Last night I met with an teen girl who I've known for about 9years. She is a beautiful girl who has always struggled with being "set apart". Now her situation is not a problem of how to be set apart...she really is set apart! She knows her calling from God(as a 16 year old!)and she serves Him in every opportunity that she can. We met and talked for about an hour. She gave me a glimpse of what it is like as a teen girl in 2006. I have to say the issues havent changed much but I've lost touch of what these girls are going thru. It brought me back to my "teen struggles" and it reminded me that I had no one to talk with about them. She told me about a friend of hers who actually said to her mom the other day"I just wish someone would talk to us about sex & purity".
Wow! She desired someone to share with her. To help her deal with her everyday struggles with this! She needed someone to listen. Someone to give her Godly advice. She just needed someone.
Last week I met with a friend who goes around speaking on different subjects and sex is one of them. I met with him hoping that he would give me insight on what to do with my book on this very topic. He encouraged me to get the book edited, send it out to several publishers and pray. He also told me that it had taken him 20 years to get published(yikes) but you know what, I wasnt discouraged...I know God has a plan for this. He also encouraged me to speak. Something I'm not comfortable with but know that God is pushing me towards. So, since my meeting with him I've been praying for opportunities to come up. How? Where? I'm a stay at home mom-who am I going to speak to-my 5 year old? That's a little too soon to share with her about purity...so back to my other meeting...this teen girl is having a night of fun, pampering, movies, food & speakers & the topics are on sex & self image...
Man, God is good! She asked me to share my story...share about what God has done for me...share about mistakes I've made and how God has transformed me, share about his mercy, his forgiveness, his love...God is good.
So what does this have to do with "Theophilus" and what is Theophilus you ask?
After this girl and I met, I headed to my bible study. We have been studying the gospel of Luke. In the beginning of the first chapter Luke writes to "his excellent Theophilus".
I thought this was a specific person. Our leader shared that it was not a person at all, it's Hebrew for "lover of God".
Who are lovers of God? Anyone who serves him, loves him & want to do his will. That's me. That's you if you are a believer. Luke is writing this beautiful story of Jesus' life for us! He carefully examined it, studied it & wrote down what he had seen & heard. I feel like this is what God is doing in my life. I've been examining my life, my story and now I'm about to share it with others. So, I'm looking for Theophilus's...Lover's of God...people willing to hear & tell the story of Christ and their own experiences of what God had done for them. As the book of Luke continues throughout the entire book it tells of different people sharing in their stories, sharing in their joys, their sorrows and how God has moved thru them...for example...in chapter 1:39-45 Mary hurries to Elizabeth's house to share in her joy!
Zechariah who was mute for several months after he had found out that he was going to have a son, in verse 67-80 he immediatly praises God & thanks him for his goodness and he runs to share it with others(notice how he didnt complain about being mute?)Another lesson, another time...
So, I'm on a journey to find more people like this. More people who are willing to "serve Him fearlessly" and share the gospel with unbelievers, share with eachother(lovers of God) on what he is doing for them! Are you a Theophilus?
