Six years ago I sat in the Hugos parking lot on 32nd Avenue South crying. My oldest son, Jack, was a freshman at RRHS. CD players were pretty popular and all the kids were "burning" CD's for each other with their favorite music. For the heck of it I decided to listen to some of Jack's CD's on the way to the grocery store............Wow. I can't describe the sick feeling I had. The rage-sadness-shock-disgust was overwhelming. The music was by rap artists that was profane, sexual and explicit. It was basically porn set to music. Did other parents know this is what their kids listen to? Was I over-reacting? I couldn't understand it. We didn't talk like that in our home. We didn't raise our son to disrespect his body or women. So I sat and cried--a lot.

I prayed consistently that God would find someone to sew into Jack's life. That my children would know the truth and love the Lord......that my children would fulfill the calling on their life. I swore I would not lose my children to the world. Period. We left the ELCA church and began attending Hope. I had Jack help with confirmation even though he had already been confirmed. He and PP hit it off right away. Keith Becker still stays in touch with Jack on his college breaks. I am so thankful for such caring mentors.

Fast forward six years. I told Jack I went to a fabulous Mercy Me concert last Spring. He said I should listen to Lecrae, Tedashii and Trip Lee! He still likes rap, but now listens to Christian rap. He also spent the summer in Jacksonville, FL being trained by The Navigators with a group of fraternity brothers from UNL. He will be home in 3 days and wants to show me his "bridge" illustration tool he is using to evangelize. I am stunned by his growth in faith. He does not call himself a Christian. He refers to himself as "A BELIEVER". He tells me there's a big difference. He will also be giving his testimony at an upcoming Greek conference.

So, even when we may not be feeling at our best, God knows what we are capable of and will lead us through every task He gives us. A revelatory moment in my spiritual life came to me when I was sick at home with bad upper respiratory problems---a very bad cold with cough and congestion. I put a call into my doctor and was waiting for a call back when a young woman called, crying and needing prayer (but, what about me---I am sick!!-but we purpose our heart with obedience to God!). While I was talking and praying with my friend, a grandmother showed up at the house to talk about the close call she had had on the operating table and how our very simple and homemade get well card and prayer, meant to her. Keep in mind, I have not heard from the doctor yet and I am still feeling sick. After the grandmother left, another young woman called and we spent two hours on the phone---she is seeking and had questions and comments about faith and God that she wanted to discuss (yep, still sick). All told, these women and I spent four hours together. But, at the end of that time---I heard from my doctor and God granted me my much-needed rest.

What I learned from this is that God gives us exactly what we need to do whatever job He gives us to do. God is not a respector of persons---He know exactly who He wants for a specific job and we must be listening for that still small voice to prompt us into action. We want to heed these prompts. It is such a rush to be pressed into service for God.

We just, plain feel better when we do things that serve God---because it takes the focus off us and onto someone/something else. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual woes just do not seem as acute when we are in service to God. It is a paradox; the more we do for others, the better we ourselves feel. Serving others heals our hearts.