OOTBWC – “Treasure right under your nose”


by Donna Cato on Wednesday, May 18, 2011

We have a treasure right under our nose at OOTBWC and some don’t even know it. I can’t wait to meet the Lord face to face. I know He has got to have the best sense of humour ever. He makes me smile all the time, with all the ways that He gets my attention. This message is for the Soul Food Group, the Crazy Love Group, the Get Out of Your Seat ministry, and for all of us.

God is just weaving a basket out of all these groups to carry “HIS” message to everyone we touch. First of all Brian told me “not to procrastinate” – so the Lord laid this message on my heart this morning and I said I’ve got to wait until tonight to give it, but then Chan’s words rang clear in my ears that I might not be here tonight, I may be with Jesus – face to face. I don’t want to die with a message locked in my mind/heart that He wanted me to give to someone. So here is the Lord’s sense of humour.

My husband & I bought a treadmill off of Craig’s list about 3 years ago that has been used very little from a couple who used it for a clothes rack. Last night when Brian was giving me my work out plan we got on the treadmill and found out it does everything but wash the dishes. You can program it to elevate, do intervals, sprints, running, it is absolutely amazing. Brian has been home for 3 months, we’ve had it for 3 years and none of us knew what a treasure we had right under our nose. After we laughed about it, God led me to think about how I feel about OOTBWC . We have a “TREASURE” right under our nose and we have a choice to make.

We are going to have to either turn it into a clothes rack, or get off our seat and run with it. God left us with “The Great Commission” . . . go ye therefore, into all parts of the world and give them the gospel message of Jesus Christ. God is here, right now, with us – He is our “Treasure”, but until someone opens the box for you and lets you see what’s inside it’s just a box. The Word says not to put your light under a bushel, but to let it shine so others can see. So many people at OOTBWC are writing, talking, sharing and inspiring others with what this ministry is doing for them. I am grateful to God for giving us all this technology, FB, IPhone’s, Twitter that we can use for good, for His Glory to take our message out and open up that “Treasure Box” that is right under so many people’s noses and they don’t even know it.

We live in the Bible belt and there probably aren’t many homes that don’t have a Bible somewhere in the house. Inside that Bible is the Greatest Story Ever Told, the truth about Jesus, our Messiah and what He did for all of us; unfortunately, in so many homes, it is just like my treadmill, sitting there – collecting dust – and the owner doesn’t even know what it does. You have to open it up and see the Treasure inside that, when applied to your life, will transform you. My brother and sister-in-law live in Poulsbo, WA. When we visit, I am always so inspired after going to their church. It is HUGE and has so many mini-ministries within the main church. I would always come home wishing we had one of those here in Carroll County VA.

Now I’m thinking after Ronnie’s message about building our church . . . you know, someone had to have a vision first and open the box to give that vision to a “few”, who realized what the treasure was and grew it into a reality. I see that happening at OOTBWC. You know what my vision is? I love this county, I love Virginia, I love where God has planted me. I too now have a vision, and it is for OOTBWC to fulfil the “Great Commission” in our community, right here in Carroll County. Can you imagine how we could change the world if people made occupational choices after prayerful consideration of where God wanted them to serve Him – if they made home purchases based on the church where God wanted them to be – if we had a vision to build OOTBWC into the kind of church that has so much impact on our community that Carroll County Virginia is known all over as the beautiful spot in the mountains where OOTBWC is! Now folks that’s a vision!

Does anybody believe we can do it for Jesus? I do! It’s already happening. Don’t be afraid to share what is happening in our church with everyone you see. Trust me, there are people listening, longing to hear your enthusiasm. You see when I moved to this area 27 years ago, I wanted to find a church and I listened everywhere I went to see if I could hear anyone talking about their church because I didn’t know anyone here. I wanted to hear the enthusiasm from someone whose church was on fire for Jesus. I’ve got to tell you that 27 years later . . . OOTBWC is the first one I’ve seen. We’ve got to run like it is our last lap to the finish line, because it may be.

Let us all work together to bring it home for Jesus – Bring home the trophy – souls saved – lives changed – Glory to God for the “Great Things He Has Done”!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *