Remaining

Recently at a leadership retreat for my church, I went in with the thought of laying everything down that I was doing in the ministry.  I wasn't sure why, but I knew that what I had been doing just didn't feel right.  While at this retreat we were watching a video teaching where the pastor explained how many use Christ as a stepping stone to the ministry.  Meaning, they are not actually serving in Christ, they are only serving their own wants and desires.  This hit me pretty strongly, because I felt this is what I had been doing for the last four years or so that I have been serving in some type of ministry role.  It reaffirmed that I needed to step back and see what it was that Christ wanted me to do in ministry, and wait until His timing was right.  That same day reading through Paul's first letter to Timothy I came across the words in verse three where Paul asks Timothy to "remain on".  That word remain stuck out to me and was what I really took away from the reading.  It was as if God told me to stop trying to do things on my own power, and instead just remain where He has already placed me and serve there.  I began praying then about Him revealing to me what this meant.  Through this time I also began praying for the town that I live in, Eldon, Missouri, and felt a real heart for serving in this town. I took walks through the town, and spent much time in prayer as I went up and down each street in the downtown area.  God has given me a great longing to serve in this area, and I am currently in much prayer over how and when He wants me to serve.  While on a walk the other day, He reminded me of a dream that I had over two and a half years ago.  It was a recurring dream that I had right before I stepped down from a paid ministry role at the church.  I did not know what the dream meant at the time, but I only knew that I was feeling this strong desire to leave the ministry that I was in.  That dream became very clear while walking, and it was a dream about how the youth of this town are dyeing, and the churches and the schools are just standing by and watching.  The youth are segregating themselves into cliques and unhealthy behavior especially in the downtown area.  I am in prayer about this, and long for others to be in fellowship with me over this concern and the start of a ministry to this area.  Please, come along side with me and be in prayer for this area and prayer for the Holy Spirit to open doors to allow ministry to care for these needs.