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Dear Shiloh Family,

Do you ever feel totally useless? Well, maybe it's just me, but there are times when it seems like nothing I do matters. Often, like Elijah, we search for God in the lightning and thunder, wind and rain, and we wait for the proverbial earthquake, but He manifests himself in that "still small voice" or even in a song.

1 Kings 19:11-12:11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. NKJV

Recently, a good friend, one of our church family, was participating in a college book buy-back when a lady approached carrying two medical books. His curiosity was immediately sparked because she was a bit older than the typical campus crawler, and her face was riddled with anticipation. The ensuing conversation went something like this (with a few author liberties).
 
"Well, hello! What can I do for you today?"
 
"Do you think these books are worth anything?"
 
"I'll certainly check. I'm sorry, but neither shows up on my computer."
 
"Oh my, I was hoping I could get a little something for one of them. I'm at the end of my rope this week. I am a hospice nurse and it's been a rough month. I'm in the middle of my pay period and don't get paid for another week."
 
A compassionate heart and servant attitude are two of my buddy's greatest traits, so he replied. "Hold on just a minute and let me check further." He disappeared into the office and presented the books to the store manager.
 
After examining the textbooks, the lady exclaimed, "Yes! That is a very rare book. It is very difficult to find. Tell her I'll give her $50 for it. However, I can’t use the other one."

Relentlessly, our brother pushed on and called his boss, who checked the archives of misfit books (that's my definition) and placed a value of $15 on the second presentation. 

Upon hearing of her newfound treasures, the desperate caregiver teared up and began thanking the Lord, which prompted my friend to inquire of her spiritual status. She informed him that she was a Christian and that she had prayed for gas money, but God had supplied more that she expected.
 
Feeling a kindred spirit with a sister-in-Christ, he produced his cell phone and said, "Let me play you a song that I’ve been listening to." From the small speakers came the enormous voice of CeCe Winans and the song, Come Jesus Come. The lady's tears turned to raised hands and open praise. Her next words are what prompted me to relate this story.

"Thank you for allowing God to use you today. The Lord divinely placed you in my life. I came here with things I thought were worthless and He turned it in to value."
 
You see, our Heavenly Father often chooses the smallest things to bring the largest blessings. He still feeds multitudes with loaves and fish. Small things to the world become miracles in the hands of the Lord. Don't give up in your walk with Jesus, go the extra mile to serve others, and always remember God cares about every minute detail of your life. 
 
1 Corinthians 1:27-28 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; NKJV
 
Every grain of sand in the mortar adds strength to the foundation. 

God bless you all,
Pastor Derrell