influence.
2 Timothy 1:3-7
3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
So, now… let me set a scene for you. God has given me a platform: take a little yellow 12 inch ball, throw it really hard, make it move… now teach other’s how to do the same thing… only better than you.
My response: “Psshhh… I can do that.”
Only recently, I’ve been insecure about my “business” mind regarding GameSpeed Softball… how do I sell softball skill training now, when my ability to perform in the circle sold it before? I have been SO insecure about who I am. My faith in what God has called me to do… much smaller than a mustard seed. What does a mustard seed even look like?
Anyway…
I’ve been walking around with my head down. Literally… I walked into the FSU Softball Stadium on Saturday with my head down, avoiding eye contact, headed straight for the seats behind home plate, praying… “God, I don’t even want to talk to anyone.” I don’t want people to recognize me… I don’t ‘feel’ like talking about what I do now because well… I’ve had no faith. I do not say this with “boastfulness”. The last thing I do in the morning is wake up and shout, “Who’s gonna recognize me today?”
But I should. God recognizes me and He has given me a “…spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” And He reminded me THIS weekend of WHO I was IN Him:
As I was leaving the FSU Softball field, I was on a mission to my car, and a family of 5 stopped me… I was almost out of there (can you see my fingers, they are a half an inch apart right now). The dad asked me if I remembered his daughter, whom I had trained after a game day about 2 years ago. He called me T-mac and the little girl looked up at me… all she did was smile. Her dad started talking about how much they loved watching me play… and somewhere in the midst of his compliments… I lost the sound of his voice. This little girl was not only beautiful, but there was so much adoration in her eyes for me… I mean… it took my breath away. In one moment the Lord spoke… “can you not remember that this is how I look at you?”
Who cares what a mustard seed looks like? I don’t. All I know is God knows who I am and I have faith. He will remind me of who He is in very small ways. Saturday it took a beautiful little girl to remind me of who I am in Him.
Thank God for His spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
