I just wanted to share a cool story that illustrates how God moves in a life. For several weeks now I (Shelli) have been meeting weekly with a girl doing Bible study. She has struggled with depression and with what it means to live - really live - as a follower of Jesus, out of desire and love rather than duty. She has been a Christian for a long time and has been recently renewed in her desire to be a "lover who serves, rather than a servant who loves." It's been awesome to watch her come alive and watch the Lord awaken her heart again. Recently she went, with her husband, to the Republic of Georgia (near Russia) for a mission training trip to train young leaders. While there, she noticed a particular girl who seemed quiet and sullen. After a couple of days, she was able, through an interpreter, to discover that the girl was discouraged in her faith. My friend wrote her a note of encouragement and included several Bible verses that have been especially meaningful in her own life these past couple months. The girl met her in the hall the next day and grasped her and held her and they cried together for several minutes. There was a language barrier, but the love of Jesus was clearly communicated and the two hearts were knit at once.
How amazing that when we share the true Gospel and are faithful to our Heavenly Father's message of loving Him FIRST before anything else, even serving (Matthew 22:37-38), our hearts are set free to then WANT to serve. May Jesus help us to be a "Mary", and sit at His feet and worship and adore Him with no condemnation and to pray against the Enemy's scheme to get us so busy - whether it be in ministry or not - that we become discouraged and disillusioned with what it means to be a believer!
