Tag: God

Undeserved Favour

#God, #Jesus, undeserved, blessingsMy husband Brian, and I recently went for dinner at our favourite little Vietnamese restaurant where we enjoyed a tasty meal and good conversation.

When we were finished Brian went to pay our bill and was told someone had already paid it. This was nothing we expected or deserved. It was the random kindness of a stranger, who left before we could express our appreciation.

The undeserved favour we received that evening reminded us of the way God treats us. There is nothing I could ever do to earn or deserve the blessings he has given me.

God sent his son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for my sins. Because Jesus paid my debt, I am free to come to God and talk to him at any time.

Imagine that, I can have conversations with the King of the Universe. He knows and loves me and invites me to come to him at any time. Not only that, but he has prepared a place for me so I may spend eternity with him.

That, my friends, is the ultimate undeserved favour.

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” ( John 14:2-3 NIV)

Open Hands

#God, #inspiration, prayer, submissionYears ago I heard of an interesting way to catch a monkey. When a banana is placed in a glass jar, the monkey will reach in and grab the banana. With a clenched fist it will not be able to remove its hand from the jar. Even in the face of danger, it will hold onto something it perceives of value, rather than open its hand and lose the prize.

This makes it easy for the trapper to grab the monkey when all it needed to do to ensure its freedom was to drop the banana.

The story came to mind recently when I felt God impressing on me to keep my hands open. Everything was going well in my life and yet I felt discontent. Something wasn’t quite right and I didn’t know what it was or what to do about it.

Like the monkey, I was holding on to the prize in my hand and found it hard to let go. After a struggle, I was able to say through my tears, “I don’t want to give this up, Lord, but I will if that’s what you want from me.”

By opening my hands and letting go of what I perceived as important I was submitting to God’s will for my life. It was strange to think I had to let go of my own desires to find freedom, but that was exactly the case.

The restrictions I placed on my life have been lifted and I am in awe of what God has now placed in my outstretched hands. His plans for me are far greater than anything I could dream of and I am overjoyed to have him back in control.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

Make a Joyful Noise

#God, #inspiration, joyful noiseMy husband and I attended a performance by a symphony and chorus. The venue was small and we were seated behind some of the musicians. We had a side view of the singers and the conductor.

The perspective from that vantage point was very interesting. We were amazed by the variety of instruments the two percussionists played and how they shared duties with several of them. I was fascinated to watch as the kettle drums were struck and then a hand was placed on the top to stop the vibration.

The strings, brass, woodwinds and keyboards each layered on the tones of the other instruments to produce a rich sound. We observed the musicians turning the pages of their sheet music and watching the conductor for direction.
Then there was the chorus. The lyrics were stirring and the harmonies impressive. What caught my attention even more than these were the joyous expressions of the singers. They smiled, swayed to the music and looked like they were having the time of their lives. Throughout, all eyes were focused on the conductor.

I had the pleasure of watching the conductor as he directed both singers and musicians. His pride was evident as he continuously mouthed encouragement and praise.

As I watched this I had a sudden image of God, the conductor of my life. When I keep my eyes focused on him I am aware of his direction. He shows me when to bang the drum and when to silence the sound. His love and encouragement allows me to blend my notes with those of others so we can join together to make a joyful noise.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:19 NIV)
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! (Psalm 98:6 ESV)

Open Arms

#God, the Lord, loveAlthough the little girl had been with her grandmother only an hour earlier, she was excited to see her. At first glance, her eyes lit up and she ran with open arms for a loving embrace.

I watched this heartwarming scene and thought of how very special their relationship was. There is nothing quite like the love expressed through a child’s hug. This expression of affection can melt even the coldest heart.

My young grandchildren are moving past the spontaneous hug stage. I know they still love me; it’s just that other things now vie for their attention. They know that I won’t force them to hug me but I will be there with open arms when they’re ready.

This reminds me of my relationship with God. There are times I race to spend time with him. Other times I let life distract me. My love for the Lord has not diminished and it is not my intention to ignore him for other pursuits.

The good news is He remains close by, watching over me. He is not forceful, demanding attention, but waits patiently for me to return.

When I realize I’ve moved away and reach out to the Lord, he is always ready to welcome me with open arms.

We loved because he first loved us. (1John 4:19 NIV)
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. (Proverbs 8:17 NIV)

Endless Knot

#God, #Jesus, Good Friday, sacrificeI wasn’t sure exactly what it was in the box but knew it was unique and beautiful. The sculpture was a large circle with thick glass strands intertwining.

A card inside told me this was an endless knot, representing a never ending connection. It was also a symbol of eternity, harmony and endless love.

This lovely expression of endless love was a gift from family members. I have heard many stories from people who don’t have good relationships with their family. The object I held in my hands represented the blessing of the harmony that exists with my children and grandchildren.

Our lives are intertwined; each being made stronger by the connection with the others. This bond has been passed down through the generations.

As we draw near to Good Friday, the endless love of God is in the forefront of my mind. He showed his love by sending his only Son, Jesus, to atone for our sins and give us eternal life. This act of great sacrifice reaches to all generations, binding us together.

His love has no beginning and no end. He loved us before we knew him and paid the greatest sacrifice of all that our lives may be intertwined with his. For this, I am eternally grateful.

The Lord is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness endures throughout every generation. (Psalm 100:5 NLT)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

New Beginnings

#God, #the LORD, #inspiration, March 20th is officially the first day of spring. After a long, cold winter, spring is looked forward to as a time of new beginnings.

