I Smile, You Smile

By Elaine James –

“Sweet niblets!” I screamed, screeching to a startling halt on my bike. I almost raced by and missed the glorious display of God’s beauty. “Imagine that! It appears to be snowing in the summer.” Have you ever seen a Catalpa tree? If not, Google it. A Catalpa tree is full of sweet smelling blossoms. I love it!

Let me rewind to the beginning of my day. I left for a bike ride with much on my mind. I was processing. Or maybe over-processing. Over-thinking. Thinking too much. Wasting time. When will I learn? I slammed on my brakes and focused on the blossoms. I allowed myself to enjoy nature. That helped me to just appreciate the NOW. I took a deep breath and told myself “God is in control.” This is what matters now. Taking in the moment. Appreciating what God gave me. A glimpse of heaven through His creation. It turned my day around. I went from “Elaine’s world” to “God’s world.” That is a good thing.

Friend, do you understand what I am telling you? Each day is a new day and new opportunity to smile and appreciate even the smallest of things, like a blossom. I nodded and said “Hi” to someone and that felt good inside of me. I smile, you smile. (I am singing a Justin Bieber song at this point.). It brings peace throughout my whole being.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 NIV).

New birth means strength from God to: love the unlovable, to have a deeper awareness, to see good in others, to stop saying “I can’t” when you can through Christ. You are a new creation in Christ; the old is gone. This knowledge can help you stop being impatient, unkind, uncaring and be more like Christ.

I pray that you enjoy this season realizing you have been given a new birth. From my heart to your heart I smile, saying “Hi, how are you doing? Have a nice day!” You smile!

Prayer: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In your great mercy You have given me new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Thank you. Help me to understand this new birth for daily living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scars

By Cheri Cowell –

It was the day before my sixteenth birthday. One more day and it would be legal for me to drive without my mom in the car. I couldn’t wait. My mother wanted to reinforce some of those driving lessons I’d been taught with one more outing. So we set out for an afternoon of errands, one of which was to take our cocker spaniel by the vet’s for her check-up. We had gotten her from the pound about a month earlier, and it was time for her final shots. I can’t remember now if we ever made it to the vet’s, but I do remember the accident. And yes, I was driving, and it was my fault. I didn’t see the car before I made the right turn. The other car hit us, spun our car around and pushed it into a telephone pole. In the impact, my head hit the rearview mirror and sliced open the bridge of my nose. I still have that scar.

That day sitting along the side of the road with an EMT trying to stop the flood of blood coming from my nose, I was more worried about my dog. I knew my mother was okay and the other people in the accident were fine, but my dog was to be sent to the pound until we could pick her up. We had just bought her from the pound and I worried she would probably think we were returning her there. I was almost hysterical with the thought that my dog would think she wasn’t wanted.

Some scars are deep, and aren’t caused by anything we’ve done. Yet, the scars remain. We live in an imperfect and broken world and sometimes our scars remind us that we belong to a different world. Someday we will be permanent residents of that new world where there are no scars. For now we must accept God’s forgiveness, and live with our scars—the scars of a broken world.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4 NIV).

PRAYER: I praise You, Lord for Your gift of forgiveness. Some of my scars are from my own sins and I ask for Your forgiveness for those. But some of my scars are there by no fault of my own. Help me to see them as a reminder of the broken world we live in and the future we have in heaven—a world free of scars.

Can Spirits be Restored?

By Susan Dollyhigh –

“Do you remember your words in Spirits Can be Restored?” my friend asked.

Of course I remembered that devotional. I compared an empty, neglected, vandalized, old Georgian-style house to human spirits that have been hurt emotionally, physically, or both, and sometimes even broken.

“Go back and read it again,” my friend said.

I hung up the phone and pulled out the July/August 2010 issue of The Upper Room and read:

“…As I pass by, I think how beautiful it (the old house) must have been in times past…How I wish someone would move in and fix up the place! I know it has the potential to be beautiful again.”

“…But when we allow Christ Jesus into our hearts, he can heal the scars caused by life and repair our wounded spirit. And unlike that old house on my street that could be too costly to restore, the high price of our restoration has been paid by Christ, the Master Carpenter, whose work is always of highest quality. We are never so broken that God cannot restore us.”

I laid the magazine on the table, and dropped my head into my hands.

