Welcome to my adventure!
I have decided that I am going to begin a blog to help me document my journey on following God and what He has in store for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "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." What plans does God have for me? Am I listening to Him? If I have been hearing Him, am I following His word? If not, why? And am I going to start?
About 7 years ago (give or take a year), I started leading a local food pantry. God has helped me grow this pantry. Although we are a very small pantry (serving 40 people a week), we have quadrupled in the number of people and volunteers over the last two years (we have went from serving 9 people a week to serving 40 a week)!
Five years ago I began hearing God tell me that I needed to do more than just run the pantry. I heard Him tell me that I needed to equip these people with more than food. They need to learn life skills: filling out an application, cooking, saving money in the grocery store, learning how to go for an interview, etc. Along with that, we needed to help these people understand that Jesus Christ is their savior. But first we need to meet their physical needs and then meet their spiritual needs - we need to build the relationships with the people and then build trust.
I brought my feelings to someone I felt I trusted (a spiritual leader) and was told that God was not telling me this. Boy, was I taken aback! I had been asking how I knew if it were God telling me something or if it were just voices in my head telling me something. I was told that if you could find verses in the Bible affirming what you believe and people could affirm it, then it was God telling you. These things were happening. So...why did this person tell me God was not telling me this?
So I just keep "feeding" people groceries and have not done anything else. I keep ignoring God telling me to feed their other needs. But I keep hearing God tell me to listen to Him and meet their physical needs. I just keep ignoring Him. I keep having this nagging feeling that I am not being obedient and that I should follow. So what is holding me back?
God is indeed speaking to you Tammy. I am sorry your spiritual leader (?) doesn't hear the master voices but your relationship with God hasn't nothing to do with this leader! That is good news! I will pray for you and ask God to give you boldness in serving Him by serving His people. I am doing a new bible study and 3 times Jesus ask Peter, do you love me and then Jesus said feed my people. So do you LOVE Jesus? Then feed His people! Teach His people, reach His people! Love His people!
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