Danielle Carrier

This entry is from my Facebook "Notes"... I read it this morning and really felt led to make this the next posting on my blog...

I am totally in awe right now with the Lord. I haven’t been all too focused lately when meeting with Him (for lack of a better description…) and it just amazes me how He draws me close and focuses my heart for me. Yesterday He focused my heart... and gave me a reality check.

On Sunday, God brought me to 1 Timothy chapter 4… and BOY was He speaking to my heart! It was such a blessed time in the word. But it didn’t end at the stroke of midnight… NOPE!

Quick back story… there were a lot of changes at work in December of 08. These changes included some of my co-workers losing their jobs. It was a huge blow… and it caused the atmosphere around here to become pretty depressing. And as I was reading this chapter (again) this morning… God stuck His finger right on my heart!

1 Timothy 4:10 says…
“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

What truth! Jesus is the ONLY hope we need… any hope set in this world is useless. Cool, huh? Yes… that is an awesome truth. But God was pushing deeper into my heart. See… most of my co-workers don’t know of the hope found in Jesus. Most don’t even believe in God. It's a very sad reality, but again... God pushed even deeper… so I continued reading...

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:16

Hmmm....

You want another sad reality? Okay... more back story...

There was one co-worker whom I was very close to who lost his job. I worked with him for over 9 years. And if I were to tell you one thing that would describe him it would be that he loved the Red Sox!

Here's the reality party... If I had lost my job and you asked him to describe me… I can tell you this... his answer wouldn’t be “She loved Jesus!”

Actually – getting real honest here... I bet most of my co-workers would say they didn't know I was a Christian.

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

I know that it is not up to me to save those who are lost… but I am called to be a living example of His grace and mercy…

Have I been? Have you?

Tough, tough questions…