Life happens quickly. Before you know it, you’re tired, exhausted, and feeling alone in your endeavor. Then it hits you…I’m empty.

At this point, I turn to God and ask the “Job” questions of “why”. Why am I feeling this rushed and bombarded with life when I thought the activities we committed to were in your will? Why can I not get everything done that I truly desire to complete on my to-do list? In fact, my to-do list is almost a thing of the past (in my view only, in reality it’s only been a week), because I feel why try if I know I won’t get it accomplished. I’m empty.

Then, amongst my chaos, I choose to sit. I sit in the same green chair I’ve had since college. I sit and I open up the Bible to read. I beg God to show me something. I remind him I feel empty.

Wouldn’t you know He answered beautifully? I read about Moses and his calling to free the Israelites. He actually argued with God repeatedly that he couldn’t talk to Pharaoh. I imagine God restraining Himself here because He asks Moses, “What is that in your hand?” Moses then replied to God that it was a shepherd’s staff. God asks Moses to then perform several tasks:

1. Turn the staff into a snake.
2. Turn the snake back into the staff.
3. Put his hand inside his cloak. When he took it out it had a skin disease on it (presumably leprosy).
4. Put his hand back inside and out of his cloak and his hand was healed.

God was proving Himself faithful to Moses in the little and big ways. Yet, Moses still pleaded with God to not have to speak. Although Moses had grown up in royalty, he was a shepherd now; the complete opposite of Egyptian culture. In that time, the Egyptians couldn’t even eat with a Hebrew simply because Hebrews were shepherds…they were lowly. Now, the lowly shepherd was being called to enter into the presence of Egyptian culture and act as an equal. I’m sure feeling pretty empty by this point.

Many times, I will be Moses. I will feel God pushing me in one direction and I think about making excuses. Yet, just like Moses, God never calls me to use extraordinary means to be used by Him. He calls me to use the simple talents He has gifted particularly for me. I’m a wife, mom, and a writer. When I use these gifts for God’s glory, they can become extraordinary. Moses’ staff wasn’t extraordinary, either. It was used for his everyday work. Yet, God called Moses to use what he knew how to do on a daily basis and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He “shepherded” them through the desert; extraordinary. The desert was a long and tiring journey. God used what society considered to be “empty”, a lowly shepherd, and used it for His glory.

When the desert-walk of life seems alone and empty, use the advice you give to others on yourself. Show yourself the grace and mercy God has already provided and allow God to use you. What ordinary talents and gifts has God given to you that you refuse to see as able to be used for His glory?

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