Tag: Jesus

I Hear the Ice Cream Truck!

#inspiration, #Jesus, refreshmentOne of the signs of summer is the distinctive music of an ice cream truck as it slowly winds its way through the neighbourhoods. The sound can be heard several blocks away which gives children a chance to race to their parents and beg for money to pay for a treat.

I don’t know of another sound in the summer that brings people running. Thoughts of enjoying ice cream treats delivered right to your neighbourhood, are enough to send many searching for their wallets!

Even if I don’t want to indulge in the offerings, the music brings pleasant memories of summers past, when I had young children excited to hear the sound of the ice cream truck approaching. If they were fast enough, they could wait at the end of the driveway and the truck would stop. If not, they would need to chase it down the street and maybe wait in line for their favourite treat.

Most of the offerings from the ice cream truck are available at local stores but people are still willing to pay a premium price to the ice cream man. There must be something in the simple melody the truck plays that draws people in.

I think of this attraction and wonder how many people are drawn to Jesus in the same excited way. The bounties he brings are too numerous to be listed on the side of a truck. There is no premium price involved; no need to chase him down the street, money in hand.

When I’m open to what Jesus has to offer, he delivers directly to me, no lineups involved. And, best of all, there’s no need to wait for summer to receive the refreshment he brings.

Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. (James 1:17 GWT)

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)

A Clean Sweep

Signs informing us of scheduled street sweeping appeared. They gave us a span of three days for this to happen, along with a warning not to leave vehicles parked on the street over this time.

During our long, snowy winter sand and gravel were used in order to make our city streets safer. Bit by bit it had accumulated. When the last of the protective snow covering melted; I was surprised by the amount of debris left behind.
It wasn’t obvious when it was covered up. When the street was laid bare, the eyesore was difficult to ignore.

Early one morning I heard the rumble of the street sweeper passing by. It went back and forth multiple times until the area was clean. This powerful machine needed to make many passes in order to complete the job.

On most of the street, a thorough cleaning was accomplished. The occasional vehicle made it impossible to for the brushes to get all the way to the curb, which meant some debris was left behind.

This was an analogy of my life. When negative experiences occur I try to cover and forget them. Over time, a mess accumulates. I don’t want anyone to see what I’m hiding as it won’t be pleasant.

Sooner or later, the cover wears thin and bits of the messiness begin to show. Like the vehicles impeding the street sweeper, I have blockages making it impossible to become clean. Until these are removed, there is no way to effectively deal with the debris that lies beneath.

Jesus offers each of us a chance to make a clean sweep in our lives. When we come to him, humble and repentant, he removes those blockages. In one pass, my messy life is swept clean.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 KJV)

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)

Clouded Vision

#Jesus, #inspiration, forgivenessDuring our recent vacation, I was having problems with my hair. I’d wash it and hours later it would feel dirty again.

After trying a few brands of shampoo I came to the conclusion the problem was with the water in the shower. Although it was frustrating, I didn’t know what else to do so had to accept it.

Each day we would go for a long walk along the beach. During the last few days of vacation, the tide was very high, leaving not enough sand to walk on. We didn’t want to forgo our walk so moved inland.

The next day I was pleasantly surprised with my hair. It still felt clean. It took another day of walking inland before I understood what the problem had been and felt foolish to not have recognized it sooner.

Upon return from our beach walks my sunglasses would be covered with a film of sea spray that clouded my vision. I hadn’t thought about that same spray also coating my hair!

The answer was obvious the whole time. Instead of seeing what was right in front of me I went searching for something more complicated. I don’t know about you, but this seems to be a pattern in my life.

Little white lies, judgments and selfishness slowly build up until, like the effects of the sea spray, my vision and my life become clouded. I no longer feel clean and tend to search for outside reasons for my gloom.

The problem, however, isn’t with anyone or anything else. It is my doing and only by taking responsibility can I remove the film that clouds my life. When I go to Jesus and sincerely ask forgiveness, he is willing and able to make my life bright and clean once again.

Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (Matthew 7:5 NLT)

More Than I Think I Can

#Jesus, #Lord, #inspirationThe words didn’t make sense to me. I could understand being told to do my best. After all, I’ve heard no one can ask more of you than to do your best. Yet here was someone asking for more than that.

When I heard, “Do more than you think you can,” I laughed to myself, thinking that wasn’t possible. And then – I did it! I pushed myself harder to see if it was possible and ended up doing more than I thought I could.

I learned I’d been settling for less than my best for quite some time. What had formerly been my best was now commonplace and I was capable of much more. This was a huge eye-opener for me.

The lesson I learned was that I’m capable of doing much more than I think I can. Even so, there are limits to what I can achieve on my own.

Over the past few years, I’ve done many things I never thought I could. This happened when I stopped limiting myself and God by staying stuck in, “I can’t.” What would not be possible for me is no problem for The Lord. Now, I say, “If you want me to do this, I trust you’ll make it happen.”

