“Pour out.” I was at the beach and had just bent down to pick up a shell when I heard the Lord speak those words.
“Really, God? I don’t have any special gifts or talents.”
It had been a tough season. Care-giving for parents, a stressful job, financial problems and accompanying marriage issues, plus drama in my adult children’s lives had drained me. If you had asked me then what I had to offer, I’d probably have said, “I got nuthin.’” Why in the world would the Father choose now to speak to me about pouring out? Pour out?! I needed someone to pour into me! What about me?!
But I kept His words close to my chest and wracked my brain for ways I could “pour out,” assuming He had some all-consuming ministry in mind for me and would somehow give me the energy. It gave me knots in my stomach. Then one night I woke up hearing these words: “I want you to help women discover their gifts and talents.”
Whaaat?! I was about to respond, “Seriously?! How about showing me my gifts and talents first?” when He interrupted: “And by doing that, I will reveal your gifts and talents.”
Ohhh. Oops. Okay. You hear all the me’s and my’s in these two stories? One more quick one:
One day as I prayed about all this, I “saw” a pitcher being tipped but nothing coming out. When I peered inside, guess what I saw? Me. I saw myself crammed into that pitcher. Scarcity and lack prevented me from pouring out. What if I start something and find I don’t have enough
- a) energy
- b) time
- c) money
- d) wisdom
- e) talent
to see it through?
Or worse, what if I really do have, “nuthin?” Had I made it all too complicated? What if “pouring out” (or being “a love offering,” as Rachael refers to it) is just that… pouring out/offering people LOVE? Constantly running on empty, I’d never learned to rest. Oh, I’d ask the Holy Spirit to fill me, but I never stopped to actually receive the rest He so longed to give. That rest began with pouring out my heart.
Lamentations 2:19 says, “Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!” It means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayer. The thing about pouring out is that you need to remember to fill your tank before it hits “E.” The Good News is, the refills are always free! Friends, when I thought about writing this post, I was hit with that, “I got nuthin,’” all over again, but a dear friend reminded me that in Jesus, I have a deep well, so I knelt in prayer and lowered my bucket. “… And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Eph 3:19 ESV
It’s the love of God that fills us and the love of God that we’re to pour out. Pass the cup.
About the Author:
The grandchild of Italian immigrants and NC tobacco sharecroppers, Susan describes herself as being half polenta and red wine and half grits and sweet tea; cooking and sharing stories around the kitchen table is her idea of relaxation. A former chef and freelance writer, Susan blogs on her website www.susanely.com where her goal is to help women find a reset for their heart, mind, and soul. Susan speaks at women’s retreats and conferences throughout the southeast and is the founder of the women’s weekend event, Reset with Susan. She is also a watercolor artist with an online shop www.susanelystudio.etsy.com. She and her husband, Roger, have 3 children and seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 2 to 21. They have been involved in leading worship and planting churches in CA, FL, GA, and NC.
Connect with Susan:
https://www.facebook.com/susanmariniely
https://www.instagram.com/susanmariniely
https://www.twitter.com/susanmariniely
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