Poor Me or Pour Me?

I like milk. I really do. I drink it several times a day...but only the 2% stuff. I can't handle skim milk. I know I'm unhealthy and all of that but I can't help it. So imagine with me for a second that we pour a tall glass of cold milk right from the fridge. Go ahead...take a sip. Pretty good huh? OK...now set your glass of milk on the counter top and walk away. Now imagine with me that we come back to our milk on the counter top...4 weeks later. It doesn't quite look the same...or smell the same or taste the same. As a matter of fact, something that tasted good and was good for us 4 weeks ago is now nasty and putrid and will make us sick! Fresh milk = good...old milk = nasty! The only way to keep the milk fresh is to constantly keep refilling the glass. And the only way we can constantly refill the glass is to constantly empty the glass. It's a never ending process. The glass gets filled...the glass gets poured out...the glass gets filled again. Fresh milk.

The same is true for us a Christians. God wants to continually refill us and keep us fresh. But the only way He can do that is if we are constantly pouring out what He has already placed within us. God's plan for you is huge and amazing and detailed. But one thing I can promise you...God wants to use you to minister to and meet needs of people around you. That's how we pour out what he has placed within us. And only when we do this can He refill us with fresh milk. So if you are finding your faith a little stale, try pouring some of that milk out on some people around you so God can start over within you.

Well this is exactly what a young lady that is a part of The Mix recently did. Katie (who is a 16 year old young lady from Benton) recently spent a week in Mexico in a city called Playa Del Carmen. She spent the week as a part of a missions team that did construction work on a local church building there. But it in the midst of hauling concrete and working with building supplies, Katie ministered to the people in all kinds of ways. She got a chance to help teach English to the Spanish speaking people of that area and lead Bible Schools for the children. She also served the people through her willingness to help in everyday tasks such as cooking and serving meals and cleaning. Katie says, "My favorite part was actually realizing how big God really is...and working and falling in love with all of those kids!" The most important thing Katie did was allow Jesus to shine through every part of her life as she ministered there. She poured out her milk in a huge way. We could all learn from Katie...I could learn from Katie.

I want to encourage all of you to follow Katie's lead. Oh you don't have to go to Mexico. You may not need to go anywhere. You just need to notice the opportunities God has placed around you for you spill a little milk. How can you pour out a little of what God has poured into you today? Who needs to be poured onto? If we all spent a little more time telling God "Pour me" instead of "poor me"...well I think we'd experience a lot more freshness in our lives.

Check back next time and find out what's happening at The Mix. Thanks for reading...

--Bob