Saturday, February 4, 2012

"HE STILL MOVES STONES"

I'd like to share a devotion I read today by Max Lucado from his book He Still Moves Stones.
The Lord is close to everyone who pray to him, to all who truly pray to him.  Psalm 145:18.
"Healing begins when we do something.  Healing begins when we reach out.  Healing starts when we take a step.  God's help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it.  Nothing results from apathy...God honors radical, risk-taking faith.  When arks are built, lives are saved.  When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble.  When staffs are raised, seas still open.  When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed." 

I'm not sure he is just talking about physical healing.  Perhaps he is talking about a broken relationship or a church that is sick.  Perhaps one of you out there needs to take a step and try to mend a "broken fence" with someone.  Perhaps God is asking one of you to take the initiative to start a new ministry in your church or to pray for your husband to have the courage and faith to "raise that staff" and ask your congregation to be willing to make some needed changes in order for your church to reach more people by becoming more involved with the folks in your community.  Getting outside the walls of our churches and "eating with tax-collectors" or "talking to a Samaritan woman with a bad reputation" can be scary and risky.  Put that in today's language and see who God might be asking you or your church to try to reach.  Pray. Take that first step if you need a relationship healed.  Step out with that radical, risk-taking faith and see how many thousands God will feed!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

The "Terrible, Horrible, Awful Day"

Ever have one of those "terrible, horrible, awful days"?  Yesterday, I was awakened by gunshots!  No-I wasn't being shot at-the man who lives up the hill behind my next door neighbor was doing his target practice in his backyard.  I guess his yard is isolated enough that he won't ever hit anyone but the loud noise is still very unnerving. 

While dressing, I removed my glasses to put on my necklace and the side/earpiece broke off completely!  I found my old glasses so I wasn't totally blind but the world seemed much blurrier than usual. 

On the way to have them order the new piece to fix my glasses frame (which was supposed to be made of titanium and extremely flexible and last forever), a light came on in my car.  It was telling me that the bulb for my left blinker light had burnt out.

To top it all off, my nose spent the day either being totally stuffed up or running constantly. By 8:00 p.m. it was pouring rain outside and I had all I wanted for one day!

I was ready to crawl into bed, pull the covers up over me and escape from the world.  Do you ever have days like that?  I'm sure you do.  As I was lamenting to myself over the "disasters" of the day, it dawned on me that things really were not that bad.  There were alot worse things that could have happened and there were many people out there dealing with cancer, job losses, rebellious children, hunger, etc.  My problems were inconvenient and annoying but not earth-shattering.  I didn't get shot, my husband replaced the bulb in the car and in a couple of days I will have my glasses fixed.  I'm not sure what's going on with my nose or how long that will last, but I doubt it's more than a cold or some sinus drainage that will eventually go away.

When you have one of those "terrible, horrible, awful days", take a deep breath, put things in their proper perspective, pray and let God see you through it!

"Praise the Lord, God our Savior, who helps us every day."  Psalm 68:19