Bigger Than My Imagination

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Having kids has been a reminder of my own childhood. When I watch them play, I see their very active imaginations play out the fanciful scenarios in their heads. Like my older daughter's ability to come up with a one girl show, complete with a storyline and plot, with splashes of humor tossed in. Or my younger daughter's imagination running wild one day as she took the rounded plastic lid from her toybox, and pretended it was a sled-down the stairway! No worries, she was shaken up a bit, but I think she learned her lesson. Then watching my son get into his toy batmobile car, and try to drive it around the living room. Kids have such a great sense of imagination.

It reminds me of the times my brother and I did the same things. We would sled down the stairs on an old mattress-cushion thing with a smooth vinyl bottom. Then there were the times we would stretch out our bedsheets between our dressers, which were across the room from each other, and do running football plays, as if we were a running back at the goal line diving over the opposing teams linemen.

I had a big imagination as a kid. But now as one who has been "born again", made knew in a relationship with Jesus Christ, there are things I can imagine myself doing for Him. My dream and vision is to see a ministry started in Detroit's inner-city that is much more than a church. I want to see God raise up a place where people can not only find out that there is a Savior that loves them, and died for them on the cross of Calvary, but a place where they will find there needs are being met, from a hot meal to shelter to educational assistance. My vision is for a ministry center that helps those less fortunate realize the potential that God Almighty placed inside them, and to have the abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10.

I am not interested in simply stopping a bowl of soup, a kind word and a gospel tract. Those may have a place, but God has put inside of me a passion to not just tell them about Christ, but to demonstrate His love in a viable way.

Yet, there verses I quoted at the beginning of this blog absolutely blow my mind away. I guess that is a simple explanation of the verses, too. God's plans are so far above and beyond what I can think of right now. I am currently reading two books by Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. His story absolutely stirs me up, because he speaks often about the start he and his wife had in ministry. They had absolutely no training. In fact, Pastor Cymbala to this day has never been to seminary. His wife has no musical training, and can't read or write music. Yet, God through His mighty power raised up a wonderful ministry, with thousands in attendance and a choir that is just amazing. What makes this church so great isn't the numbers in attendance every week. It's the power of God through people who simply cried out to God to be used by Him, and to touch that city for His glory.

When I see the ministry going on in Brooklyn, NYC, out of this congregation, I see the great things God has in store for Detroit. Yet, even the things that God has placed in my heart seem too big, too impossible to achieve. Yet, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, that "eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for them that love him."

So dream big for the Lord Jesus, my friends. And realize that when God has placed in you that dream, you don't even know a fraction of it! Submit yourselves to His will today, and watch God use you for things that go abundantly beyond all you could ever dream up! God bless!