Obsessions

I was really hoping the rain would hold off until late morning but no such luck. So I hauled myself over to the indoor track at the gym. Not as packed as I had assumed for a rainy Saturday morning. Lots of guys playing basketball in the middle but the track wasn't too crowded. I ran for about 25 minutes straight mostly jogging but taking a few laps here and there at a really quick clip. Felt good!

I'm obsessing right now on a workshop I'm leading in about a week. It's called, "Hey You! A Workshop for Helping Volunteers Discern God's Call on their Lives." It's being done by LOGOS for churches in our Presbytery, the local judicatory for our denomination. I'm excited to take what we've always used to teach the local church how to find volunteers for their LOGOS ministry and expand the thinking for the whole church...officers, committee people, lay readers, Sunday school teachers, etc., etc., etc.

Something becomes an obsession for me when it infiltrates all I do. I can't watch a movie without hearing lines about God's call on peoples' lives and the same goes for songs. It enters my mind when I read newspaper articles and scripture. I even dreamed about the workshop last night! I woke up with an idea and had to jot it down immediately. And then right after waking up, a song went through my head that I hadn't thought of last night when I was putting together a playlist for my iphone on the topic (see? obsession!). I ran to the playlist this morning and this was the last song added:

Here I Am

by Downhere

Sometimes Your calling, comes in a dream

Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze

You reach for the deepest hope in me

And call out for the things of eternity.

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,

You move in me, so I can say

Chorus

Here I am, Lord send me

All of my life, I make an offering,

Here I am, Lord send me

Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,

Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans

Test my faith and leave me with empty hands

Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand

I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem

Become the song that I can sing

Chorus

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness

And the fear that I'll fail You in the end

In this mess,

I'm just one of the pieces,

I can't put this together but You can

Chorus

Here I am, all my life an offering to You, to You

Somehow my story is a part of Your plan

Here I am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-hBqYpEYY

What a GREAT song that describes the call of so many in the Bible (Moses, Esther, Samuel, Jeremiah, Mary....) as well as us today. "HUH? Me? You want me to do WHAT?" "I don't think so!" I'm too young...I'm too old...I'm too busy...I'm not worthy...I'm over qualified...

But when we feel that tug on our heart, that whispering in our ear, that sacred echo, that TWO by FOUR hitting us upside the head, all we have to do is say,

"Here I am...somehow my story is a part of your plan." I love that!

A blessed Easter to you all! I look forward to replying tomorrow (as we can say everyday), "He is risen, INDEED!"