Revisit: Why Me? - Why "NOT" Me?

Volume 12 Issue 11

Greeting in His Name,

I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you had a wonderful Christmas. I apologize for the delay in posting November's blog, but my schedule has been a bit over the top: final essay for school, meetings, work, etc. Not to mention a severe cold. And to top that off, I am currently without internet at home. Thankfully, a dear friend has allowed me to use her hotspot device to post this blog. If time permits, I will also try to post the December edition as well. But I am grateful to revisit a previous blog but from a different perspective. So, with that being said, today's blog is entitled Revisit: Why Me? - Why "NOT" Me? Hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.

shalom and love,

heidi

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I am revisiting this topic for more than one reason. One of those reasons is the memory of a compliment I received regarding the initial publication. A dear friend told me she had just read the issue, WHY ME?, and was encouraged. She stated that she thought WHY 'NOT' ME at the close of the issue. Instantly, I told her that within a few weeks, I would be doing a recap of WHY ME? with emphasis on her statement, WHY 'NOT' ME? As I was writing the issue, WHY ME? I had some ladies of the Bible in mind, but for some reason, I kept leaning towards the male examples. I knew one day I would have to draw some women folk forward to touch on, and I knew this issue would be the time.

Women often shoulder a lot. I won't go into specifics because most women understand what I'm saying with that statement. Even now, another dear friend comes to mind. Some years ago, she shared with me a horrific ordeal that happened to her son that I find appropriate to share. While her son was on his way to school, some guys savagely attacked him. The end of that ordeal was his face mutilated and extensive surgery performed to repair the damage. She shared with me later that she asked God, "Why my son?" God replied, "Why not your son? My Son suffered". She had no more to say but "Thank you, Lord." My eyes have seen the strength of women who say, "God, not as I will but as You will." Women have an inner structure to nurture and survive. So, most women may have said, WHY ME? but the end statement, I believe, is, WHY 'NOT' ME? Join me as we look at some women I feel had a WHY 'NOT' ME? in their spirit.

Sarah's WHY 'NOT' ME? moment. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age (Genesis 21:5-7 KJV). Now let's back up fourteen years when Sarah was probably in her WHY ME? moment. At the age of 76, if my math is correct, she opened the door for her slave girl to sleep with her husband and conceive. Yes, this was a bitter decision, but Sarah saw no other way. Here she is trying to put in our own two cents, and God still intercedes and says, "I have another way." Fourteen years later, God said I AM going to give you a promise, which was miraculous.

Fast forward to God's other way. Just imagine your great-grandmother being pregnant. MY LORD! Ladies, you know there are already bodily issues, even as early as your mid-thirties. So, to take a 90-year-old body and make it grow, expand, and fill it with a fetus had to be an experience, an experience that genuinely made Sarah and others laugh. Consider when preachers use Sarah as an example in the church today. What do we do? Right, we laugh! Her laughter demonstrates a WHY' NOT' ME? moment. She stared her fears, doubts, and reservations in the face and said to herself, I can do this. What do you need help with? Look it right in the face and tell it to see I AM. Know in your heart and mind and say with your mouth, 'I can do this.' Scripture Reference: Genesis 18:14. 

Deborah's WHY 'NOT' ME moment.  Barak told her, "I will go, but only if you go with me." "Very well," she replied, "I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord's victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh (Judges 4:8-9 NLT). Women have been going along with men for a long time. It goes back to one of my opening statements: women have a structure to nurture and survive within their DNA. Barak could have handled it well, but he trusted Deborah as a prophetess and judge. And he probably considered it very favorable to have her with him. Deborah may have thought WHY ME? when Barak made his request, because of the day's standards, that she go with him, but I believe in the very next thought, she said, WHY 'NOT' ME? God gave me the word to give Barak, so why can't God use me? God is looking for willing vessels. As stated in scripture, ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17 NLT). So if God says go, you should go—scripture reference: Proverbs 11:16.

Ruth's WHY 'NOT' ME moment.  Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "What have I done to deserve such kindness?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner" (Ruth 2:10 NLT). Many of us may have felt like Ruth— a foreigner. In the eyes of Boaz, she thought she was not worthy to be approached by such a man. In our relationship with God, we may often feel like her. What did I do to deserve this? A God that loves and cares for me despite me. Yes, He expects my obedience and trust, but still, God showers love in those times of not being worthy. If you are like me sometimes, like Ruth in her WHY ME? moment, you may think, 'I don't even size up.' Hold up - Change that! Thank God she had a cheerleader in her corner, Naomi, who says WHY 'NOT' YOU? And I can believe at the close of the conversation, Ruth had to say yeah, WHY 'NOT' ME? And in that being said, she turned out to be King David's great-grandmother. Ain't that something - A FOREIGNER! Scripture Reference: Esther 4:14. 

Mary's WHY 'NOT' ME moment. To a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (Luke 1:27-31 NIV). I know there was a moment when Mary was afraid. She was pregnant and engaged. WHY ME? There were better places to be in her day and time. But as we read her story, God had it all planned out. It was His plan, so it was going to work. As we travel down to vs. 38, we find that Mary says, God, do as you will with your servant. WHY' NOT' ME? Scripture Reference: Luke 1:37. 

LIFE QUOTE

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Let Us Laugh!

A kindergarten teacher was walking around observing her classroom of children while they were drawing pictures. As she got to one girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."

The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."

Without looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

(https://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Religious.htm)

Hope to see you Next Month....

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