Michelle's Strength

As I write, there is a young lady named Michelle walking up and down the halls of our church facility exercising.  She is amazingly spiritual and always has a smile on her face and a song in her heart and a Scripture ready to quote.  The first time I met Michelle, she asked me what my favorite Scripture was.  I said, “Romans 5:8.”  She said, “What does it say?”  I said, “God demonstrated his own love for us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  She said, “That is a good one.”  I asked her, “What is your favorite Scripture?”  She quickly said “Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’”  I said, “That is an awesome Scripture.”  She smiled a smile that was at least a mile long and was overjoyed by sharing her Scripture and hearing mine. 

As she is walking down each hallway, I hear her singing to the tunes of gospel music.  She just isn’t singing softly and timidly, but rather, with vigorous joy and conviction.  She stopped by my office and we chatted a bit.  She said, “I hope my singing isn’t bothering you.”  I said, “Oh no, I love to hear you sing.”  She said, “Good, I am singing to the Lord.”  She smiled another mile long smile and began to walk and sing to the Lord.

You see; Michelle isn’t like most of us.  She can’t walk fast, but she believes in Philippians 4:13, She can do all things because of Jesus!  She sees life through the lens of innocence and lives life with the joy of the Lord being her strength.  Her bible reading is a lifestyle, not a chore.  Singing to the Lord is an honor, not a burden.  Speaking about Jesus is her desire, not a task.  Smiles on her face are permanent, not an effort.  Michelle is love.  Kindness.  Joy.  Spirit-filled. 

Why is she?

Because she sees a Father who is love, kind, and joyful.  Because gospel music takes her before the throne of God with whom she loves so much that she extols him from her own heart.  Because her strength is in a Father who is walking down every hallway she walks and listens to every conversation she has with him.  Because she trusts her heavenly Father will always love and protect her. 

Imagine a world full of people who simply “…love deeply from the heart.” 1^st Peter 1:22 or a community where music is full of praise, where everyone “…worshipped the Lord with gladness and offered him joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2 or a society where our strength is in Christ Philippians 4:13 or where towns across our nations will proclaim, “I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God." Psalm 31:14.

Life is a journey of unexpected twist and turns, ups and downs, happiness and sadness, calm and chaos, love and hate, laughter and crying, life and death, singing and silence.   The key is how each of us responds to every twist and turn and all the ups and downs.  When we proclaim Psalm 91:2, “…He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him” our life will be a reflection of everything that is good about God and will ultimately draw others to inquire about the lifestyle that is different from everyone around. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian