Be of Value

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -Romans 12:11,12


Before reading the passage below or looking any further I would like to summarize two characters...
Rick Rusaw -wonderful Man of God.
Dr. Lester Ford -encourages Rick to strive for his hopes, dreams and ambitions for his future and stretches us (me) to depend more on God and less on ourselves.

I love reading this passage, it's so encouraging!!! :)

I had just moved from my home in upstate New York to Ft. Myers Florida, to being my first job in a local church. It was a wonderful place with a real opportunities. But I also had plenty of dreams for the future that stretched far beyond the confines of that Florida church. I was very ambitious. And while ambition can be healthy, ambition clothes in immaturity can be disastrous.

There was an 80-year-old minister on staff at that Florida church. His name was Dr. Lester Ford. Dr. Ford had been an engineer, preacher, and college president. He had moved to Florida to retire, but a few days a week he gave his time to the church. And I have no idea why, but Dr. Ford took me under his wing.

One day at lunch he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. With Plenty of enthusiasm I shared the dreams on my heart. Dr. Ford listened carefully. He helped me shape my ideas. He encouraged many, and he smiled or laughed at some, as though they were distantly familiar to him. After a long time, Dr. Ford leaned across the table and said to me, "Rick, you have plenty of great dreams, and you should never stop dreaming, but along the way, learn to be of value where you are. Because if you don't learn to do that, you won't have much of a future. And you can't be of value somewhere you're not."

"Be of value where you are." That was the advice the retired minister gave me. It was OK to dream about tomorrow, as long as I was giving energy, passion, and prayer to what I was doing today.

As the years have gone by, a lot of the dreams I shared with Dr.Ford have come true. I have viewed the fulfillment of those dreams as precious gifts-gifts that arrived when I chose to be faithful through difficult times, to be of value where I was.

Dr. Ford went to be with the Father a long time ago. On one of our last visits I thanked him for his friendship and his investment in me. He smiled, took my hand, and looked me straight in the eye. "Just be of value where you are, Rick," he said, "because you never know what God has in store."

-Rick Rusaw

As we look towards our future we should remember to look around for opportunities now.
1.) What are some specific ways you can "be of value where you are?

Faith encounter

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard times come up when the time comes." -Matthew 6.33-34

Wow, right? This quote has given me encouragement and given me an encounter with God I don't even want to question. All I can say, "Thank you!" This week, I surely haven't missed out on anything I have been in the center of it all. Lisa, one of my closest friends had a house full, 6 adults and 6 children. Monday Jennie, Lisa’s friend had a carbon dioxide leak in her home, so therefore all her family was stuck in a hotel with not much to do. She was back in forth from the hotel to Lisa’s house pretty much all week. It felt like a tragicomedy kids yelling, phones ringing, and food cooking.

By Saturday night, Jennie and the kids were able to return home to a safe house, and restore all sanity. God has blessed each one of us with wisdom and greater knowledge this passed week.