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06
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February
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2010
Posted in : Inspiration, Random Musings
Have you ever tried to work a jigsaw puzzle, one of the big ones, with 1000 plus pieces? Ever gotten frustrated trying to make one of those pieces fit into a slot it was not intended to fit in? We’ve all done it, turned the piece left, right, upside down, but no matter, it just won’t fit. And though we know it won’t fit, we just keep trying to make it fit. Why is that? Why do we frustrate ourselves so?
Life is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle, a picturesque landscape that we are all a part of. Each of us is a unique piece, designed to fit in a specific place. Corner pieces don’t fit in the middle, they weren’t created that way. If everyone was a corner piece, the puzzle would be incomplete, its center missing. With only a center and no border, what holds the puzzle together?
Honestly, I cannot tell you where I fit in the puzzle. My life does not resemble that of others around me. I’m 42 years old and have yet to find my niche’. Nothing about me is what I would deem “the norm”. My hair is curly while much of the population’s is straight. The shape of my body differs from the average woman. I married at eighteen while most of my peers waited until their mid to late twenties. College, well, I never finished. Career, what is that? I am a grown woman who loves dolls, the evidence of which is obvious if you set one foot in my house. Social functions make me uncomfortable; I’ve no clue how to work a room. My husband and I did not purchase our first home until a year ago. Anyone sense a pattern here?
Perhaps I do know which puzzle piece I am. The one that seems to fit nowhere, the one that is oddly shaped, different from the others and yet would leave a gaping hole in the finished product were it to go missing. Many tears have been shed in frustration over not being a border piece. There seem to be a lot of pieces that make up the border, pieces that are similar in design and structure. But, I’m not a border. I was not created to be like the other puzzle pieces. I am unique, created with a purpose. There is no other piece like me. And, I am at peace with that.
No doubt, there will always be days that I feel like pimento-less olive in a jar full of stuffed olives but hey, I’m still an olive, right?
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17
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January
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2010
Posted in : China, Inspiration, Missions
Dear Family and Friends,
For much of my adult life I have been content to play a supporting role. I have lent much support to my husband & children in their numerous endeavors. Lately though, I feel a yearning in my heart to move into a different arena. No longer am I content to dwell in the shadows, I want to be at the forefront. God is calling me to make a difference outside of my four walls, to leave an indelible mark on the world. An amazing opportunity has arisen for me to do just that.
Shortly after we began attending Riverstone Community Church, plans for a China trip were announced. James signed up immediately and I was okay with that. Until the video; one Sunday morning we viewed a video clip about the disabled Chinese orphans. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. At first I thought, “What can I do? I am not a physical therapist (many going on the trip are PT students).” But then I thought, “I’m a mother. What do these children need if not the nurturing love of a mother?” At lunch that day James revealed that the Holy Spirit had told him, “You are not going to China, she is.” Really? Me? Father chose me? How incredibly humbling that our Lord would allow me to travel across the world to show his love to these seemingly forgotten children.
On May 17, 2010 approximately 18 Riverstone partners, myself included, will depart from the USA and travel to Hengyang, China. We will spend two weeks in country, returning to the USA on May 29, 2010. Cost for the trip is approximately $3500 which includes passport, immunizations, visa, airfare, accommodations, transportation, & food, et cetera.
Nothing about me fits into a cookie cutter mold, so it seems highly fitting that my first mission trip should be to a communist country. I do not serve an average God; therefore neither shall I be average in my service to him. I anticipate the China trip being the first of many for me. No longer will I be a kingdom decoration, pretty to look at but acquiring dust. I am shaking the dust off my heart of service and jumping without a safety net.
Who will go with me? Though you may not be able to join me physically, your prayerful and financial support allows you to stake claim in spreading the love of Jesus to the least of these. Donations may be mailed to Becky Miller at PO Box 1167, San Marcos, TX 78667. Make checks payable to Riverstone Community Church with my name in the memo field. For trip updates, be sure to check back or visit Owe No Man Ministries.
Humbling serving,
Becky Miller
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22
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December
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2009
Posted in : Inspiration, Poetry
Hidden in the recesses of my heart
Lie intricate pieces creating a work of art
Each shape distinct, magnificently formed
Requiring Your touch to completely transform
My heart desires to know Your plan
You destined me before time began
Where shall I go? What shall I do?
Grant me strength to press on through
Unique pieces begin to unite
Shaping a creation, perfect in Your sight
Heart, eyes, hands & feet
Each designed with a purpose to meet
Heart of compassion from Father above
Eyes to see and look with love
Gentle hands to softly touch
Sturdy feet, traveling much
Sculpt me; shape me, to do Your will
Whatever your purpose, I’ll humbly fulfill
North, South, East or West
Wherever you direct, I’ll do my best
