Wednesday, September 14, 2005
do you have a song that you would call your testimony song? you know what i mean?? that one song that when you hear it you just say that song is about me it describes my life perfectly!! i think most of us probably do I have such a song as well.... it is the song Offering by Third Day..... whenever i hear this song i am brought to tears at the realization of all that God has done for me... the words of the song say Magnificent Holy Father I stand in awe of all I see Of all the things You have created But still You choose to think of me Who am I that You should suffer Your very life to set me free The only thing that I can give You Is the life You gave to me This is my offering, dear Lord This is my offering to You, God And I will give You my life For it's all I have to give Because You gave Your life for me I stand before You at this alter So many have given You more I may not have much I can offer Yet what I have is truly Yours these lyrics bring so many thoughts to mind i am not sure which to focus on first... so i guess i will just tell you why this song is my testimony song... back in 1996 my church in KY was getting ready to build an addition to the existing building and as most churches do we had a pledge drive to raise the initial lump sum to back the loan with the intent of completing the project debt free... on this particular sunday morning we were having our service in a hotel so that we could bring everyone in at the same time... as we walked in the ushers gave everyone an alabaster box.... we were told to hold on to them and Pastor Bo would explain there purpose soon... i remember thinking how beautiful the box was and how grateful i was to have it.... i was thinking about the things i would be able to keep in it and that it would look really cute sitting on my dresser!! as the service went on Pastor Bo was talking about the woman in Luke that broke her alabaster box and pour its contents on Jesus... it was at this point that he told us of the purpose behind the boxes we had received..... he said that he wanted each of us to consider what we could place in that box and a gift to the church and a promise to God of our pledge to see the building project completed... as he began to explain my heart began to sink... you see at the time i was unemployed and living in my sisters basement so i had nothing to pledge no way to contribute to the building fund at all... i felt unnecessary and as if i had somehow failed God because i had nothing to give.... but then the thought occured to me since i have no THING i can give and no money i can pledge i will place my life inside this box (symbolically of course) and lay that on the altar with all the other boxes with the monetary pledges so many others had made.... it sure didnt feel like much at the time and i didnt even really know exactly what it would entail but i wanted to give something so i gave God me.... and the song describes my action perfectly.... sometimes it doesnt feel like much when we give our lives to God.... because we live in such a materialistic moeny driven world but when it comes right down to it really all the stuff we have and the money we get belongs to God any way all of it is HIs so in reality all we are doing is giving Him what is rightfully His to begin with... our lives are the only thing we truly own and by life i mean more so our free will to choose how we live and what we do while we are here.... it is the only thing God says is ours because He wants us to want Him... He wants us to understand our need for Him but He will not force Himself on us so He gave us a free will a mind of our own and lets us decide whom we will follow..... so giving our life to Him is the best thing we can ever do for ourselves.... you may think so if i give my life to God then what happens??? do i become a slave and lose my ability to decide things for myself what happens..... well it is the strangest and most wonderful thing you can imagine... when you give up your life to God that is when you really find it and come to understand what i truly means to live!!!! i know it may not make a lot of sense but it is true.... once i layed that alabaster box on that altar and walked away i knew God was going to do something amazing and unexpected...... i didnt know what but i was ready for the adventure!!! so many things have occured between then and now so i wont bore you with all the details but i will tell you this as God has used me to do things for HIs kingdom i am the one that has benefited most.... not only have i gone overseas 3 times and had the opportunity to preadh to thousands i have grown as a person and have learned what it means to be in love with God.... it has enriched my life beyond description and i know He has only just begun to do all that He has planned for this life He so lovingly gave to me... i dont call it my life anymore but i call it His life because i reliquished control and i am so glad i did so as i walk through life i remember i am on a path that has been created just for me and along the way adventure and blessing abound..... and i am the happy blessed benficiary of a life lived in service to God that offers more freedom than any other path i could hope to find.... He has created such a path for all of us and wants each of us to plant our feet upon it and start the journey He has planned but first we have to decide our life is not our own but His and His alone then and only then will we see the path and have the courage to walk it one step at a time
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janny, that was awesome & beautiful. made me a little verklempt. and your life is a treasure to God & you are a testimony of God's faithfulness. you certainly live your life for Him & are an example to everyone you meet. and just as a side note, depending on the size of the box, you prolly coulda fit in it! wouldn't pastor bo have been surprised to see you!! haha. just kiddin, had to make you LOL. but seriously, that was an awesome post, thanks for sharing it with the world. that's my fave song on that cd, too. love ya, sis.
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