Newsletter

August 2010 Newsletter

My husband and I came to Christ in 1978. It was not a gentle transition. We were not mildly changed, we were radically transformed. A broken marriage was healed, foul mouths were cleansed, smoking lost its appeal. And with the changes came a burning desire to radically serve the Savior.

We could not teach or preach as we knew little about the Word of God. We could not sing well so the choir was out. One night we sat down and took inventory of what we had that we could use in service to God. Well, we had a vacant bedroom. And so sitting at that kitchen table we bowed our heads and asked God to use that bedroom for His glory.

The next week, our church asked for homes to house a traveling group. We raised our hand and within days the bedroom was full as was another bedroom we made available by putting our two daughters together. That was the beginning of a bedroom ministry and it was also the beginning of seeing that God would take us at our word and use what we had for His glory!

Over the years we saw many, many people come and go through our lives because of that space devoted to God. We had two girls from Germany live with us for the summer, another from France also stayed several months, two missionaries from Brazil lived with us six months, a young man trying to break free from homosexuality lived with us for two years and another man breaking free from porn addiction took up space for several months. Some of the folks that came through needed healing and some just needed a warm bed and a meal.

Since that time as our talents and knowledge of God's Word have grown, we have been able to offer more to Christ in areas of teaching and leadership. It seems that with every step of service we find that Jesus is there meeting us, helping and giving strength and direction. The irony is that the very one we serve joins in and serves along side us!

It makes no difference if you only have a small room or you have a seminary degree. It is offered as a token of our deep love and gratitude to a God who would seek us, rescue us, redeem us, justify us and will eventually glorify us! And in the meantime He's promised abundant life in Him.

So what do you have? A mind with great Biblical knowledge? A home with some extra rooms? A bank account with money? Simply bow the knee before the King and lay it before the Throne. He will show you what service He wants you to do. And then do it with a whole heart as unto the Lord.

- Pat Harley