(unmarked journal entry – presumably luke 1)

for so long, the israelites waited for their savior. they followed God in a sad cycle of on again, off again returns and worshiping of pagan gods. throughout it all, God continued to offer them ways back to Him, and messengers to help them back into His fold. But, just like today, they weren’t always ready to listen. by the time the old testament wraps up, you can feel the depth of their desire for the messiah.

things are just too much anymore, and the timing was definitely right.

so, after 400 years of silence and struggle, the pump had been primed for God’s redemptive down-stroke. and the plan is still as marvelous today as when it was first revealed. we would still expect an adult, a strong political/military leader to come in and fix their human situations. but the beauty of a baby, born to ‘nobodies’ still continues to amaze us.

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it’s reassuring to know that God really is willing to use anyone and everyone to accomplish His will and purpose. this is part of the great reversal, that those of us who are not in the world’s limelight, that those of us who do not stand out, are still afforded an equally important role as the guy/lady that everyone sees and knows. we can’t expect to all be called to speak at conferences, or to pray for televised, presidential events. that would create a ridiculous scenario.

but each and every one of us has been given the responsibility of sharing what we know about God to everyone we meet. it has nothing to do with our social standing, our titles at work or how many degrees we have. if a completely un-famous carpenter and his quiet, teenage wife can be given the responsibility of caring for the Son of God, then the possibilities are endless.

to say,  “God can’t/won’t use me because i’m ____________________.” is absolutely ridiculous. God can and will use all who make themselves available to be used. God loves using people no one expects to accomplish great things. because then, it’s obvious that He is at work, and then He gets the glory he deserves in a very unfiltered way. if He only used the high and mighty, someone might get too much of an ego trip, and block out the real message.

so, step forward in confidence knowing that God can and will use you, no matter what you think of yourself, or what you think others think about you. just make yourself available, be willing to take that first step out of your perception of control, and see what He can do through you…