Why Did the Chicken Eat the Egg?

I walked across the yard to the greenhouse where the chickens live in an adjoining coop. Our four chickens have only been laying one or two eggs a day. But looking in their nest I found an empty shell- again. Aren't chickens supposed to lay eggs for their owners? We buy the chicken scratch, give 

them fresh water, clean their pen, and they lay eggs for us, right? In a 
perfect world. 

When we bought the fluffy yellow chicks a couple of years ago, we had no 

clue they would grow up and become egg eaters. We feed them oyster shell
in case they need more calcium. They just eat it along with their eggs and grain. I feel a little sorry for them because they don't realize the choice they make with every egg they break: leave the eggs for Saturday breakfast or become Sunday dinner. 

"Stop eating the reason for your existence!" I told them one morning after
finding another empty shell. But did they listen? Our chickens have a unique gift to share with us yet too often choose to spend it on themselves. 

When we discover our unique gifts from God we can be sure He didn't 
design them to spend solely on ourselves. Jesus died for us that we 
"might no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again" 
(2 Cor. 5:15). And that has much to do with helping other people. 

I've often felt discouraged when my ministry efforts don't meet my expectations. Some of those are so subtle I think I've outgrown them. 
Then an editor sends another rejection and the familiar disappointment 
clouds my day. Those feelings reveal whether I'm writing for recognition 
or as a ministry to encourage others. 

Jesus who has all power and authority will move heaven and earth to save 
one person. We who are weak and near-sighted want our efforts to bring 
more impressive numbers. Would you write a book if you thought it might help only one person find the Lord? Would I? 

Continuing the writing analogy, society says publication and sales measure 
the success of a writer. While a soul saved may go unnoticed, making the 
New York Times bestseller list brings recognition. Yet do the results have 
to be socially impressive for us to participate? 

Catching hold of heaven's priorities will go a long way toward solving our ministry mystery. Thank God for His patience while we learn through grace that it's really not about us. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus and then gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). 

My we give up our chicken ways and offer God the fruit of our efforts to 
use as He pleases, grateful to be part of His eternal purpose.   

  

Ministry Mystery (Part 2)

You're Invited

We've all been invited to showers, weddings, birthday parties,  and 

graduations. Regardless of the event, these invitations have at least three things in common.

• state the reason for the occasion  
• give the time and place
• and request a response

Recently I ran across a less familiar invitation. The Epistles overflow with reminders that God "calls" us not just to be His children but to do His will. 

He designs a way for us to serve and then instructs us to walk worthy of 

our calling (Ephesians 4:1). Though believers find this topic intriguing, it's 

also one of the most confusing.  

In my ongoing search for understanding I looked up the Greek word for 
call. To my surprise it's best described as an invitation. God invites us 
to join in His work, His ultimate purpose for mankind. This discovery shines new light on the way we approach our calling.

Like any invitation, God clearly states His reason for sending it. He calls us 
out of death, into Life; out of darkness, into Light; out of futility and into 
His work of redeeming the lost. Then He tells us to use our earth time wisely and encourage others to do the same. 

When God invites us to participate in an area of ministry, I think He wants
us to start today. That may include study, training, education, and much 
trial and error. Still, we can only pursue our ministry as we step toward it. 
I've found I only grow as a writer when I write. Funny how that works. I 
never experience a breakthrough on a project until I start working on it. 

R.S.V.P. is the part I hadn't connected to God's call before. I used to 
dabble at writing and when it didn't work, I'd back off thinking I just can't 
do this. But seeing our ministry call from this new angle reveals the
illusive elements are up to us. 

We have to accept the invitation and attend the event. Like many 
principles in God's Word the answers can get lost in simplicity. 

We've declined some of the invitations that have landed in our mailbox. 
Often they've been too far away or came at a busy time. But God invites 
each one of us to participate in His eternal work. He graciously wants 
to use our unique contribution. And this is one invitation we don't want to 
miss. It's up to us to accept, show up and never give up.  

Solving Our Ministry Mystery

When my grandson Jesse was 7-years old he already struggled with an 
issue that has plagued mankind since the beginning. 
One morning he wanted pancakes for breakfast but his mom had already 
cooked oatmeal. Then he lost a game of crazy 8's to his little sister. Later 
he had trouble sounding out words in his home school phonics book.   

That afternoon Jesse saw me stacking firewood next door and walked over.

"I'm just having a bad day," he said. 
"I'm sorry, honey. Do you want to help me stack wood? When we get done, we can bake some chocolate chip cookies."
    

After hoisting a few logs into the woodshed Jesse's face brightened. "I know why God made me Grandma, to be a helper. I love helping people work." 

"That's great," I smiled. "When we help others it makes God happy too."

Like Jesse, we all want to find our unique gifts and put them to use. After getting saved the thing we most want to discover is our calling from God. 
Pastors assure that God has a special plan for each one of His children. Yet many of us wonder if we're doing the work God designed for us. Meanwhile 
the years and decades tick away. 

When Jesse, my first grandchild, was born I remember thinking, How can 
I be a grandmother already? I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. 

Having walked with the Lord for over 25 years I've learned that much of 
the confusion and struggle to understand our calling comes from us. Each 
time we make an effort, the enemy pelts us with discouragement and 
we back off. Whether we've tried and failed or failed to try, most of us 
have a clue what God gifted us to do. It may not be a specific role such as pastor, Sunday school teacher or writer. People who cheer up the sick or 
encourage the discouraged are equally important in the body of Christ. 

Over the next couple of weeks we'll be looking at a few Scripture clues that just may help take the mystery out of ministry. God Bless!