This devotional was written by my brother in law……enjoy.
(Taking my cue from Elizabeth Gross)
Though we did not have staff meeting yesterday…. here is some much needed encouragement and strength (and if you don’t need it…. I’ll take your dose and add it to mine)!!!
I drove to work bright and early on Monday morning (5:10 AM…. fired up….) ready to attack the week and all of our project and church plant challenges with tenacity. I was ready. I had a plan. I wanted to execute that plan…. in my own timing.
Due to the PSN meeting at Leeward… I set up my computer in my normal temporary Leeward work station (preschool office) and powered up. Still…. all smiles.
Uh oh.. No Leeward connection, network down. Who unplugged the network upstairs? Why do “they” do that!!! Upper Room?? Grrr. Maybe the Ambassadors?? Grrr.(usual suspects) Grrr. Maybe it was an accident by one of the kids…..cute baby Kyla. Awww. I don’t care!!! Grrrr. No problem… no harm done. Go upstairs unlock Fort Knox, metal gate, chapel door and check all of the plugs (on my hands and knees). Reset. Lock up the fortress and go back to the Preschool. Still no connection. Ahhhhhh!!! Frustration…. time is ticking away and I am not being productive!!! Great idea…. I climb the wall, I am now standing on the counter and check the power of the connection above the copy machine….. all lights are blinking. Oh well…. I’ll just work in draft mode… but I can’t connect to “local” and the stuff I’d been working on is not there. It’s too early for phone calls…. so I’ll do some paperwork. But now …. I hear every preschool child and teacher’s conversation. They are so loud!!! I can’t focus…. I need a hit of LN (Lotus Notes.) and I need it now!!! I check upstairs a second time…..go through the entire process… and lock up…. still nothing. Network Down.Okay…. I’m outta here… breakfast will make me happy!!! Quick drive to Safeway…. no wallet. Noooooo!! No wallet!!! Noooo!! No food!!! : ) Imagine me….. without food : ( Grrr. Now I am grumpy. Breathe boy. Close your eyes and take a short nap. Short. Baaaaam…….. ONE HOUR later….. and the car was on (shoot… gas is expensive) Noooooo!!!! Drive back to the Corps. It is now 7:00 AM
I try again…. for a third time (unlock, check power, lock the big gate)…. and run into Captain Debbie on the way down. I tell her… the network is down. She says to check upstairs. GRRRR!!!! Why didn’t “I” think of that!!!!?????
As I sit and grumble and despair about my horrible start… to the week…..and waste of time… beating traffic from Ewa… to get nothing done…. I see her say good morning to everyone, say hi to staff and kids, check on the food prep, etc. … then she goes to her computer and starts to do some work. Interesting…. I don’t hear her grumbling. Why doesn’t she get mad and share my frustration??? She continues to work… still nothing.
I take a deep breath…. and finally say a prayer. As I’m praying and hugging my computer on that very cramped desk in the preschool…. I realize (with my fingers on the back of the computer)………
I DID NOT PLUG IN THE NETWORK CABLE FROM GAIL’S COMPUTER INTO MY LAP TOP!!!!!!! (sitting there…. trying to do work…. and I’m not even plugged in. Literally)
I started the week as the human form of that unplugged lap top. I wasn’t plugged into Him. I didn’t take time to pray in the morning, nor worship with loud and inspiring Praise and Worship music in the car on the way to work, nor did I encourage others with praise or a greeting when I got to work. I was expecting to work and get the job done. Period… on Bram power. I was expecting to get things done…….without being plugged into Him. So weak! I lasted about 3 hours!
“It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” (Psalms 18:32) We draw strength from God’s power, like a lamp draws power from a socket. He is our source of strength. “The LORD will give strength unto his people;” (Psalms 29:11a) With the force of God’s power, we can do incredible things for Him. The heroes of the Bible like Noah, Moses, Joseph and others all understood the concept of drawing their strength from God. These heroes of faith have one thing in common; they developed a relationship of faith and trust with God. They sought Him in prayer, listened for His guidance and followed His direction. They also were faithful to praise God.
Notice there were a lot of “I”s in the first paragraph….. a clue that a disaster is about to happen…. or I am about to make a fool of myself. Like when I brought two shirts to change into for the Si Kit Cha tournament so I would match the trophy when it was picture taking time. (no joke….. ask E.Gross) I’ve been eating a lot of good tasting humble pie recently …. and boy have they been big pieces.
God is good… and I know that I need to draw on him more and more and more…. to accomplish what He wants me to do… and to draw on His strength and be ready to accept His perfect path for me.
I don’t know how Captain started her morning. I did not ask her. And yes…. I was too embarrassed to share my story…. but the point is… I know how I started mine. Here’s the good news. I am still ambitions and as competitive as ever…. and when I am plugged in…. I know I can do “incredible and amazing things for Him”!! Our entire team should feel like that. Try to stay plugged into Him. Recharge if you need to… in whatever way you need to. He’ll give you what you need… in the right portions for you. His strength is perfect.
By the way… My wallet was in my back pocket. Haaa!!! I felt very small. Funny and sad…. all at the same time. Hopefully, the last piece of humble pie for awhile. I’m pretty full.
Blessings,
Bram Begonia
