I love my morning coffee date with Jesus.  It is in these moments that I grow up – healing takes place – I remove “identities” that man has tried to place upon my heart.  I love these dates with Him because He always reminds me who I am in Him.  I am truly loved.

It was a year ago this week, when I was having coffee with Him, when we talked about a date in March of 2016 – a day of rejection.  A day that I was wounded.  All within the walls of a church.  Caught within the fires of the politics of a group of believers.  Wounded.  People saying things to one another to hurt each other.  A day that I am sure that Jesus looked out upon and then wept.

We talked about the many times within my life where I was called an “outsider.”

Growing up in a military family puts one in places sometimes where you are considered an outsider.  You don’t belong.  You will never belong.  As a child, that was most hurtful at times, but God always seemed to come to my rescue and take me into His arms and remind who I was.  I belonged to Him.

This morning, we talked about this again – it has been almost two years since this happened.  And I am okay with it.  Wounded.  Yet, I am okay.  We talked about others and their wounds too.  I thanked Him that I have this safe and quiet place that I can come and talk about “things” with Him.

We talked about the move and the new doors that opened up to a new ministry for me.  I get to minister to military families.  Yep!  God has positioned me at a gate of opportunity to help others throughout the day.  I think they come in sometimes to just get a smile and a cup of coffee.  A lot of good things happen around a cup of coffee.  Especially where Jesus has been invited to participate in the fellowship.

How do we treat outsiders who come into our buildings – where the “Church” resides?  Have we greeted one another in love?  Have we accepted one another in love?  Are we allowing God to work in our hearts?

I’m thinking that 2018 is going to be a good year where God cracks open some hard hearts.  I pray that His children respond in a good way.  I pray that we open our hearts to what He needs to teach us.  Revival comes when we allow Him to remove the hardness from our hearts – deep down into our souls.

As we finished our coffee this morning, we both decided that this lesson had many wonderful values to it.  And now I can serve Him even better than before.  God can always take the bad in our lives and then use it to bring glory to His name in the days ahead.  We just have to let Him have His way with us.

Which happens to remind me of an old hymn.  Love these moments – memories.

Let Him Have His Way With Thee