NOBODYS Wanted - See God

How does my resume look?  Am I qualified?  Can God really use a NOBODY with nothing to offer?  What if my self-esteem is in the DIRT of my Monday - Friday RUT where my abilities and influence never seem to make a difference for God.

Oh sure I attend church most every Sunday, and my wife and I even host a Small Group bible study every other Sunday night.. but what difference does any of that make?  Who am I?  Hi, my name is Jeff and I am NOBODY.

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Then I reflect back over my years in the work place. I have traveled on a seemingly random career path. As a young man I worked as a logger in rural Wisconsin, then moved to the big city where I was a computer programmer/analyst, and not so many years ago I was the owner/manager of  a sports officials management business. 

​After selling my sports officiating biz overal several years I coasted into early retirement while driving school bus part time on the side. I find officiating sports and officiating school kids on a big yellow bus are very similar. 

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​Side note: There was one summer while between jobs I was a PAPER BOY (for God?) delivering the daily newspaper.   

All while through my years in the work force I have continued my hobby/passion of cartooning..finding out it is not a successful 'get rich quick' scheme or a cash cow though I better known for my cartoons than I am for any of my proffessional accomplishments.

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Then to further feed this 'I AM NOBODY'  theme there was a time when I received an actual letter in my mailbox declaring my 'nobodyness'.  Well, actually worse than nobody.. the letter said I was DEAD.  This letter was from my bank addressed to Jeffrey DEAD Larson instead of Jeffrey DEAN Larson. 

​I am not sure if that was a typo or a snarky comment on my personal credit so I did quick check my pulse, and good news.. I was not dead.  

​Good News? I am not dead. Bad News? I am nobody!

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So I turn to God's word for encouragement and inspiration in hopes to find a glimmer of hope that I am not a NOBODY, but rather a somebody.  I was quickly reminded of great Bible nobodys turned  to somebodys

• Moses was the exiled (for murder) former Prince of Egypt and was tending sheep when God called him from the Burning Bush.
• ​Abraham received God's call to be the father of a nation when he was an old man. And while Abraham was known for his great faith, I also remember he was a pretty good liar too.  
• King David known as the man after God's own heart committed adultery and planned a murder.  
• The Apostle Paul was the great persecutor of the early Christian church before God stopped him on the road to Damascus and decided switch sides and join the A Team.
• Peter was the Rock on whom Jesus would build his church also denied Jesus 3 times. ​​

​By God using these very flawed men to serve him in great ways it demonstrates it has always about God's message and not the messenger.... so maybe there is hope for a NOBODY like me.

NOBODY(s) for JESUS..  sounds more like a label for a Christian support group than a battle cry to serve God.  Can't  you hear our Battle Cry?

Who are we? nobody. 
louder.. NOBODY! 
The mighty mighty.. ​Nobodys?

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​Who am I without God anyways?  BUT an equally good question is.. WHO AM I WITH GOD?  What is possible? 

This is not to say God will use me to part any Red Seas, raise any dead, or become the Billy Graham of Christian cartoons, ..  but

I believe if I am willing, God will bless and use me in ways that are beyond what I could dream.

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​The one thing I am daily reminded is.. this life is not about me.  It is about loving God with all my heart soul and mind and caring for others. To be faithful in the moments presented to me each day and then God can and will use me in little subtle ways for sure, and who knows maybe in big ways.  I am sure there is a sea that needs parting somewhere.

May God bless and use each of you as you are faithful to HIm in ways that are always beyond our dreams and all that God intends.

Have a great day.  Smile lots.. and enjoy life!

Jeff (NOBODY) Larson

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