The King Has Come: Temptation and Call
-July 06, 2014
Year of the Bible – The King Has Come – Temptation And Call from Covenant Grove Church on Vimeo.
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Podcast: Download (Duration: 41:12 — 15.7MB)
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The King Has Come: Temptation and Call
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I just listened to this message again and I’m challenged and excited to answer the questions at the end of the message, “How does your life fit into God’s Plan for the world? How is God using your life as a tool in His loving hands?”.
I can see how God, in His Sovereignty, has brought me to a place to live as completely for Him as I’ve ever been able to. God has allowed me to reach a broken place where my agenda has been shredded and I am now living for Him. He has taken my heavy yoke that was breaking my heart, mind and soul and has given me His. I am now in a place of serving Him in joy and out of love and gratitude. I have hope for my life and my future and for my friends and family. I am able to use my brokenness to demonstrate God’s loving care of me through my current situations and assure others from a place of conviction and truth that God is more than able and willing to do the same for them when they ask Him to help them. The ministry He has given me fills the joy in my heart since childhood and I finally have a since of fulfillment. I’m no longer trying to fit into the world’s mold of acceptance and success. My new definition of success is serving God in the area He has asked me to. What God is doing is undeniable to anyone.
In trying to make my point, I can see that I’m being vague. About two or so years ago, I found myself depressed and immobile. I was facing having an empty next after raising four children. I was full of fear that two of my four children had signed up for the military. I was not happy, my business was failing and I was serving God in my own strength at church and my Bible Study. The more I worked to please God, the emptier I became. One day at Bible Study I just broke. I asked God to take my heavy yoke and exchange it for His. I didn’t even know what to ask Him for anymore. That was my turning point.. I was forced to make some painful choices that were inevitable. Then God brought me to covenant Grove. That was the week that Jean spoke and as I was prayed for and anointed with oil, God began to remove the years of pain since my parents’ deaths.
To summarize for context, my dad died 10 years ago and I was responsible for His estate. I kept on going and never stopped. I kept working, kept serving, kept doing but none of that helped. I was killing myself with busyness. About three years ago, I adopted a rescue dog named Ruby. She was only five months old and even more of a mess than I was. We were quite the pair. My poor husband just wanted me to be happy, so he relented to letting me have this mess of a dog. She was so full of fear, that my heart broke for her. She would only want to stay in her crate and she was afraid to play or go for a walk. As time passed, I saw Ruby playing in the yard one day and I smiled. I smiled because she was happy and then I cried because I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I had genuinely smiled. At that moment, I realized that God had given me Ruby to help me heal. As I brought her to emotional and physical health, I began to heal. I saw that as Ruby learned to trust me, she felt safe and began to learn . . . the same was true for me with God. God wants me to trust Him the same as Ruby trust me. Ruby needed gentle correction, just like God was correcting me. Ruby needed to hear me call her whether she was far away or healing next to me. I can now whisper her name and she looks at me, just the way I’m learning to hear God call my name when He whispers. There are many different correction tools that I use to continue to keep Ruby sharp and some seem cruel to those who don’t understand that my ultimate goal is to keep her safe because if she reacts to her fear and bites someone, it could mean her death. If I make a rash decision, it could mean spiritual or even physical death so sometimes God allows heartbreaking consequences to my actions so I can more quickly return to Him. Ruby depends on me and I depend on God for everything.
As friends, family and neighbors saw the improvements in Ruby and my personal joy return, they started asking me for help and referring their friends to me. I found a pit bull in my neighborhood who had recently had puppies, was full of milk and very skinny. I knew if I took her to the shelter she would be killed so I brought her home. Of course, Ruby hated her so we’ve lived a crazy life of keeping these two separated for the last two years. I failed to mention that we also have an elderly female dog, are fostering our daughter’s female dog while she serves in the Navy and we puppy sit another female dog that my son’s girlfriend adopted after she was left on her parents porch. Trainers and rescuers will tell you, you CANNOT have female dogs together. You’re lucky if two get along . . . I have FIVE! After a lot of training, patience and a little blood, ALL FIVE can play together and we are a happy family. That can only happen with God. Now to finally get to my point (sorry) . . .
