I
am NOT a painter (Paint Seminary)
I am not a painter, a carpenter, a plumber, an
electrician or a mechanic. Handyman describes my grandfather, my dad and my
brother, not me. Three things brought me to be repainting inside our home. It
hadn’t been painted since we moved in 14 years ago, paint was on sale and I had
the time.
I gleaned all I could from the very helpful hardware
man. His experience and encouragement led me to be walking out confidently with
15 gallons of paint. In talking to him I found, more importantly, he was a fine
Christian man and member of a church I had not yet introduced myself to.
As I began painting it was soon obvious that painting
well meant far more than sticking the brush in the can and slapping the color
on the wall. I got paint everywhere. The carpet, the tile, the counters, the
cabinets and most of all, me. Three days after painting the hall a friend said,
oh, you’re painting, as he looked at the paint still on my elbows.
The final straw happened yesterday. It was late in the
day, I was tired and as I was finishing the kitchen trim work the large cup I
was using to hold paint, slipped from my hand and covered the linoleum with a
fresh coat of high gloss white trim. After muttering things about my clumsiness
and unwillingness to continue trying to do something God surely didn’t gift me
to do, I asked my wife if it might be time for new flooring in the kitchen.
Then, I begrudgingly got down on my knees and began to
clean up the mess. It dawned on me this is the best way to clean up any mess,
on our knees, humbled and needy.
You see God will bring us through many trials and
troubles to get us to the point of humbling ourselves before Him, confessing
our need of His forgiveness and in short, this works best on our knees.
This is a very simple story with a vast number of
applications but look closely at what you are going through right now. Whatever
it is, consider, how God may be using your situation simply to get you back on
your knees, humbled and dependent on Him.
How much paint must we spill before we get in the
right position to once again serve God?
People ask me often what Fort Morgan Ministries is all about. This story is a good example.
Our desire is to share with others how God is working in our lives, prayerfully
challenging others to see how God is working in their lives. He is at work in
my life and yours in a hundred different ways every day. Do you see it? Try
this, when I lost my beloved yellow lab Bacchus, I asked God to use that grief
to teach me about Him. Today, ask God to show you how He is using the struggles
you are going through to turn you back to Him. Plead with Him to give you
wisdom you can share with others.
Spilled paint can become an opportunity to bow before
God. A dented fender can be an opportunity to show His love to someone who
might not understand it. A stubborn pet who won’t learn to shake can show you
just how you are walking before God. A sick child will force you to focus on
them and not yourself. Burned dinner can be a chance to take your wife out on a
much needed date night.
If you are having trouble seeing how the things in
your life are God’s way of dragging you back to Him, let’s talk. If you can see
it clearly share it with others, including Fort Morgan Ministries.
We are here to walk along side you in your Christian
walk. Let us know how we can help.
This month we want to share how the idea that God is
actively at work in our lives started.
This
book came out of the grief we felt for the loss of our beloved pet. Writing it
was very therapeutic but more than that, the idea that God works through pets,
children, bosses, automobiles, wind, rain, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, gun
violence, loss, grief, struggle,
temptation, addiction and more. He uses friends, church, weddings, funerals,
beautiful mountain scenes, great vacations, awesome sunsets, even beach loving
wives to teach us about Him and His ways. We challenge you to ask God for His
wisdom, showing you just how and why He is working in your life and everyone
you know.
We would be happy to send you a copy of Pet Seminary
to get you started. Let us walk with you in this awesome journey to get to know
Him better.
Here is a link to the first chapter. C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\PS
1.1.docx
Here is a link to how to begin digging into His Word. C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\how
to study precepts.pdf
Here is the best link we have found to open a world of
new Bible study opportunities.
Here is a short book from AW Tozer on “The Pursuit of
God”. C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\Pursuit-of-God-Ebook-MyVerge.pdf
Thank you for the opportunity to walk with you.
jeff sutherland
FortMorganMinistries.blogspot.com
Find us on Facebook @ Fort
Morgan Ministries!
Great article Jeff! Keep up the good work!
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