White Roses

I created this blog a long time ago to reflect on God at work in the world around me. Since I graduated college, got married and had a baby, posts have been few and far between. But today I have decided to post again. God is at work in the world - and I have sensed his presence closely in the past several years and I think it is time to share again. I do not promise more consistent postings - I am still, after all, married working and a full-time Mom... but as I find time I will be sharing here reflections on our great and awesome God.

White Roses.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE roses. Especially white roses. When Ryan and I moved to Canton - our first church together as a married couple - we decided that anytime someone would give their heart to Christ as a result of the ministry of our church that we would place a white rose on the altar Sunday morning in celebration of their new life in Christ. Since we have moved to Canton there have been many roses on the altar. The first was December 2009. A family of three gave their hearts to Jesus. This past April a young man gave his heart to Jesus and several weeks later his little sister did the same. A fifth grader asked to meet with Ryan to discuss baptism - and Ryan discovered in conversation that he really just wanted "God to live in his heart". This summer at Bible School 37 kids ages preschool - fifth grade asked God to be their friend and invited Jesus to live in their hearts. I was the one that led these 37 children in that prayer - and as there were only 41 children at Bible School that night I was questioned as to whether 37 children actually knew what they were doing. I debated this and struggled with this and concluded that maybe they didn't - but in my experience coming to know Jesus has been a process and I look back on several significant dates in my life where I gave a little more of my heart over to Jesus and I believe that what happened that night of Bible School in the hearts of 37 little children was real and authentic. And then - three weeks ago we found out that a first grader (one of the 37 children) led his Mom (who had practiced Wiccan) to Jesus. A friend and I met with her, prayed with her, and she told us that she had destroyed her Wiccan books and told Jesus that she promised to give Him her heart and follow Him. Wow! And her first grader led her to Jesus! He said "Mom - you should pray to my God. He can help you!" And she did - and He did. Wow.

Sometimes going through the motions - striving to live for Jesus - serving on Wednesdays and Sundays and in between at church - living a fairly predictable life - sometimes I forget that God is at work. I forget about the roses. I forget that people are closer to Jesus because of the ministry of our church. I forget that God is in the business of bringing people close to him. The Bible says in James "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."

This week I don't want to forget. White roses are needed - and God is moving and at work. May I be a person that doesn't just go through the motions but may I remember - may I reflect on what God is doing. May I praise God for the lives that are changed and may I take time to draw near to God that he might draw near to me and that I might cause more white roses to be needed.