Step 12:   Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the steps,
we tried to carry this message to others and to practice
these principles in all our affairs.

December 19

Recommended reading: Isaiah 40, 41, 43

Years ago we had friends who worked as consultants for a large missionary organization. Their job was to screen potential candidates and place them in the area of mission work that would best suit their unique gifts and talents. I found this process fascinating, and I was always asking my friend about his work. I never will forget the conversation that erupted after I asked him if he could tell who would turn out to be a great missionary.

“The great missionaries are always the ones that are already effectively carrying God’s message of hope to others before we send them off to a foreign land.”

“Really. So what you’re saying is, if they aren’t having spiritual conversations that are fruitful in the community they currently live in, they’re probably not going to increase their ability to share by changing their geography?”

“Yep.”

Hmmm…that sounds very recovery-esque! Those geographical “cures” rarely work out!

One Sunday morning I was approached by a gentleman who told me God had called him to deliver the morning message at our church. I’d never seen this fellow before, so I asked him if this was his first time visiting our community and he replied, “Oh, yes. I go to another church, but the people’s hearts are hardened, and they won’t listen to my message, so I thought I’d come here and deliver it today.” He left, quite annoyed when I explained that I’d have to get to know him a little better before he could have my job!

Thought for today: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Thought for tomorrow: How do we decide whom to share our message of hope with? Who are these “others” that step twelve mentions? I believe they are people that God brings into our lives. Together we discuss our experiences and hopefully our solutions. I think the better we know each other, the richer and more meaningful our message-sharing becomes. The missionary consultant made sure that a candidate had something to share before shipping him or her off to another culture. I felt a little nervous about a stranger wanting to share his experiences when the folks that knew him best didn’t think that was wise. If you’re wondering who to share your experience, strength, and hope with, you can relax. This is a God thing. As you live in community, God will open the doors for you to share.

December 19
Teresa McBean

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Other links: www.crosswalk.com &  NACR Online