God gave me a dream and a business plan about a year ago. I went to The Alliance to flesh it out. In the end, I was discouraged because i couldn’t see how my business plan could come together. I drew a picture of my dream of a different kind of dog park where people can bring their dogs and they will be safe and separated. I asked God for a piece of property on Hwy 120/108. We needed a house and I added that it would be really great if it had an olive tree (I’m Sicilian and like to marinate olives like my grandparents did).
I’ve been looking at property throughout the Central Valley for about two years and as I drive to work I pray and ask God, “is this where you want me”. He was silent. Earlier this year, I found an intriguing piece of property on the outskirts of Oakdale on Hwy 120/108. My husband and I went to see it on Mother’s day and the first thing I saw was a piece of property that matched the picture I drew. As we peeked in the windows and walked around, I felt this was it, but I wasn’t sure. I saw an area and walked over to see what kind of trees were planted and there was not one, but several olive trees! I couldn’t believe it! We have been trying to purchase it ever since. To make a very, very long story a little shorter, last week our offer was accepted and we are in contract to purchase the property. For every step we take forward in faith, we keep getting pushed back three or more steps. Everyday I ask God if this is really His plan for us and everyday, he says, “Yes”. Now to the ministry part . . .
As I’ve worked with people who are afraid and hurting with the prospect of surrendering their beloved pets because of health, financial or other reasons, they call me because of their situation but I know they’re calling me because they need to experience the love of God and see Him at work in their situation. I don’t immediately tell them I’m a Christian. I listen and discern as the Holy Spirit leads to come up with the best solution possible. I ask a lot of questions before I even say anything to develop a trust and a bond between us. This is my ministry that God has given me. The dogs give me opportunity and credibility. People will comment on my skill or ability to get a shy or aggressive dog to settle down and listen and I give glory to God for that gift. When people comment on any aspect of skill on my part, I give glory to God. As I listen to people’s painful stories about their situation in life, I silently pray and I tell them that I am praying.
My most recent example is regarding a Belgian Malinois (former show dog), who was abandoned due to a divorce situation. Abby was left outside the night before I picked her up and put inside a horse trailer in the summer heat in July during the day. Even thought I did not have the time or resources to step in, I could not say no knowing the fate of this poor dog. Before I picked Abby up, I posted on Facebook for someone who could take her in. My friend Vicky, who happens to be blind stepped up. I wondered if this could possibly work but God in His wisdom and sovereignty already had us working together earlier in the summer when the call came on Facebook for a rabbit that needed rescuing. Vicky stepped up and I was amazed at what she could do and the bond she built with this (rodent), I mean rabbit. There were many ups and downs with Abby’s rescue. She was very scared and fearful and had serious health issues. As we worked together, I am excited to say, that Vicky and her husband have officially adopted Abby. Their guide dog now has a companion and Abby is safe and well cared for. Vicky commented that before she had Abby, she missed working and having a real purpose. Abby needed exercise and training so Vicky started getting up early to care for Abby. As she cared for Abby, God cared for Vicky. One day she told me that she now had purpose and was feeling joy again. I was ignorant to how Vicky had been feeling and I can see that she was not given a chance to serve because people sold her short. She actually has more skill in handling dogs than I do because of her guide dog training.
As we move forward in faith, I can see that my life fits into God’s plan for the world because He created me with a unique gift to love, understand and care for dogs. Now that I recognize it as a gift and am no longer ashamed or wishing for a different gift, it is my mission to serve God in His strength to share the gospel through my work of rescuing dogs. God created people first and he also created dogs. When I become discouraged by the cruelly that is imposed on dogs by people, God shows me His heart. If someone treats an animal cruelly, it’s safe to assume that person is cruel to women, children and anyone else not as strong as them. If someone has a dog that is acting out, it is safe to assume there is something lacking in that persons life, that if they are willing to work with their dog, God will show them what they need and better yet, show Himself to them. There are many, many difficult situations so the mission field is vast.