Lord, I thought I knew what brokenness was when I wrote those words. I just never dreamed of our business failing, going through bankruptcy, problems in my marriage, divorce – all happening at the same time. Lord, if…

And then God reminded me of the story in Mark 9:22-24 where the father brought his son to Jesus for healing. The father said, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (NIV).

Lord, I know you can do all things, please help me overcome my disbelief.

And He did. The Lord brought me through that time, and He mended my broken spirit. He reminded me through words He had given me years earlier that it’s true; we’re never so broken that God cannot restore us.

Bible Verse: “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NIV).

Prayer: Father, thank You for the way You speak to us through others, and through Your Word. Thank you for your assurance that faith in Jesus Christ can bring us complete healing. Amen.

His Love Reflected in our Relationships

Diane Mayfield –

I saw the caller ID and knew our daughter was calling to wish her dad a happy birthday. Only when I heard her voice, I knew that was not the reason for the call.

“Honey, what’s wrong,” I asked.

“Mom, I miscarried.” Then all I heard was sobbing.

Between sobs she tried to tell me the details. Over our cell phones, I could only catch portions of what she was saying, but it didn’t matter. Her heart was broken, and mine was breaking, too.

It took me back to another time. When this same daughter was in junior high school, she was trying out for cheerleader with all her friends. Tryouts were over and we parents were waiting outside the gym to hear who had made it. When she found us, she was sobbing that she didn’t make it, and all her friends did. My heart broke then as it was breaking now.

With her pregnancy, we had been waiting for our daughter to see the heartbeat so we could tell the world our good news that we would be grandparents for a third time. They were to have a sonogram on Thursday, but the radiologist said the baby was still too small.

Disappointed and yet hopeful, my daughter left for a bachelorette party in New Orleans, and her husband went to San Antonio to golf with a friend. While in New Orleans, she experienced excruciating pain at dinner, went back to the hotel where she officially miscarried.

My husband and I were so numb, shocked and aching for our daughter. As a parent I don’t think that ever changes. We found ourselves just staring into space, lost in our own pain. We had three days until we would get to see her.

When I finally held her in my arms, I could breathe again. It was the same for my husband. One of our most tender moments was our group hug with our son-in-law. It was heartwarming to see the love and care that my son-in-law has for our daughter and she for him. I could see their love deepening through this difficult time.

I stayed with her for a few days at her request while her husband attended an out of town business meeting. There were many sweet moments with my daughter over the next few days. Once again she needed me, and I was so glad to be there.

We all walked this journey together. I couldn’t fix it and I couldn’t take it away. I can’t guarantee the future either. But I know I’ll be there for her, for both of them. My husband and I both will.

Isn’t that just what our Lord does for us? We never walk this place alone. Difficulty will come but he longs to be invited to walk it with us. He aches for our pain, and He holds us along the way in the same way I held her.

This beautiful special relationship with my daughter is but a reflection of the one He has with us.

Angels Watching Over Us

By Rosemary Flaaten –

It was a night like any other. Our three preschool children had bathed and bedtime had consisted of stories and lots of giggles. The last bedtime ritual was a time of thanksgiving and prayer which always ended with “send angels to watch over us”. These prayer times with our children were a special time of tenderness and teaching about God’s provision and protection in our lives.

Despite having a young family, my husband’s job required him to frequently be away from home. The frequency had increased and he found himself with as many nights in hotels as in his own bed. Each night, whether at home or abroad, he would pray that God would watch over his family.

On this particular night, after getting the children to bed and packing his suitcase for his pending trip, he went to bed with a heavy heart, anticipating the time away, the loneliness he would experience and the growing anxiety of separation.

Eventually deep sleep came. But, for some unknown reason, he awoke in the middle of the night. With his eyes open, he rolled to his other side to snuggle next to me. But as he rolled towards me he was astonished by what he saw.

Hovering just over the blankets and in a fully reclining position was a Being – translucent and glowing. It wasn’t an illusion; it had depth and substance to it. It glowed in an iridescent manner. There was an angel not just watching over us but protecting us with his presence.

For a split second he was filled with fear that perhaps I had died, but my rhythmic breathing settled that question. In its place came an intense peace flooding his heart and mind.

My husband is a Type A personality who is not prone to fluctuations of emotion or seeing visions and dreams. But on that ordinary night, this extraordinary encounter gave him the reassurance he needed that God had heard our prayers and that all would be taken care of in his absence.

Prayer: Thank-you for being our loving Father who hears our prayers. Thank-you for being loving, gracious and full of mercy, and for desiring good for your children.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

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