images-3Have you ever had church where there was no church, where there was no preacher, except the one who preached the message did so by the example she gave, as she served others and gave testimony to God’s goodness and kindness?

Have you ever been to church where there was no church, where there was no choir except the songs sung by the birds in the trees as they welcomed you to God’s outdoor cathedral as the sun rose on another glorious morning?

Have you ever been to church where there was no church, where images-5there was no offering taken except the one being taken by a stranger who was trying to pull together enough funds to pay someone’s hospital bill or to send a Veteran to Washington or to make a child with cancer have her wish come true?

A lot of good things in this world happen because we stumble upon them. Yet two people can stumble upon the same thing and one person can call it an obstacle and miss God completely, while the other calls it an opportunity and ends up having church. What makes the difference?

Not long ago my friends Walt and Peggy had a huge infestation of honeybees invade their backyard. Was it an obstacle or an opportunity? If you are a beekeeper this is an opportunity.

Even though Walt and Peggy are not beekeepers they knew one. Within a couple of hours a beekeeper was carrying away about 4000 bees along with a queen, which he was excited to have in order to build a new honeycomb.

Unknown-2Someone with a fear of bees and no appreciation for what they do for our environment would have seen them as obstacles and would have tried to kill them.

When we are looking for opportunities for God to be involved in our lives through His Holy Spirit, God creates more than we could have dreamed or imagined.

The result is that church happens and the sweetness that comes from the Holy Spirit is harvested and it can happen anywhere, because the Spirit is not bound by the brokenness and the obstacles of this world, but desires to work through people who see opportunities for God’s love and goodness to grow.

Today, look for opportunities for God to show up in places and in situations where others only see obstacles. As you pray for God to come and intervene, you will be amazed at His power and His love.