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He slowly drifted into the fog and then found himself walking along a rainbow-lighted path. All around birds, trees and mountains sang praise but after his initial wonder he progressed, looking at his feet instead of the beauty around him.
Suddenly a strong smell of expensive cologne caught his attention. There slightly off the path stood Rocky Handsome, curly hair teased by the wind, blue eyes shining and bright teeth sparkling. Poor scowled and continued. “I’ve always wanted to be good looking but God just gave me a plain face!” he groused.
He advanced through the woods awhile and finally came to a clearing where an industrious man shined a Porsche Carrera GT . Poor stopped and looked longingly at the car, then at the man. “I always wanted to be rich, but I just get by,” he said to himself.
Later, he passed a leader much admired by his comrades. “I always wanted to be someone special but God never put me in front so that I could make important decisions.”
It was a nice walk through the forest that day, but Poor Mee saw nothing except those who were living his dream, what he had wanted to live. He missed the flowers because he was constantly growling about his lot in life.
At the end of the day, his path led out of the forest but suddenly a shining man blocked the way. “Oh, Lord, I’ve come to you!” Poor Mee exalted. Then his face clouded. “Lord, all these people you blessed so. I wanted to be blessed like them. I wanted to be handsome and have plenty of money. I wanted to be the leader and I wanted to have exceptional talent. You didn’t give me any of that.”
Suddenly the light of the shining man’s visage dimmed enough that Poor Mee could see his features. Tears streamed down the wonderful face!
“I made you as you are my son! I needed someone in the world exactly like you and you passed your whole life wanting to be someone else, somewhere else and something else. So many people suffered because you refused to play the role I created you for. Why couldn’t you just have been the “you” I needed?”
Poor Mee fell to the ground at his feet …
And awoke, buried in his blankets, tears streaming down his face too.
God’s Spirit says,
“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you …” (Message)
Once when I taught in a Bible School, frustration stabbed my heart as I heard stories of great young people who had had parents who treated them like dirt. I even preached in the chapel (and you’ll pardon my bluntness, I hope), “Some parents should have been sterilized before they got married. They don’t deserve children.”
But, I don’t believe that anymore. Far from it. How the world has been blessed by hurt people who let God heal them and make them into a blessing to others. They are often the best healers because they know what hurting is like and they’ve found the One who heals.
They don’t complain about their lot in life. They just do what God put them here to do.
So, you’re mad because you’re not what you want to be, doing what you want to do? Others are prettier, smarter, have more talent or at least have better political connections?
Who cares?
God says to you, “You’re no accident. I know you. I created you and planned you. Be all I can make you to be right where you are.”
You have a role to play specially crafted by God. He needs you to fill that place to the best of your abilities augmented by His power and ability.
Quit pouting, get to working.
________________________
Hummm…
(A few things to chew on from the missionary conference I attended last week). (Leaders) “Stop asking people to help you. It’s not about you … if people are free to fail, they will succeed … every church, to be effective must reinvent itself every three to five years … force people to ask the right questions instead of giving them the answer.” Ron McManess.
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