Letting Them In

Sometimes things don't happen quite the way that we picture it.  We make plans and preparations.  We set up and anticipate, and then reality hits.  And it never really works out that way.  As a teacher I have plenty of those moments.  At the beginning of a school year, the room is ready, the lessons are ready, I'm well rested and there are high hopes for the school year to come.  And then we let them in.

Once the school year begins, the room is never quite so nice.  The students aren't as excited about this as you were thinking they would be.  Some students struggle and some students have issues that really have nothing to do with this class, and for basically all of them, on the list of things that are important in their lives, theis class is no where near the top.

Don't get me wrong.  I really like working with teenagers.  And as a teacher I have the opportunity to get to know some amazing people who are on their way to doing some amazing things.  I am just saying that most things look a lot better in the planning stage than they do in the execution stage.

I'm sure the same is true in other professions.  Everything seemed perfect, until well, it wasn't.  Sales clerks must feel this way before the store opens.  Or a golf course manager must feel that way before the first players arrive.

I saw a report on the milk mustache add campaign.  You remember the adds with different celebrities sporting a milk mustache.  I'm sure that the people who designed it thought that they had a scored a home run.  But when asked if milk sales had improved as a result, they answered, "well, there si more than one way to define success."  

Nothing works perfect when we are dealing with imperfect people.  God had a design, but then He let us in.  And in dealing with humanity he used the imperfect  to do his bidding.  It would have been easier to just force us all into compliance, but that isn't what he was going for.

The Bible tells us over and over again that the imperfect can be amazing when walking in the will of God.  And the amazing can be laid low when trying to do it on their own.  

Watch this clip from Pastor Chris.

Time and again, God uses the flawed to do His work when they walk with Him.  And things are no different.  He can do the amazing through us if we are willing to listen.