Jesus knows about my bug

 I really don't think I understood obedience until Tuesday night. I had the opportunity to attend annual conference for the Evangelical church this past few days. It was filled with information, and inspiration. I met many God fearing men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving God.  They have given up earthly things for heavenly things,  and as I listened I began to realize what God wanted me to do. Of course I had a plan.....:)..but it was not God's plan. For the past 6 weeks I have asked God to help us get out of debt, because it is a burden that you have to focus on and I didn't want anything to distract me from serving God. I asked God to once more bless my business this summer with enough work to satisfy the debt. But God had another plan, He told me to sell my car.......the car I had saved up for and wanted my whole life, my convertible beetle. Okay, this was not easy to hear.....I think this is how sanctification works, God carves away the sin in your heart. He promises us in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This is a verse given to me many years ago by Donna Barner, and just recently by Pastor Shannon at my church. I knew this verse, but did I really believe it? As I sat there at the conference I realized that  another force was at work in my heart also....the enemy. Satan was loving this, dragging me down, making me start to question why I wanted to go into ministry, it was not pretty. But then God to the rescue!  Pastor Dave asked me what I thought of the conference so far, I said I was struggling......."Oh no you are going to make it through this, we need to talk right now", he said. So we did, and I cried, and he told me about how much God loves me and what obedience looks like, that it is not a sacrifice, but giving in to God who knows me so well, and loves me beyond what I can imagine. He told me about his grandson Jack that sang Jesus loves me, to him a different way, he sang "Jesus knows me, this I love" . That pretty much says it all. The bug is up for sale as of last night, and I am okay with it. And guess what happened the last day of conference, Pastor Duane, head of missions came up to me and offered me a job producing promotion pieces for his missions trips......wowzer......plans to prosper you and not to harm you, that is God's promise, I just needed to be obedient. =)