The Celebrate Recovery group in Emmett, ID was having an event last night in a park inviting anyone to join them.  The Southwest CR rep was attending and giving her testimony.  I had given my testimony to this group a few weeks back and thought it would be nice to reconnect with them.  Kathy and I thoroughly enjoyed going and watching God work.  The one thing God kept emphasizing for me during the testimony was the journey he keeps us on until we finally see the connection between His Love and His Gifts.  The testimony was one where a home was filled with activity but vacant of love from either parent.  The girl of the home who is now our state rep reached out for love in many ways, all of which we recognize in our society today.  She is now using her story–her journey to enlighten listeners to God’s Amazing Love just waiting to be received and His two gifts:  Salvation from His Son Jesus Christ and then the infilling of His Holy Spirit.

This morning I have been reflecting a great deal about these gifts.  I first received salvation when I was young and desperate in the abusive situations of my brother and my dad.  I knew punishment well and I knew abuse well.  Somehow as a young child I was not able to articulate any of this.  I learned, or so I thought, to simply do as much good as possible and maybe, just maybe, it would be enough.  My older siblings had failed at doing enough to please our dad and I watched them rebel and flee from our home.  I was firm not to do this.  Somehow the good would pay off.  Well, it didn’t and it doesn’t.  What does pay off is learning to stop doing and to begin to listen.  These two gifts God offers us are not about doing, but receiving.  We learn this by listening–listening to the yearnings within our own spirit and then responding to them.  Christ came to complete the work we could not do on our own–we receive this.  I’m just now beginning to understand and be somewhat overwhelmed with the immensity of love and direction the Holy Spirit waits to pour out as I stop doing and start listening to His voice within.  Going last night was one of those occasions.  Kathy and I went and were fed two times–man’s food and God’s food.  Isn’t He amazing!