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Who Sent You?

#God, #inspiration, #Holy Spirit, restorationMy friend told me about a strange occurrence at her home. At various times of the day and night different young women came to her door. When she answered they would say they had the wrong address and back away to be picked up by a vehicle waiting a few houses away.

After three such visits in a twenty-four hour period, she’d had enough, and said to the young woman, “Who sent you here?” The surprise on this person’s face was obvious as she heard of the others who had been there before her. She hurried to the waiting vehicle. Since this confrontation, no more unexpected visitors have arrived.

We discussed these occurrences and decided it must have been the question, “Who sent you?” that caused the unwanted visits to stop.

As I thought about this I realized this is a very good question. At the time I was experiencing an unsettled time in a previously good relationship. I was hurt and confused by the change in behaviour. The feeling of conflict was examined and I asked, “Who sent you?”

It wasn’t of God because he doesn’t send unrest. Therefore, it was what I refer to as a spiritual attack. This was something unwanted and uninvited. I had the choice to play host to it or to send it away. My choice was obvious. I prayed, asking the Holy Spirit to fill me, leaving no room for the unrest.

The situation became resolved and the relationship restored. The next time I find myself in this kind of situation I need to ask, “Who sent you?” and respond accordingly.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Remembering the Sacrifice

gratitude, honour, heroesNovember 11 is known as Remembrance Day in Canada. This date marks the anniversary of the official end of World War 1in 1918. The day is set aside to honour the brave men and women who serve in the military. Ceremonies are held to commemorate the sacrifices made in armed conflict.

Wearing a poppy and observing two minutes of silence on the eleventh hour of the eleventh month is not enough. They deserve much more than one minute or one day of our thanks. Countless numbers have given their lives and many more have suffered serious injuries and great emotional scars.

These men and women know the risks when they sign up. Out of love for their country and for mankind, they put their lives on the line for us.

Many of us would risk our lives for a family member. Few would do this for people they do not know. Others, like the members of the military, take this on to give us the freedoms that we so often take for granted.
They run into the dangerous situations that the rest of us are fleeing from.

We owe them a debt greater than we can repay. Let us never take our freedom for granted.

My deepest appreciation goes to these true heroes.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Arthur Ash

Carry Me

#God, #inspiration, supportI don’t want to walk.” the little girl said. “Carry me.”

“I’ll carry you this time, but next time you need to walk.” replied the grandma.

The little girl looked into her grandma’s eyes and said, “But I like it when you carry me.”

The grandma lovingly replied, “I like it when I carry you, too, but you’re a big girl now and have to learn to walk on your own.”

As I watched this scene unfold, my relationship with God came to mind. When I am weary he carries me until I can regain my strength. In his loving arms, I feel safe and cared for.

Then comes the time he encourages me to walk on my own. I don’t feel ready; can’t you just keep carrying me? He lovingly tells me, “You’re a big girl now. You can do this.”

It can be scary but the support and guidance of God will give me strength and confidence. It’s time to trust him and take those steps. I am confident he will be there to pick me up if need be. How can I be certain of this? That’s the way God treats all of his precious children.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1 NIV)

My Messy Life

#inspiration, response, helping othersAt our local pool shoes are removed and put on racks outside of the changing room. This simple act helps to keep the floor of the changing room clean.

I’ve seen what happens when this rule is not followed so no matter the rush I’m in, my footwear is always placed on one of these shelves.
One day I exited the changing room and found it difficult to get to my shoes for the footwear hastily left scattered on the floor. Some shoes weren’t anywhere near their mate!

Instead of being upset by the obstacle course in front of me, I stopped and took a picture! I’m sure the intention was not to cause problems when the shoes were hastily removed.

The scene before me was a good illustration of how messy my life can become. When in a hurry or distracted, my thoughts and actions are scattered.

It may seem like this only affects me but that’s where I’m wrong. My messy response to responsibilities can cause problems for those who need to get past the disaster I’ve left in order to move to where they need to be.

The debris I’ve left behind may slow them down or it may cause them to stumble. Either way, the result is not pleasing. By making sure my life doesn’t get scattered and messy I not only help others but am set free to accomplish my own goals.

“It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” Charles Dudley

Nightmares

#God, #inspiration, blessings,positive The night seemed never-ending. Strange, vivid dreams disturbed my sleep. I woke frequently to the unsettling dream video playing in my mind. When I fell asleep again I’d find myself in another aspect of this bizarre story.

After many hours of this sequence, I realized that I needed to focus on something else as I was nodding off again. That’s when a snippet of a scripture verse came to mind; “whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, think about these things.”

It took all my concentration to replace the unsettling images with thoughts of God’s blessings. What could be more pure and lovely than that? My final hour of sleep was peaceful.

Soon the alarm went and I was surprised to find my neck and shoulders were stiff and sore. My back ached and it took great effort to place one foot in front of the other. “What happened?” I thought; “I felt fine when I went to bed.”

It was then I realized the negative thoughts in the night had seized my body as well as my mind. If they had the power to make this much impact in eight hours of rest, I wondered what the overall effect of negative thoughts had on my health. This was one experiment I wasn’t willing to take!

