I see “the Gospel” and “sharing Jesus or talking about God” as much more expansive than using those labels (God, Jesus, etc.). I see the divine infused into everything and everywhere. “In (him/her/it, etc.) we live and move and have our being”. Something doesn’t need to be called a divine name to be an essence of the divine. Just common everyday interactions can be intricately divine without ever mentioning or implying the divine. (Those are just labels used for our benefit). “preach the gospel always. If needed, use words.” We (attempt to) limit God when we insist on using or applying divine names or attributes to situations or… Just imagine us insisting our 2-year-old children calling us by our “proper name”. How silly is that? The child cannot even comprehend who and what we are. Likewise, we cannot even begin to comprehend who and what the divine is. It is beyond the ability of words to explain. Whatever we try to express in words misses the concept entirely. The divine is beyond words.

For example, many years ago I created an upholstery information website (www.upholsteryresource.com) to help other upholsterers and do-it-yourselfers. In it, I explained in detail many of the concepts of doing upholstery, how to run an upholstery business, and how to deal with clients. I had an intense interest and inner drive to keep writing and keep expanding it. I don't think I mentioned anything divine in it. And yet I'm realizing that every part of it was from and inspired by the divine. Over the years I have had many upholsterers tell me that this website had greatly helped and guided them get through some difficult periods of learning and succeeding in the upholstery trade. I have never received any money from people using this website. It has been my gift, freely given, to the world. The building of this website has been reciprocal, I have received more than I have given. It has given me meaning, purpose, and an identity that I did not have before.

Who am I? I'm just a nobody. There lots of better upholsterers than me. There are many upholsterers that do the upholstery business better than I do. I am just someone who was called and who was willing and kept plodding ahead. I was willing. I kept at it. I never realized that it was my calling because it wasn't labeled as “godly” or as “divine”. It is only as I write this that this message is coming to me and penetrating my heart. I have been crying deeply as I write this. I am a weak imperfect person and yet I have been given this great gift. I come from parents who failed many times over many years. I have failed much. I am very disorganized. I have failed many times. But I never gave up. Although I have many faults, I am persistent. I don't give up. I don't let fear stop me. I don't let failure stop me. It is not in my nature to give up and quit.

“Lord, here am I, send me. I am not much, but I am willing. Send me.”

As I write this I'm again made aware that the divine is at work everywhere in many ways that we don't even recognize, because we are blind to it and it isn't labeled as divine. “(the divine) will give us the desires of our heart.

Serving need not be called “service to the divine”. Serve in any place and in any way that you are drawn to, It can be teaching, cooking, cleaning, or whatever else you are drawn to or find peace in doing. It can just be in doing all the daily activities of your daily life. The divine is in it all. The only thing that lacks is your awareness of it. The message is to give yourself to that thing that you love. The divine is love. The divine is the expression (or working out) of what you love.

I see “the Gospel” and “sharing Jesus or talking about God” as much more expansive than using those labels (God, Jesus, etc.). I see the divine infused into everything and everywhere. “In (him/her/it, etc.) we live and move and have our being”. Something doesn’t need to be called a divine name to be an essence of the divine. Just common everyday interactions can be intricately divine without ever mentioning or implying the divine. (Those are just labels used for our benefit). “preach the gospel always. If needed, use words.” We (attempt to) limit God when we insist on using or applying divine names or attributes to situations or… Just imagine us insisting our 2-year-old children calling us by our “proper name”. How silly is that? The child cannot even comprehend who and what we are. Likewise, we cannot even begin to comprehend who and what the divine is. It is beyond the ability of words to explain. Whatever we try to express in words misses the concept entirely. The divine is beyond words.

For example, many years ago I created an upholstery information website (www.upholsteryresource.com) to help other upholsterers and do-it-yourselfers. In it, I explained in detail many of the concepts of doing upholstery, how to run an upholstery business, and how to deal with clients. I had an intense interest and inner drive to keep writing and keep expanding it. I don't think I mentioned anything divine in it. And yet I'm realizing that every part of it was from and inspired by the divine. Over the years I have had many upholsterers tell me that this website had greatly helped and guided them get through some difficult periods of learning and succeeding in the upholstery trade. I have never received any money from people using this website. It has been my gift, freely given, to the world. The building of this website has been reciprocal, I have received more than I have given. It has given me meaning, purpose, and an identity that I did not have before.

Who am I? I'm just a nobody. There lots of better upholsterers than me. There are many upholsterers that do the upholstery business better than I do. I am just someone who was called and who was willing and kept plodding ahead. I was willing. I kept at it. I never realized that it was my calling because it wasn't labeled as “godly” or as “divine”. It is only as I write this that this message is coming to me and penetrating my heart. I have been crying deeply as I write this. I am a weak imperfect person and yet I have been given this great gift. I come from parents who failed many times over many years. I have failed much. I am very disorganized. I have failed many times. But I never gave up. Although I have many faults, I am persistent. I don't give up. I don't let fear stop me. I don't let failure stop me. It is not in my nature to give up and quit.

“Lord, here am I, send me. I am not much, but I am willing. Send me.”

As I write this I'm again made aware that the divine is at work everywhere in many ways that we don't even recognize, because we are blind to it and it isn't labeled as divine. “(the divine) will give us the desires of our heart.

Serving need not be called “service to the divine”. Serve in any place and in any way that you are drawn to, It can be teaching, cooking, cleaning, or whatever else you are drawn to or find peace in doing. It can just be in doing all the daily activities of your daily life. The divine is in it all. The only thing that lacks is your awareness of it. The message is to give yourself to that thing that you love. The divine is love. The divine is the expression (or working out) of what you love.