How is God using my life in His loving Hands? I found out the hard way, when I try to do this work without Him and rely on my own skill, death is the outcome. I didn’t listen to my gut (the Holy Spirit) about a dog named Gracie. I sensed she was in danger from her rescuer and instead of addressing the situation, I danced around it and by the time I was ready to act, Gracie was dead. I mourned and mourned her loss. I hated myself for not listening to God. I hated the person who gained my trust and then broke it. I hated this world for being so cruel as Gracie was another pregnant pit bull that had been dumped at the park. I hated the shelters because they are limited on what they can do and it is certain death for all but a few of the dogs that end up there. I almost hated God for letting me go through this. I vowed to quit because this work is too painful but I couldn’t unlearn what I’ve learned. God dusted me off, healed my heart and pushed me forward. Just as I healed and learned from that encounter, I was faced with my own crisis.
On the last day of my Bible Study last year, I was tired and looking forward to a summer of rest and refreshment. I heard a knock on our front door. Expecting my son’s girlfriend, I opened it without looking and my precious Ruby, in an attempt to protect me, nipped a salesman in an unfortunate spot (10 days before his wedding). I knew Ruby would be impounded and that she would truly not survive the experience. God directed my steps. I cried and cried as I drove to my sisters house with Ruby. I felt like a fugitive from the law but keeping her safe was my only goal. God never left me alone for a solitary second. As I listened to Third Day on my drive, I cried songs of prayer desperately hoping God would answer. Ruby is a dog. There are people suffering from cancer, divorce and many more important things. But God, held me tight and stayed with me in tangle ways. Friends (old and new) called out of the blue “just to check in”. I was not alone for one single second! People were praying for us and a good outcome, especially for Ruby. When animal control called, to my surprise, the person on the phone SUGGESTED that Ruby serve her quarantine at home!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! What a HUGE answer to prayer!!! Ten days later during a follow-up call from Animal Control, the second person was not so kind and almost annoyed that we had escaped this consequence. I felt threatened by her but God kept me close to Him. As I drove home, the same songs that I sang tearfully in prayer were now songs of victory and praise! How can that be? Only through the blood of Christ. I pray for the young man for continued physical as well as emotional and spiritual healing. We will have financial consequences from this because of this man’s choice on how he want’s to proceed but we pray for his salvation and that he experience God’s unconditional love personally, I pray for compassion, I pray for his wife and future family and I pray for God’s forgiveness and that somehow He will turn this around for His glory.
This is why the property became so important. God knew I would not be compelled to move forward in faith unless I felt threatened. We are comfortable on our cul de sac but no longer safe. As we no longer have small children, we no longer need this house in this neighborhood. Change is difficult but it is necessary if we are going to keep listening to God and growing in our faith. We were looking for 1-3 acres of property and God is blessing us with 17 acres!! How can that happen? Only in God’s loving hands. My husband and I were barely making ends meet a year ago but in an instant, my husband got a job in Oakdale (that is another entirely awesome story) and our property is only 3-5 minutes away!! How can that happen?? Only in God’s loving hands.
The temptation is to want a job and a calling that people will admire. How is it that my God suffered and died so I can “play” with dogs? All I know is that from obedience to Him comes joy and fulfillment. Christ’s death brings life and if I can share that with hurting people who are willing to listen while we help their dogs. Who am I to question that? Jesus has called me so I say, “yes”. Satan thwarts me so I’ll be discouraged. So far there has not ben an obstacle that God has not overcome in this endeavor and I trust that in this plan, God’s will will continue to prevail. It will continue to be heartbreaking work but the joy of even one saved life is worth it.
These messages are food for my soul and a constant reminder that God has a good and perfect plan for each person that He has uniquely created. I hope you are encouraged to serve God in your own uniqueness and experience your own joy as you serve Him.
Thank you so much for your message! God bless you!!