Saturday, April 14, 2007

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

We moved into our house 3 years ago this month. There are some boxes in our storage area that have not been touched since we moved in. I have had really good intentions (for 3 years) to go through all the boxes in the storage area and re-label them, put the contents away or get them ready for a garage sale. Due to some plumbing issues at our house this week, it turns out that today was the day to finally make some headway in the storage area. We had to empty out a third of the boxes to fix the plumbing clog, so instead of just putting them back and shutting the door (trust me, the thought was in the forefront of my mind as I took a rest on the couch) I organized the storage area. It felt good when I was done - I found a lot of junk in there to trash and now there is a clean walkway to get to all of the boxes!

While I was going through the boxes, I found a poster that I used to have hanging in my college door room. It struck me again today in the same way I remember it struck me when I bought it in college. The title of the poster is "The Fellowship of the Unashamed"

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed".
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chinzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.
I am not ashamed of the gospel...Romans 1:16

Wow - I read through that and want to be a part of that fellowship, but I know that I have more to clean up than just a storage room! Praise God that He's not finished with me yet.
I think I'll move the poster to some place I spend more time in than the storage area...

2 comments:

Sonny Huisman said...

We all have that "internal clean-up" to work on, don't we? Thanks for sharing the words to your poster . . . I did me a lot of good too!

MiniMe Mom said...

I, too, enjoyed that poster's message. So many times, it is easy for me to "rest on my laurels" so to speak, and that is a great reminder to live each day to it's fullest and remember why we are here- to lead others to a saving relationship. Awesome poster.