Reflection on Post 25: Part 2 Sarah's Sermon summaries
- Sarah Louise Clarke
- Jun 1, 2024
- 6 min read
Written and Typed 1st June 2024
Personal reflections are usually kept private but as I wrote the last post on last Sunday's sermon and remembered the joy I felt listening to the preaching, I knew that some things are meant to be shared not kept quiet! (Depending on the content!)
Thinking on the whole scope of the sermon, (which some of you may not believe I actually summarised 🤣),
I titled it: Imperfect People Chosen by a Perfect God!
Reading the Old Testament, there are stories all throughout of real historical people, imperfect as they are - chosen by God to do his work on earth and spread the good news.
From mid 2022 to mid 2023, I studied 15 books, miner prophet's of the Old Testament, in the space of 9 months. It was fantastic! I learnt so much at Bible Study Fellowship St Paul's Anglican Church Castle Hill for women! Not only exceptional preaching, but I was with a group of multicultural ladies from all over Sydney. It was good to be a part of community that is outside my local. As lovely as my local church is, I felt my spiritual health needed further assistance. ( I was also in the kids program minding my child because no-one else is trained in special needs. But we won't go into that!)
3 generations of my family have been attending this women's bible study on my dad's side. And I can also add my Grandma on mum's side! We've all done a year or two at the same location. It's a special place for me!
This is also where I have learnt most of my Old Testament books.
I don't have a college degree and I'm not trained or qualified as a minister, but I still feel like I have done a bible college degree! I don't have a certificate to prove that I've completed this course. I'm not recognised or celebrated by a congregation for my years of hard work every Sunday from the stage!
But reflecting on the above, it doesn't matter that I haven't been acknowledged for the hard work and free hours of my time to study God's word!
But God sees it all. Anything we do in secret, he rewards! We may not have physical evidence of that reward, but it is felt spiritually and eternally! It's great to see God working through people and behind the scenes. But that is what God does! All throughout the bible, God has worked through people. Including his son Jesus!
Jesus was sent by the father to earth to complete his work of salvation! Only Jesus was perfect! He had to be for us to be eternally saved!
A few times, mum and I have talked about the people Jesus loved and who he hung out with when he was on earth over 2000 years ago! God loves everyone and he doesn't discriminate. His main focus was on the sinner, the poor, the disabled. The tax collector, everyone that the Pharisees and Sadducees would avoid or look down upon. God welcomed everyone, but not everyone received him.
Just like today and we all have to be careful who we talk to because Jesus name can be loved by some and offensive to others.
God revealed himself to everyone! And he still does today in His word: the Bible!
A note on my website: I was very surprised to see more Christian posts viewed, than the disability ones. I have a disability website and the Christian posts got more views! Wow! Wonderfully unexpected.
But then I thought, my disability posts are based on my experiences or what I have learnt on my daughter's journey. My scope of knowledge is so small! But I'm willing to learn. And I do everyday!
Back to the sermon: it's good to be reminded by God that he does choose and use imperfect people for a purpose! Even when we don't have any idea of what that will be. And for everyone, the task will be different.
Mum and I see parenting and grandparenting a child of disability as part of God's plan! We don't understand the why's and the how's, but we both have felt God's leading that we are meant to be looking after our particular child of special needs.
We're not qualified. We don't have professional experience. We don't know what we are doing half the time. Our parenting is trial and error, we do what works. We attempt and we fail. We get weary and discouraged. But no matter how we feel, we have a big task ahead of us given by God!
My dear little girl didn't ask to be born with disabilities! 7 of them if you want to tick off a checklist!
I wanted to have 3 children and God blessed me with a 3 in one! 😄
She's beautiful but like every child, it's hard work being a parent. And now I'm working on top of advocating and that is exhausting.
After years of the emotional rollercoaster you experience when your child gets diagnosis after diagnosis, I've finally came into the acceptance stage of the journey. I'm now able to talk and advocate for my child with joy instead of grief!
I'm aware of my imperfections. And I've had doubts about my salvation! But a sermon like this previous Sunday bought a smile to my face. It confirmed I am saved because I believe in Jesus. If we want to be with him in heaven, no matter how sinful we are on earth, if we embrace him, he accepts us. His mercy and his grace is astounding. When I think of God, I think of all the characteristics of his person: loving, peaceful, forgiving, eternal, active, alive, embracing, merciful, unconditional, unfailing, covenantal, everlasting! I could keep going!
I feel so sinful that why would God forgive me! I keep repeating the same sins, I love things of the world that distract me from God. I'm busy and don't always think of God. Though that is changing with practice.
I pray for a car spot and when one pops up out of nowhere - I'm amazed. God is there! He's answering prayers. While he may not answer my prayers for my child to be cured, he will answer my prayers for a car spot, or anything spiritually related.
We all want physical things we can see from God, but the lesson he is trying to teach us is spiritual!
He wants to be with us on our journey! We won't learn or grow if he takes all our trials and suffering away. We wouldn't have a need to lean on and embrace him for help if he answered all our prayers. While my prayers for answers may not ever be answered, he's spoken in his word about salvation!
God used Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph and the women in the book of Genesis. He still used Esau even after he gave away and lost so much. I can't say most of these characters are nice people as you would have read in part one. But imperfect as they were, God still chose them in his plans. And we are also chosen in his plans. I struggled to accept and embrace mine, but now I am in a place that I can. I look back and see where I have grown in character and resilience. I'm completely different to who I was when Christina was born.
I have learnt that is doesn't matter how we think or feel about ourselves and whether we feel fit to have salvation in Jesus. But the sermon confirmed and taught me something: no matter my sins and imperfections, God still loves me and we are saved because of what Jesus has done for us on our behalf! We just have to believe and follow. We can't earn our salvation! We do good works because we are saved. We are obedient to God's word because of our love for him, not to gain salvation. We have that if we come to Jesus 😁 it's wonderful news! We don't have to do anything to gain salvation, we just have to receive and believe! Allow God to direct you on your journey!
That was a great comfort to me!
The imperfect me is chosen by a perfect God and you too can be excited and relieved by this news.
To finish off, you can read my favourite passage of the new testament in relation to this topic, that also solidified my convictions, we don't have to be afraid about our future or the plans God has for our journey. We can rest and trust in Jesus. He holds us close 🤩
Be confident and joyful 😊
With love and best wishes,
Sarah Louise Clarke
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