Gut Check

Sunday church is a place I love to go. But I admit that I do not always garner a huge amount from the messages. This Sunday I was so happy to be in church with Melissa, Kim, Eric and Emily. I was thinking about how great it was to have them in Minnesota and the fun we were going to have at the football game that afternoon.

Then Mark Spencer, the community life pastor, began to preach. The first words out of his mouth, "It is not just the words you speak that affects a room but the power of your presence." Uh, okay. Those words stuck with me. And as he continued preaching my mind began to race. What affect does my presence have on a room and is the affect what I want it to be? I fear it is not what I want it to be. In truth, I fear that my presence brings annoyance at my grousing or dread at having to deal with negativity or one of my comments on something.

Then God hit me again. As Mark was making his point about good advisers (affectors) and bad ones, he said the difference is, "Do I see this person as God sees them?" Oh my! Again my mind was racing. Do I see my students as God sees them? Do I see my annoying coworkers as God sees them? Do I see the people who cut me off in traffic as God sees them? Do I see anybody as God sees them?

As I try to live in a state of rejoicing always this challenges me. I can only pray that God opens my heart and my eyes to view those in my path as he does. I can only pray that God opens my heart and eyes to the affect I have on a room and pray for strength to change what needs to be changed.

To hear Mark's message go to: http://www.faithcovenant.org/pastmessages/pastmessages.php
The message is titled: Encouragement

Finding joy,
Suzanne