Nothing is ordinary. Life is an endless series of little miracles. The difference between living and existing is noticing. – Louie Giglio
Robin from iStockphoto
The buds are appearing on the rose bushes. The robin is singing vibrantly on the cherry tree. The car, which is ten years old, is running smoothly. I safely negotiated the uneven surface of the old path and dipping garden beds, without turning my ankle. My internet connection, which was broken, reconnected just in time for an important email to be sent.
Yes, little miracles perhaps, but miracles nonetheless. Today, like most other days, my friend and I started the day by committing it to God and trusting him to help in every detail. The more we do this, the more we are identifying hid intervention and protection. The more we see of his miracle of creation and his care for us.
What little miracles have you experienced today?
This video tells the story of the iconic poster. Thank you Denny Burk for bringing it to my attention. It reminds me of something that I have been learning recently.
How wonderful to know that we can experience the deep calm that comes through trusting implicitly in God, whatever our circumstances.
Photo by Spike Mafford - Photodisc
Sitting in a self-service restaurant the other day, I saw a mother and her son approaching a table. She carried a tray of food; he had oloy a glass of orangeade. Somehow, in setting down his glass, he knocked it over, spilling the entire contents over the table and chair.
“Mu-u-u-u-u-m!!!! he wailed. “Look what you made me do!”
His mother had been several paces away from him and the table was not in the least bit wobbly.
Mum made it clear to her son, “I didn’t make you do it. No one else made you do it. You can’t blame anyone except yourself.”
Clumsy me!
Sometimes I have days when I am particularly clumsy. It’s then I sometimes find myself blaming inanimate objects! I stumble and say, “That stupid shoe lace never stays tied up.” Or once, “That milk jug shouldn’t have been on the corner of the shelf. It stuck out and caught my hand. Look at the state of the fridge now!”
You get the idea.
An entrenched pattern
Like the young lad in the restaurant, we tend to follow a pattern that has been entrenched in human behaviour since Eve said, “The serpent told me…” and Adam said, “The woman gave it to me to eat.”
We live in a blame culture. We may not go so far as litigation and demands for compensation, but it is easy to fall into the way of blaming anyone, or anything, except ourselves for many of the ills that we bring upon ourselves, or which are simply nobody’s fault.
Own up
We can break that pattern – face up to our own carelessness, clumsiness, laziness…whatever has caused the mishap. If we do that, then, when something happens that is the fault of another person, we will more readily see that we might have done the same, and be more understanding and forgiving.
Go on! Cut yourself a little slack. Understand that you have made a mistake and don’t try to dodge out of it. Repent, and move on, determined to do better next time. That way you will stop looking to put the blame elsewhere.
It may take a conscious effort, but with God’s help we will find that as we get out of the “it’s-not-my-fault” syndrome, we won’t be grumbling so much and life will be all the sweeter, both for us and for those around us.
Today’s post is a real musical treat. I first heard this song at The Faith Mission’s convention in Edinburgh. The singing nearly lifted the roof of the tent, and my heart nearly burst with joyful praise.
I hope you enjoy this life studio recording of Come people of the risen King, sung by the composer, Stuart Townend. Listen out for the great Celtic-sounding intro and bridge, which get my Scottish heart pumping!
Image by Comstock
I once heard of tale of a man who crossed the Atlantic on a great ocean-going liner. He had just enough money to pay for the ticket, but not much else.
A diet that was crackers!
The story relates how he sat in his cabin every night while the other passengers enjoyed sumptuous dining. Each evening he would nibble on a few dry crackers, which he had brought with him, instead of tucking into the oysters, fillet steak and luxurious desserts served above.
What he did not realize was that his fare covered not only his travel, but also all his meals while he was on board!
Heating one room
Recently my blogging kidmin friend Barbara Graves tweeted about an experience she had some time ago.
Barbara and her husband had moved into a new apartment. They were told that there was no domestic heating fuel left in the tank. As Barbara tells it: ”We lived in one room in front of the fireplace for a month.”
Imagine their surprise when they eventually discovered that there was fuel in the tank after all! They had never tried it!
Living below our privileges
No doubt Barbara and her husband can smile about it now, but tragically, the same can be true of us spiritually. God has made provision for so much grace, help and power to be available to all his children. Everything has already been paid for. Yet, too often, we are inclined to be cracker-eating Christians, existing on a minimum diet.
What a shame if we nibble away at the Bible as if it were a dry ration we are obliged to take each day. Instead, we should be reaching out in trust to the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, and asking him to help us to see the rich diet, the tasty feast, that is within the covers. If you can’t enjoy it, ask God to give you an appetite for his Word.
How tragic to be struggling with sin, phobias, anxieties, burdens or anything that weighs us down and ties us up, when we could be tapping into the “fuel tank” that God has made available to us through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. That is an unending supply of God’s grace (the ability to cope with every situation God allows to touch our lives).
Jesus Christ died, defeated death and went back to heaven, so that he could the release the Holy Spirit to this earth. The “meal” has been paid for, the “fuel tank” is full, just waiting for us to turn the tap by prayer and trust.
If we are God’s children, having received Christ, then let’s not live below our privileges. Let’s reach for and use every good thing that God has made available for us. Jesus didn’t intend that we live on spiritual emergency rations, but on an abundant and rich supply of all we need to glorify God and be victorious for him.
Is there any area in your life where you feel spiritually lacking?
Why should you wait any longer?
Reach out in simple trust and ask God to open your eyes to see all that he has made available for you.
If you need to be made clean from sin
If you need help to overcome a temptation
If you need to be effective in prayer
If you need to be able to speak to someone about Jesus
If you need to experience God’s guidance
If you need to grow and exercise your gifts and ministries
If you…
…Well, is there anything you would add to your list? What will you trust God for? Will you claim the privilege Christ has paid to give you?
