Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted!
I have been pondering how to share what I experienced this weekend on my road trip and so far, this is the best that I can come up with:
What really counts?
Money? Insignificant!
What really matters?
A high number of book sales? I thought so!
What really counts then?
What has God given me? That's what I am responsible for.
What really matters then?
A saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ!!
As usual when I have a book signing, I set a goal of how many books I want to sell and this time was no different. With my goal in mind and my events planned out, I was sure to hit it this weekend, right? Right!
On the drive down, God and I talked and I heard some things that I didn’t pay attention to before and knew this trip would be different, I just didn’t know how different! From the start I had a feeling this would be a breakthrough weekend for my hometown; I just didn’t know what to expect.
God showed up and out through the crowds that were just large enough for Him to walk among us and touch and heal hearts and minds that have been damaged by so much loss. The emotional healing that was available through our instant transparency with each other fostered this miracle. They were able to witness first hand my triumph after tragedy because I was there in the flesh and not just a story they read somewhere in the papers. Miriam was there, my family confirmed my testimony and shared their pain about my story and the healing began to flow! My hometown finally had someone who could identify with their multiple losses and who could attest to the faithfulness of God to keep you in the midst of multiple storms.
That very anointing of God’s Spirit lead to my invite to the Troy Davis Memorial service where God used me again to refocus the audience on His Sovereignty in the midst of that tragedy. Sunday morning found us in the same spiritual vein when Pastor Webster preached from Philippians 3:8 where Paul counted everything he had accomplished before Christ as dog doo-doo compared to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! WOW!
Three times the same message was confirmed to me that my assignment which God has given to me is not to sell a lot of books at book signings, but to make sure that all within my hearing know the saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ! My story aids me in this responsibility because it helps to bring the point home of the difference God made in my life, but the whole gist of it all is to bring everyone’s thoughts inward to themselves to make sure they are ready and prepared to meet their God and Maker when their time comes!
WOW! What a burden lifter that was for me! Every time I come back from a book signing one of the first questions I am asked is, “How many books did you sell?” My success was rated by how many books I sold and I thought so to until this weekend! I always had these anointed experiences where God used me to usher healing to my attendees but I never got to share that part because after I gave them a number they would say, “Oh well, better luck next time, you will sell more books or make your quota eventually!”
I didn’t understand why those statements rubbed me the wrong way. I knew that the ministry of My #1 was successful just not by the terms they used. There has not been one time that I have ministered that the people were not healed and made whole. Everyone reports that either the book or listening to me share my testimony has delivered them from their spirit of heaviness and grief. I give them a new perspective, God’s perspective, of the big picture that’s going on that they play a minor role in. It begins the renewing of their mind and leads them to where they can follow up and read on their own. The same God, who did it for me, will do the same for them, if they seek Him!
I give them inspiration to hope again, to believe that their best is STILL yet to come in spite of the multiple losses they may have suffered and THAT to me IS A SUCCESSFUL BOOK SIGNING!
So from this point on, I will measure my success by the number of lives changed rather than books sold and I want you all to ask me for that number instead! BTW, that number was in the hundreds this weekend, I didn’t get to do an actual head count! J
Now to answer the original question posed of what really counts?
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one!
Count your blessings,
See what the Lord has done!
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one!
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done!
Where will you go when all is lost? Who will you turn to?
We are all important, to Him; we are all of value to Him!
Make your decision now before the storms come and when it does you will know where to run to for safety! I am blessed to be your blessing, Love Bernice
