Who are you when things get hot?

This week I found out that we will have our annual church-wide BBQ on April 26th. We'll be cooking very early and selling all morning and afternoon on the 26th. At the same time we will be serving God in our Angel Food ministry distributing food for April from our Youth and Children's Center. It will be a busy day, and we'll need your help. Both projects will require LOTS of willing people.

As I thought about how good the BBQ was last year and how good it will be this year I reflected on how BBQ is cooked. It is heated to a high temperature for a very long period of time. You'd think cooking it that long would make it inedible, but with the right recipe and the right cook, it will be wonderful.

Our Wednesday night Bible Study is about a guy who was under high heat for a long time. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery and, in the midst of short-lived prosperity, was imprisoned. He was there awhile and he had many chances during his life to turn his back on God. But, after reflecting on his strife and trials, Joseph says, "Satan meant it for evil but God meant it for good."

We are watched and nurtured by a God who can turn life's worst times into the times we shine as God's people. Joseph isn't just a story. He is an example of what great things God can do with people who are obedient and usable for God's purposes. He proved to be the savior of his people during a time of famine and he connected the line of God's covenant from Abraham's generation to that of a guy named Moses. Pretty good for a slave who, when heated to the max, became a beautiful servant of God.

May God bless you this and every day, and may he use your trials for great good!

In Christ's Love, Randy