stagnant- it exists, but not in life

stagnant (stgnnt)adj.
1. Not moving or flowing; motionless.

2. Foul or stale from standing: stagnant ponds.

3.

A. Showing little or no sign of activity or advancement; not developing or progressing; inactive: a stagnant economy.

B. Lacking vitality or briskness; sluggish or dull: a stagnant mind.

The definition for stagnant, so there is no question on what I mean by stagnant. Can one be stagnant in life? If I am sitting in a pond perfectly still, the water is stagnant around me. In life, can we be sitting still in stagnant water? Although life may feel like that at times, I consider that feeling only an illusion. Any movement in the still water can create a ripple, and with the rapids of life in time moving all around us, we are anything but stagnant. I will say this though, if you?re not swimming or moving, you?re being sucked under with the current. I want to be one of those stubborn people who refuse to move with the current, instead fighting it. But the next dilemma that comes is exhaustion. Like those who struggle against an under toe, struggling may cause us to drowned. So now what do you do? You swim with strength that?s not of your own, that?s out of this world (I am referring to strength that comes from the Holy Spirit). But do not be deceived my friend to think that you are living a stagnant life in stagnant waters. In rapids such as the rapids of life, we can only wish to be stagnant. If you think you?re stagnant, perhaps something else is occurring. Perhaps you?re drowning.

A Crappy Christmas and the fertilizer it brings?

It?s interesting that when God wants to use us in his plans, we tend to neglect the amount of suffering that will entail. We assume that pain is bad and happiness is good. When I think about the people who changed the world, many of them lead very painful lives. Nelson Mandella had to be put in jail forty years for his desire to change his country. You know what he did when he got out? became president and changed his country. Martin Luther King had constant death threats on him, until he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Ghandi changed the world of India and was key in aiding their freedom from Britain through peaceful protesting. All these men had callings and followed through with them?yet they also all suffered greatly. Does anyone recoil at hearing the words of the Lord to Ananias in Acts 9:15&16, "But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." To hear the way the Lord talks about suffering, it is quite challenging I must confess. Yet look at the impact their lives filled with suffering had on the world.
With Christmas approaching, Mary is an appropriate example. God?s blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, lead too much pain. Her peers most likely ridiculed her for belief that she was unfaithful. Her fiancée? would come close to leaving her. She had to watch her son be rejected, and murdered. But through her son would come the world?s only hope. Did she have an impact on the World? I?d say so.
And finally, with this Christmas season approaching, I would like to bring up something else about Mary; a poor, young, female. The situation of Mary really made her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. When we think that another?s abilities, experience, or even their education make them an unlikely candidate for God?s service, think again. I do not believe God?s favor brings instant success or fame, nor does he need to use the successful or famous. It seems to me He chooses the lowly in status and to bless the world (James 1:9&10), and he uses the pain of those he calls to change the world.
For my final thought, if your suffering this Christmas like many are, let Jesus use you to change the world around you. You don?t have to be happy to better others, but you have to be willing. If Christmas gives you crap this year, use it as fertilizer on others lives so that they may grow through your pain, and so our broken hearts may change others.

Imagine you are in front of an auditorium full of people, one thousand people. You have to do a drama presentation in front of the entire assembly. You?re dressed up as a shepherd, wearing a dark multi colored striped bathrobe over your nicer cloths. Six other people are in the sketch, all with previous acting experience. Unfortunately, you have little to none experience. Your lines are memorized, yet you feel this fear swell up inside of you in the bottom of your stomach. You have no time though to dwell on your fear, to think of all the things that could go wrong. You have a show to perform, and your heading out on stage right now. You run out to the stage and play the part, spouting your lines with dramatic emphasis. Things are going smoothly?.until the middle of the sketch. You begin to draw blanks on your lines. Blanks become what seem like long periods of pausing. You panic, not knowing what to do?you start to make up stuff. Shoot, it?s your line. You start it right, ? I don?t know, but I trust God, and know that scripture says?? Yet you don?t remember what the scripture says. You stumble, and say, ?If you believe that the Lord will come, He will come.? ?Great? you think to yourself, ?I just made up scripture?. The other angles in the play are mad at you, the screwed up the first chapel drama, and you made up scripture in front of 1,000 Christians. Sounds like a nightmare? It was, and you can imagine how horrible I felt. Not only had I wrecked it for the experienced, I made up a bunch of stuff that didn?t even fit. So next time someone tells you to be wary of the magic of the stage, I suggest two things. One, This magic isn?t a lucky charms magically delicious good kind of magic, its mean. And second, practice in front of a large flashlight that temporarily blinds 70% of your vision. Then you will find a similar environment to when the magic on the stage hits. 

Broken...

You do know this but today (Thursday) I have been under attack spiritually. I feel battered and broken....I feel like all is standing right now of my sanity is a shell. I am in so much emotional pain...I wish you wouldn?t have left. Oh how I wish you wouldn't have been scared of my pain. I wanted you to hug me, but I know you couldn't. You didn't know what I was going through, you didn't even know I was under attack. I wanted you so bad to pray for me right there and then. I wanted you to come to the rescue for me, like I had did earlier for you. But you left, and it has helped me to realize...in the end God is first because God is absolute. Absolutely there, absolutely caring...and has an abundance of strength that He offers to me. I need that strength right now...but why am I so afraid to reach for it, why will I not take His strength, and be victorious in my emotional and mental state. Because His strength means the death of me...I know that. I need that, if only I would want that. Sometimes I do...but not now. Forgive me Father, and pick me up back into your tender grace. Forgive me for loving myself more than you. It is through you that I have a voice in eternity. Amen.