Life is much more fulfilling when I don’t attempt to tackle it on my own. I am not supposed to be able to do everything. When I put my trust in the Lord, I can stand back and watch him do immeasurably more than I ever dreamed of my life. Every success and achievement is due to him and for that, I can never thank him enough.

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

Coming Undone

#inspiration, #Jesus, protection, coveringAccording to Wikipedia, “Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof.

Along the beach in the Yucatan state of Mexico, we see many of these roofs. Some are on houses and others on palapas, which are open sided shelters used on the beach.

To build a thatched roof, dried palm leaves are placed in an overlapping sequence over beams supported by upright posts. It’s the combination of many intertwined leaves that makes the structure stronger.

To protect the roof from the battering winds coming over the sea, many along the beach have a net secured over the finished roof.

After a day and night of punishing winds, I noticed that several thatched roofs had been damaged. On one, I could see the netting had been torn loose and was hanging off one side. Some large holes now appeared in the roof.

This spoke to me of my life. I am stronger when I join forces with others. Each of us has unique strengths which combine to make us stronger.

Even so, we are only human. Forces will work to separate us and create holes in our structure. Jesus is the covering protection we need to remain intact. When outside influences try to rip this protection from me I need to hold on even tighter to Jesus. He is the one who can hold us together so we don’t come undone.

In their distress they cried out to the Lord. He rescued them from their troubles. (Psalm 107:6 GWT)

Watch Your Step!

#inspiration, #JesusI had just returned from a walk along a tropical beach. This is not a groomed for tourists beach, but one in its natural state.

For this reason I needed to watch my step. Small fishing boats are held by ropes secured on the shore. The rope may be flat on the sand and not easy to see. The breeze tosses the boat, the rope becomes taught, and if I’m in the process of stepping over it, I may be tripped.

There are also remains of sand bags protruding from the sand. Some are easy to see and others are mostly buried. I have stumbled on the torn edges barely visible above the sand but have also been caught by the ones clearly visible.#inspiration, #Jesus, guide my steps

It’s one thing to be tripped by an obstacle I can’t see and quite another to see the potential problem and still get caught.

I was thinking about being aware of my surroundings and watching my step when I realized this same attitude would serve me well in life. It’s when I become overconfident in my own abilities I tend to trip.

On our walks, my husband often tells me, “Watch your step.” His guidance has helped to keep me from harm.

In my life I rely on Jesus to guide me. He watches my steps. When my attention is elsewhere he catches me when I stumble and sets my feet firmly beneath me once again.

though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:24 NIV)

Travel Weary Children

#inspiration, #Jesus, trustThe young child in the seat behind us was getting bored on the airplane. She wanted to see out of the window but the blind was closed. “Open the window,” she said. When her wish wasn’t granted, she raised her voice and said, “Daddy, open the window. I want the window opened.” The insistent demand grew louder and louder. Her parents tried unsuccessfully to shush her. She knew what she wanted and was going to keep asking until she got it.

We had a few hours between flights and I watched as a child ran from her mother. When the mom called her to come back, the child stopped, looked directly at her parent and said, “No.” She then carried on in the opposite direction. She was heading where she wanted regardless of what her parent said.

After witnessing a few episodes like this, I was reminded of the times I’ve acted like a travel weary child. My heavenly Father does not grant my every request. Usually I accept this but other times I’ve been known to repeat my desires over and over, getting louder and more insistent each time. Maybe he just didn’t hear or realize how important this was to me.

Then there are the times God asks me to wait and not run ahead. For my own safety, he wants me to stay close. Thinking I know what’s best for me, I don’t always listen.

Maybe God allowed me to witness the childish outbursts that day to remind me to rely on and trust in him. Not only when I feel like it, but in all circumstances.

Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. (Psalm 37:3 NLT)

Like Eggs in a Basket

#Jesus, #inspiration, valueMy friend raises chickens and told me about the variety of eggs she gathers. When I heard they come in all sizes and colours I thought of the medium and large eggs for sale in the grocery stores. I’ve also seen both brown and white shells, so this was what I pictured.

Imperfect eggs, with bumps on them are rarely seen in stores but I have encountered some of these so thought I understood her statement.

Then I heard about shells that were pale yellow, a muddied green and brilliant blue. I knew other birds produced coloured eggs like this, but hadn’t realized chickens also did. It all depends on the breed or genetics of the hen.

“They may look different on the outside, but inside they’re all the same,” she said. Immediately my mind shifted. “Just like us,” I replied.

Our outward appearance doesn’t matter to Jesus. He sees past that, deep into our souls. When it comes to what’s inside, we all have hopes and dreams for peace, love, family and a sense of purpose. Each has joys and sorrows. Unless I take the time to get to know someone who appears different, I will never know how similar we may be.

We are all like eggs in a basket and Jesus sees the value in each of us. When I find it difficult to love those who are not like me I need only ask Jesus to teach me. He will be happy to help me live the second great commandment.

The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Mark 12:31 NLT)

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