the ‘fast track’ with our minds consumed with getting ahead, making that sale, having children that excel in school and sports, and trying to juggle too many things at one time. And our lives revolve around “us” and our plans and desires.

Self-centeredness is a sneaky trap of the enemy. We rarely recognize that we are acting selfishly in today’s world. After all we live in a “me first” society which makes it hard for us to think about putting others first before us, much less considering what God’s plans might be.

God-centeredness is foreign to us. It’s not the norm. And it’s hard for us to transition from self-centeredness to God-centeredness in our thinking and our actions. But you can do it! It’s learning to think, “It’s not about me, it’s all about God” in every situation you face. It’s taking “self” and your “wants and desires” off the throne of your life and choosing to place Jesus Christ on the throne of your life. It’s not focusing on your plans, but on God’s agenda for the day and willingly rearranging your life to be available to do whatever God nudges you to do.

It’s Luke 12:29-31, “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need” (NLT).

Ken has a choice to make. Will he step back from his busy schedule and be alert to his surroundings? Will he begin each morning with a time of prayer and reading of God’s Word? Will he seek to know what God’s agenda for the day will be? And then will he choose to be obedient to what God reveals?

And you know what? You have the same choices Ken has. Do you know where God is moving in your life? Are you willing to do what it takes (same questions Ken must answer) to find out where He is moving? The choice is yours….

Edwina

I’d love to hear your answers. Please email me at Edwina@redeemingthetime.org   Just heard from Ken’s mother. A few Sundays ago one of the pastors at his church came up to him and ‘out of the blue’ asked Ken to start teaching a Young Married Sunday morning Bible class. And he said, “Yes!” God is moving…and Ken recognized it and chose to join God in this exciting journey.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

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©Edwina Patterson