Prodigal: The sand feels amazing under my feet!

Me: I love the sounds, the smells and the warmth of the sun at the beach.

I could see only a couple, not as many as if I was back home. The few I did see memorized my attention. What was around me became smaller as I gazed upon them. I wondered about how they were made. They were different sizes and, some appeared clearer than others. What history did they hold? Who had been memorized by them other than myself? I am sure their have been millions that existed of all ages and, at all time frames. Some people have quickly peeked and some took years to study their beauty.

For me on this night I was thinking of the creator. The Lord our God made these stars millions, billions of years ago. They shine for us every night that the sky is clear. Thousands of generations of families have used them to guide them, give them joy and, delight in their shiny appearance. They have outlived the ones who studied them, who ignored them and, who honored them.

All I could think about is how wonderfully they were made. My gaze looked down and I saw street lamps around me. How long has that street lamp been around. It is not new. It has dirt and missing paint on it. How old is it though, 15 years? I look back at the stars. How old are you star that is small but still bright enough to see? I would guess you are older than 15 years.

God’s creations really do stand the test of time. Just look around. Man can do a good job. People can praise man, and they can make amazing objects that shine brightly for a long time. Just look at the street lamps. They cannot out shine the stars at night. You disagree? You think people cry out about the beauty of street lamps? You think the street lamps are studied and mapped out and admired for years on in? How long do you think these street lamps can last? Wait until the bulbs burn out. How will the street lamps compare to the stars then. The stars will then easily out power those things that are of man.

For me this night ,was a reminder of how the ministry works that God has given, should be made. There are more ministry workers and ministries than we can count that are made and run all on men’s strength. They out shine some other ministries at times. Which ministry has the real power, which ministry will last?

Just as stars that are God made, ministries that are God made will out shine everything else. The ministry that God has made and uses God’s power just cannot compare with something that is man made. For me I want to be part of something that God has made, not what man has made. There is something memorizing about Gods’ ministries that you can’t ignore and draws you in. It kinda is like looking at the stars and getting lost in the beauty of the creation.

Sometimes we get stuck in the cities so long and, see so many street lamps, we forget the stars. We forget how wonderful they really are. We think street lamps have the power of the stars. What we don’t see is how they are always changing things to try and appear bright. They have to continually change their bulbs to try and catch up. Take one storm, one power outage, one problem with the electrical system and they cannot function.

Now remember the sun, our closest star. When one the last time it didn’t work in a day. Even during a storm, a power outage or the coldest day. Yes, the stars, that is what I want my ministry to look like. Yes, God help the ministry to look like the stars.

1 Corinthians 15:28

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org