For such a time as this...

NEWS FLASH: The Rebelution (A teenage rebellion against low expectations) has been nominated for "Best Religion Blog" for the Blogger Awards - help them come out on top by voting here: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/1662 Esther 4:14 "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” "For such a time as this..." Each of us has been placed on this earth into unique circumstances. We each have different parents, different houses, different school situations, different groups of friends, different jobs, different churches, and different spheres of influence. And there has been no mistake made by God (who created us and loves us with an everlasting love) about where we now are. Sometimes we may wonder why we are who we are where we are...but God knows. He knows and has a bigger plan. It is up to us to use what God has given us and make a difference right where we are. You might think, "How am I supposed to make a difference? I'm homeschooled, and the only places I go consistently are church and home." or "I can't do anything...I'm too scared." Where is YOUR "kingdom"? If your "kingdom" is at home, and God has placed you there - it is your job to serve him however you can, right where you are. Washing dishes, mopping, mowing the lawn, encouraging siblings, fixing broken things...they are all tasks that can be done to the glory of God, and when we do these things for God, he will find ways to use them to bless others. Also, if you are placed by Him somewhere with a friend who hasn't had the Gospel explained to them before, you have 2 choices: 1.) You can talk to them about Jesus and risk whatever reaction they might have... OR 2.) You can ignore them. However, we are not indispensable to God. He wants to use us where he has placed us, but if we refuse to do what he has called us to do, he can find someone else to do what needs to be done...and think of how sad you would be, at the end of your days, when you stand before God and each action is taken into account...if it sounded like this: GOD: "I made a way to get you to that dream job you had at the doughnut shop, so that you could talk to that guy - Frank - about me. I gave you opportunity after opportunity to speak with him, but all you were thinking about was making money. He was ready to commit suicide, and if you had told him about me, his life would have been completely turned around...but you didn't. And he was leaving from work one day, completely despairing, going to go home and kill himself, when I had to used Joan to run into him and begin telling him about me. He was changed that day - well done, Joan - but you really missed out on my blessings that time." YOU: "Umm...I...talked to him...that one time...about...Spiderman 3szh5ZsAcgJU..." GOD: "I gave you hundreds of opportunities each day to bless your family members, but you were too concerned with your own cares - like the time when your brother was hurting. He was feeling really lonely, like he had no friends, and he just wanted company. He came over to see what you were doing as you typed away on your computer, and to just hang out with you...can you remember what you said?" YOU: "Uh...I said...I'd rather not say in front of all these people...right now. GOD: "You said, 'Leave me alone! Go away and stop looking over my shoulder. Don't you have something better to do with yourself?'" YOU: "Oh...God!!! FORGIVE ME! I never thought of it that way then...how could I have been so blind?" (Note: That last story above is true. I love you, Ben...more than you know - but I should probably let you know more often. God has given me the most special brother. If I ever do that again, just say, "How's your eternal perspective, Tai?" ) So, we can bless others and make an eternal difference right where we are. God has placed us with the relationships we have, and the things we can do for a reason...we just have to look past ourselves and see people for who they are: People just like us, whom God loves, and wants to forgive - he gave his life for them. And we must cling to His amazing grace - for, without Him, we are nothing more than dust, which the wind can blow away.