TRYING TO STAY UP WHEN PERFORMANCE IS DOWN

I like to think I carry my weight in the teamwork put forth at Memorial.  I like to think it.  Sometimes, though, it isn't the truth.

Yesterday (Sunday) was one of those days.

Shane and his worship team were above awesome.  The baptisms by war hero Legrand Strickland of his two boys was so moving (as you might recall Legrand lost both legs during from a bomb when in Afghanistan). 

But my part? 

Um....it wouldn't go.  I fought the sermon and it fought batck the entire time I was preaching; only public speakers would know what I mean.  I knew I wasn't clicking right and argued with myself the entire time.  I never recovered. 

The good news is....God worked anyway!

So I say to those of you who wish to hit home runs in your line of service and feel you strike out....join the ranks of servanthood.  One more time God shows us we are not His pivot point; Jesus is.  Yes, we want to do very well....others need us to.  But when effort doesn't fly; stay up in spirit for there will be better moments ahead.

Trying to stay up when performance is down is good for us.  It shines the spotlight on our need for Him.  Of course we want to do well.  Our dependence, though, continually shows up to be upon His shoulders and not upon our self-assumed talent.