The hours of daylight lengthen and the temperature starts to rise. Soon green shoots will push their way through the ground with the promise of flowers to follow. Bare branches will bud and the trees will once again be dressed in their coats of green.

Vegetation which has been dormant for months begins its renewal. This is a time of hope and promise.

Patience is required as I wait for the signs of new growth to come. A date on the calendar doesn’t actually herald a change in the weather.

According to the dictionary, renewal has more than one meaning. It can be the resuming of an activity or state after an interruption. This is the renewal we see in our surroundings in spring.

The other meaning is the repair of something that is worn-out, run-down or broken. This is the renewal I have experienced in my own life.

When I was weary and broken I brought my life before the Lord. He gave me a fresh, new start. There was no need to wait for a specific date on the calendar. God has taken a dormant life and renewed it. His mercies are new every morning and my relationship with him is filled with new beginnings.

“The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NLT)

Looking for the Dash

#God, #inspiration, unique, lifeThe situation reminded me of a story I’ve heard several times over the years.

In my case, the dash was to separate two numbers on the outside of a condo. The exterior had recently been painted and now the identifying numbers outside of our door were missing.

We chose some brightly coloured ceramic tiles with the numbers but finding a dash was another matter.

One could have been painted on the wall but that’s not what we wanted. The dash had to have more character than a painted line.

Since our condo is on the waterfront, we decided a shell could be used. The hunt was on for the perfect shell. This needed to be unique enough to also reflect who we are.

The story I was reminded of was about a tombstone. It indicated the date of birth and the date of death. Between these dates was a dash. This represented the years of life. The point of the story was to make the most of the dash. Searching for a dash now, reminded me of the importance of living a meaningful life.

When I was a girl in school, the races we ran on sports day were called dashes. I was good at the shorter ones, like the 50 yard dash, but didn’t have the endurance for the longer runs.

I now realize that the dash representing my life is one of endurance. God has given me a unique life and trusts me to run it to the best of my ability. With his guidance I will use it to reflect his light and love to those I come in contact with.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

Re-Tired

#inspiration, #God, serviceWhat do you do with tires that have become too worn to be used safely on your vehicles?

One common use is to make swings for children. Recently I saw old tires used in what I thought was a very unusual, but fitting way.

Where formerly, they carried vehicles on the road, these ones were set into the pavement to serve as speed bumps.

This served as an appropriate analogy for me. As I travel the road of life, there are times when I may not be able to do things I once was capable of. This doesn’t mean my value is gone. When I look for new ways to be of service, God will place me where I can do the most good.

He is more than able to make me what he wants me to be. As I move from one stage of life to the next, my purpose may become greater than anything I imagined. In his service my value doesn’t decrease. The Lord has been impressing upon me to keep my hands open. He needs to take away what I’ve been holding tightly before he can put something else there. It is only when I let go of one thing that I will be free to embrace the next.

There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:5 NLT)

My Snooze Bar Life

#God, #inspiration, plansI’ve never been one to use the snooze bar on my alarm. I’d rather set my wake up time for slightly later than hit the snooze bar, doze off and then be disturbed all over again.

Although this may not be part of my morning ritual, snooze bar thinking appears in other areas of my life.

Many times there is a task needing to be completed but I don’t feel I have the time, energy or focus to tackle it. By putting it off, I’m actually hitting the snooze bar. Whatever I’m putting off will keep disturbing my thoughts until I finally get up and do it.

On the other hand, if I set my mind on the job at hand, rather than putting off the inevitable, my life runs much smoother.

The stress of missing deadlines, self imposed or otherwise, disappears. I find myself more productive. This contributes to my sense of well-being.
Formerly, I called this bad habit procrastination. The visual of hitting a snooze button is a much more powerful motivator. I want to move forward and not constantly put my life on hold.

The rest of the world does not take a break just because I do. Who knows what I may be missing during the time I hit the snooze bar of my life? God has many plans for my life and I don’t want to sleep through any of them!

Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper and be satisfied. (Proverbs 13:4 NLT)

An empty stable stays clean, but no money comes from an empty stable. (Proverbs 14:4 NLT)

The desires of lazy people will be their ruin, for their hands refuse to work. (Proverbs 21:25)

Walking Though Change

#Jesus, #inspiration, secure footingAfter a stretch of frigid cold and mounting snow, the temperature soared to above freezing. The clear blue sky and bright sunshine lured my husband and me out for a walk.

We headed to the environmental reserve a few blocks away. The paved pathway had been cleared of snow which made the walk less challenging than I’d feared. The air was crisp and clear and we were happy to be outside rather than cooped up in the house.

As we rounded a bend, a large section of the path was covered with drifting snow. This was the result of high winds during the night. The same Chinook winds that blew in the warmer temperature were responsible for obscuring the path.

Carefully I picked my way across the mounds of white. There were areas that stayed firm beneath my feet and others that gave way, causing me to sink. Nothing in the appearance of the drifts let me know which case I’d be facing.

As I navigate my way through life, I am not always sure if the path I’m walking is safe. My firm footing may suddenly give way, causing me to slip. There are other times when what looks uncertain may actually be the best route.

How do I determine which way to go? I have learned that my judgment is not always accurate. By trusting the Lord and asking him to direct me, I can have confidence my steps will be secure.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.” Proverbs 3:5-6 GWT

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