Many years ago I was facing some great challenges, it seemed that daily something new would come my way to buffet and challenge me. One day a seemingly small thing happened, but it was the last straw for me. I shared my challenge with a friend and said to her 'I need just one thing off me.' The next day she sowed a seed into my life that took that one thing off me. It didn't change all the challenges but it caused the pressure to be released and I was able to face and overcome the remainder of the challenges.

 

             Frankly I haven't been in that place in quite a while...until recently. As most of you know I have faced challenge after challenge for a couple weeks now and they have not stopped, it seems that something new and hard to deal with has happened every single day. Although it appears that loss has been suffered I know that God will turn it for my good. With that being said, it has been a heavy thing. I have prayed and worshipped and still these things keep coming at me.

 

            When things get like this, I don't have much to say. I spend a lot of time in quiet or listening to worship music to hold on to my peace. Around my house it has been pretty quiet this week.

 

            As I drove to do my errands today I was feeling heavy, so I turned on some music and began to worship God. I ran a couple errands and then I stopped at the post office and grabbed our mail. It is not something I usually do but for some reason I sat in my vehicle and opened the mail. Most was ministry mail, letters, donations and such. Then I opened a letter from one of our partners, it had a note on it that said 'personal gift for Kim, not for the ministry.' Tears began to fall. Then I opened another that had a note that said 'the Lord spoke to me to send you this to help with the damage from the storm.' I sat in the parking lot at the post office and cried. God's goodness simply overwhelmed me. But not only His goodness but the goodness of His people.

 

            I realized as I sat there that although these did not remove all the challenges or take care of the loss that it absolutely took the pressure off. It was like a pressure valve released a great deal of the weight I had been feeling...now I know, we don't carry the weight, we give it to God. But when you are facing challenge after challenge, loss after loss, even though you know God will turn it for your good it is not always easy to handle.

 

            This is the Body of Christ. They took what they had and shared it with me...I once read a scripture in 2 Corinthians 8:2 in the Message Bible that said 'The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts.' That was what I held in my hand, pure gifts, generous gifts straight from the heart of God through His people.

 

            I have always loved in the New Testament where it talks about God's people who had all things in common. If one had something the other needed, they gave it. They shared all things. I believe as a society, we have sometimes faced such hard times that we are reluctant to give because we are afraid we won't have enough for ourselves but that is opposite the heart of God. It is in giving that we receive.

 

            I thought about something else too today, just before all these challenges starting hitting me, God had me sow several seeds, large seeds. Now, I am so glad I did, it was as if I had prepared for the challenge before it hit, I had my seed in the ground before the storms hit. I did not have to try to sow in the midst of the loss, I had already sown.

 

            One of the very best seeds you will ever sow is to take the pressure off of someone who is facing challenges. I have tried to do that quite often. If I can meet a need, I meet it. Seeing the pressure come off them is enough for me.

 

            Today I want to give you a challenge and I ask that you prayerfully consider partaking in this challenge. Find someone under pressure and do what you can do to take the pressure off. Take just one thing off them. If you will do that, you will be sowing a pure and generous seed. It may not require money, but it may. It may require time, help or love. Whatever the need is...meet it. It is the heart of God and it will do more for that person than you can imagine...this I know by experience.

 

 

 

PS...let me know if you accepted the challenge...I want to pray over your seed.

  

 

Kim Potter