I haven’t written in a while. Life seems to be moving very fast and some days it doesn’t feel like there are enough hours in the day. I am sure you have felt that way before as well.  A couple weeks ago we took 5 teenagers from our church youth group to the Winter Jam concert in downtown Indianapolis. It was an awesome night, filled with music and fun. 10,000 people singing praises to God, gave me a tiny glimpse of what it will be like when we are all together in heaven, praising our Lord and Savior. Kids from all walks of life, different churches, different denominations, different family backgrounds, all came together to worship, hear the word of God, and lift up their hearts in praise. It was amazing!

The word “revival” has been in the news the past couple of weeks. The continuous worship at Asbury University has capture the attention of the nation. Even news outlets like CNN are covering the story. The power of the Holy Spirit is on display as people continue to poor into this small college community, some even flying from across the country in order to worship. I believe this is an opportunity for all of us to recognize God’s power and how far He is willing to reach out to those who are lost. We should not be content to sit back and just wait for His return, comfortably living our lives and attending our local churches. We should be passionately praying for our country. We do not know when the Lord will return and we should be living a life that shines a light into the darkness, lighting a way for any who may see it.

At the Winter Jam concert we attended, one of the performers was Austin French. He told the audience, “Don’t judge Jesus by the broken people He came to save.” This is so true! How many of us have been hurt by someone who also claimed to be a follower of Christ. We are broken people! I know I have been hurt deeply by people in my past. My own dad, who was a gifted pastor, struggled his entire life with addiction and mental illness. He was a selfish person and didn’t live any of the words he preached to his congregation. Jesus uses the broken, the weak, and the scarred to show his light to the world. We don’t know His reasons for why things happen in our lives, but everything that touches us He uses to build and restore.

Do you find yourself crying out to God more when you are hurt? I know I do. This past year it seems like I have physically started falling apart. You laugh…. but it’s true. I turned 55 and was diagnosed with stage 3 heart failure (from Covid).  I found out I have lost most of my hearing in my left ear, leading me to now wear hearing aids. Now, after a month of terrible leg pain, I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my back and degenerative disk disease. I have anxiety and depression, and sometimes, thoughts of suicide.  Revival to my physical body would be awesome, but I know this side of Heaven, that isn’t likely to happen. Instead I have to look to Him and instead of being stubborn strong and independent, I have to humble myself and ask him, where are you using this?  How is this infirmity going to bring glory to you? How can I use my weakness to show the world your strength?

Yesterday, I was in a bad emotional state, crying and if I am desperately honest, thinking about how easy it would be to die. I recognized my mental state and the issues that were putting me in that situation. I first reached out to my husband and confessed to him how I was feeling. I then reached out to my church friends and asked them to pray for me. It wasn’t long before I was feeling better and before I left for work, I prayed again and asked God to pour out His strength and His Spirit upon me, to carry me through, what I knew would be an overwhelming day. And dear friend, God was gracious, and I had a pretty good day.

I guess what I am trying to share this cold February morning is that God uses the broken, the hurt, the messed up…He didn’t come to save the righteous, He came to save the broken. It is not through our own power, our own strength, or even our own determination that we are saved. It is only when we are broken and we recognize that we can’t do it on our own, that we lift our eyes to our Father and ask Him for help. Much like a prodigal child who comes home, we have to set aside our pride, humble ourselves, and recognize that we can’t do it ourselves. Only through His power and through His strength can we get through each day in this broken world. And only through His sacrifice on the cross, His death and resurrection, do we have eternal life in paradise. No lists, no accolades, no titles, no amount of money, no fame…salvation is a gift freely given to you by the eternal God, who gave His own life so that you could be forgiven. I pray that you will humble your heart to Him today and with open hands, accept His gift of love and forgiveness.

To learn more about how God uses the broken, please look at the testimony from Austin French. https://chvnradio.com/articles/austin-french-opens-up-about-traumatic-childhood-in-newest-single