Just as I discovered in the night, my focus needs to remain on God. He has provided many blessings in my life. By consciously turning my attention to God and praying about every situation, my mind will stay positive and the tension will be gone.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:6-8 NIV)

Lineups

#Jesus, #God, #inspirationI overheard a conversation about a new grocery store that had just opened in my area. “Did you go to the grand opening?” one asked. “No, I don’t like the crowds and lineups,” the other replied.

They carried on to say that there had been giveaways for the first 500 people through the door. This hadn’t been enough to get them to the store.

Although I’m sure the giveaways would have enticed many, the reward would need to be substantial before I’d be willing to spend my time waiting in line. Even if I hadn’t other commitments that day I wouldn’t have joined the throng of shoppers.

There have been times I’ve lined up for something of little significance. In contrast, the greatest reward I’ve ever received was available to all who requested it. It wasn’t on one day only or limited to the first 500 who arrived. No lineups were required.

Jesus accepts all who sincerely desire a personal relationship with him. I came asking forgiveness for my sins. He took away my guilt and shame. My doubts and sorrow were replaced with peace and joy.

The light and love of Jesus shines into my life and has secured my place in the kingdom of God. The day I invited Jesus into my life was the grand opening of my new life with him. No line ups required.

God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. (1 John 1:9 GWT)

Smell the Coffee

#Lord, #inspiration, #God, prayer, wisdomI was in the middle of an exercise class when the aroma of fresh coffee wafted in from a nearby kiosk. Not being a coffee drinker, it did little for me. Many others were impacted and soon were talking about their desire for this beverage.

The way the scent impacted most of the class made me think of the phrase, Wake up and smell the coffee. My interpretation of this phrase is to stop living in my own little world and to pay attention to what is going on around me.

It is very easy to become inwardly focused. Sometimes I get so caught up in what is happening in my own life that I fail to notice the struggles others are experiencing.

I need to remember life doesn’t revolve around me. This is when it’s time to stop and pray to the Lord for wisdom. He will give me an understanding of the needs around me and the guidance to know what I can do for others. When I follow his direction my life will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:5 NIV)

What Are You Looking At?

#God, #inspiration, wisdom, prayerThe recreation facility has side-by-side pools. In one was the aquafit class I attend. The other had children’s swimming lessons happening at the same time.

One morning I watched with amusement as a young boy was so interested in our class he couldn’t pay attention to his teacher. With great effort, she managed to get him to look at her. Seconds later he had turned to watch us again. Eventually, she moved him to the far side of the pool to minimize the distraction.

This would have been funny if it hadn’t been a reflection of my life. After all, I seemed to be paying more attention to him than my instructor! This brought to mind the times I’ve been equally distracted.

Just as the child was receiving lessons when his attention wandered, I have prayed for guidance and not held still long enough to receive it.

I want God’s direction in my life. He is more than willing to give it. When I ask and then get distracted and let my mind wander, it’s unlikely I will receive the wisdom God wants to impart. There may be snippets that register but much is lost due to my inattention.

The Lord has promised to instruct and teach me. His loving eyes see when I’m not paying attention. The Bible also says, “Come close to God, and he will come close to you.” In order to live the full life he has in store for me, I need to be looking at him.

Come close to God, and he will come close to you. (James 4:8 GWT)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8 NIV)

Need to Recharge?

#jesus, #inspiration, power, strength“My phone is almost dead I need to recharge it,” I said to my husband; “I’m so glad it gives me warning instead of just shutting down.”

As I went to plug it in, I noticed another function I’d never paid attention to. When the battery is reaching the end of its usage a notification pops up asking if I’d like to put it on low battery mode. This function enables it to conserve the remaining power so it will last longer.

When I mentioned this to my husband, he said, “Is there a lesson here for us?” I must admit, the lesson was lost on me until he explained his train of thought. Then I understood the significance.

I have frequently expressed a desire to have such features built into me! There are times I’d appreciate a notification reminding me to conserve my remaining energy so I won’t crash. Instead, I tend to keep going until I have nothing left to give.

Although I may realize my strength is waning, I ignore the signs and don’t heed the warning. Something showing me how close to burning out I am would be handy.

What I often fail to remember is my power is never sufficient. And what’s more, it was never meant to be.

My strength comes from Jesus. As long as I stay plugged into him he will give me the strength I need to get through each day.

“ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NLT)

Tacky Tourists

#Jesus, #Christ, #inspiration, My husband and I recently visited a National Park. Some of the trails we walked on were only wide enough for two people. That meant if we encountered someone coming the opposite way we would walk single file. We soon learned that not everyone had the same opinion. When the ones approaching us didn’t move over we were forced off the path and into the underbrush.

I was amazed to see a number of people stop in the middle of a trail and line up others in their party to take pictures. It wasn’t the photo opportunities that surprised me as much as the lack of concern for others wanting to get by. They would block the way with no consideration for anyone else.

My frustration was starting to rise when I felt a nudge in my conscience. How many times have I blocked someone from getting to Jesus? It may not have been my intention to get in the way, but when I become focused on my own needs and desires that is exactly what happens. Either they are forced to step into the weeds, stand and wait or turn the other direction.

If I am the centre of attention Christ is relegated to the background. No one should have to go around me to get to him. My role is to be the window through which Jesus can be seen, not the obstacle that makes them want to turn in the opposite direction.

Most situations have a lesson to teach. My experience in the park was a reminder not to get in the way. I need to step aside and let Jesus be the guide.

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. (1Corinthians 10:24 NLT)

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