Known For

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

  1 Peter 2:9

As the days grow long, or at least seem to be long because they flow into each other and don’t seem to change from one day to the next because of the sheltering in place we’ve been doing, my work teammates and I look forward to Wednesday morning at 8:30 for our weekly catch up session. This was something I scheduled a few weeks into our work-from-home situation, realizing that each of us was desperate to retain the office camaraderie my small team and I had and to hear each other’s voices on something other than work-related conference calls. We don’t talk about work at all during this 30-minute catch up; instead everyone, including my executive director, answers team-building questions like “kids these days will never know the struggles of…” or “what is one key skill you think everyone should have? (mine was grammar and spelling skills, surprise, surprise, and would you believe that one of my coworkers offered that up on my behalf?)…or even silly ones like “black licorice—yes or no?” (definite yes for me. I *love* that stuff). It has been a way for a fairly close-knit group of teammates to get to know each other even better without it feeling forced and has given us a way to triumph despite the circumstances of COVID-induced lockdowns. I scour a number of websites to ask the right questions, changing things up if my questions elicit little response.

One of the questions I found to pose to the group really got me thinking. The question was “what do you want people to think of when your name comes up in conversation?” and my initial response (to myself) was “I want people to think I’m witty and funny.” After thinking about it more, and posing it the following week, I told the group how my thought process had changed from its original response. Though I do want people to think of me as witty, clever, and funny, I also want my reputation at work to be one of a hard worker, someone who knows how to get the job done, a go-to person. In thinking more about it, though, realizing that although I am all those things, I am one who loves the Lord, and that’s what I want folks to say about me when my name comes up in conversation. Though I feel bad that my initial reaction was a very human, prideful, worldly one, I can say with 100% certainty that in the long-run, my being a believer who loves her Savior is an attribute that I am not ashamed to declare, even to my work peeps.

As I have grown on my spiritual walk, I have realized that the validation I have sought from the world is fleeting, temporary, and is frankly wrong. The perspective I should have and demonstrate—the eternal perspective—is the focus on what the Lord is doing in my life and what I am doing in my life for the Lord. Even the work I do in the church, whether it is the writing of these devotionals or the time I spend in prayer for you—it is all meant to have Him as the focus and not me (though I cannot deny that it is nice when people respond to these devotionals, and I do enjoy being up in the pulpit as liturgist. There’s that whole introvert v extrovert battle I have with myself ever so often, or I’m ham. Or both).

And you? How would you answer the question?

Prayer Requests

·      For Bruce and the family of Gloria Richter who is in hospice care

·      For Jackie Zivley, Ruby Milton’s daughter, at Ruby’s passing

·      For all to seek to understand others’ points of view regarding masks, sheltering in place, going back to work or remaining in lockdown—everyone is coming at this from a different place and stance, and that is okay

·      For our leaders—government and church-wise—to make godly decisions

I love the fact that even though I fail Him daily and He must shake His head at the things that I say and do, but I love that He loves me with a love that I have never known before, and never will. And friend, He loves you the same way—regardless of your past, current, and future failings. You and I are children of the One True King! All praise and glory to be God!

Quotes

“The devil whispered, “You can’t withstand the storm.” The warrior replied, “With God on my side, I am the storm!”

“God sends the storm to show that He is the only shelter.”