I just have to share….
I receive several emails a day. While the majority of them are very encouraging and supportive, some are rude and hateful. A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a lady who felt I could improve the layout of the ABC Jesus Loves Me website to make it easier to navigate. I kindly replied but didn’t figure I would ever hear back as most negative emails contain complaints but not solutions. To my surprise, this sweet lady gave me constructive criticism! Ideas that I have already used to improve the website. (Have you checked it out?)
Most of you know that I have no web background.
Let’s get real. I know nothing!! I am absolutely, 100%, totally over my head. Just a few months ago, I learned that there are web rules that all web designers are supposed to follow. Ooops!
This was no mistake. I believe God did this because He wants to receive the glory in my weakness.
II Cor 2:9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
This morning I realized that there is more.
God also wants to see the body of Christ come together.
This busy mom who took the time to email me and share her idea became part of the body of Christ. Where I was weak, she was strong. I am very hopeful that the changes will make it easier for the ABCJLM family and new visitors to use our preschool curriculum website.
One more example.
A preschool owner uses the ABCJLM curriculum with her students. To her frustration, the state where she resides is making it difficult for her to use our curriculum. She emailed me with a question that I have received before. But unlike the others, she replied with more info after I posted concerns. Because she is working through this problem with me, we are collecting the information she needs to use the ABCJLM with her preschoolers. Also, this information will help even more preschools be able to use the ABCJLM in their schools.
Did you see it? The body of Christ coming together.
Let’s go further by reading I Cor. 12:12-27.
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
You may be asking, “What does this have to do with me?”
You play a role in the body of Christ. You may be a main part or an indispensable {absolutely necessary} weaker part. No matter, God put the body of Christ together. And He has a role for you! A role that only you can play! Yes, even a mommy neck deep in dirty diapers has role to play.
Here’s my questions: Are you doing your part for the body of Christ?
Is there an idea for ABCJLM or this blog that you need to share? Is there a role you need to play in your local church? Is there a friend who needs you to be her eyes? Are you showing equal concern for the other parts of the body?
These two ladies saw that I was suffering trying to fill all of the roles. They came along side me because they have a role to play. And together as the body of Christ, we are sharing the Gospel through a little preschool curriculum website.
