Right in Front of Us

By Dawn Wilson –

Two Facebook friends sent me the same photo on the same day. In the photo, a white dog (my friends claimed looks a lot like my own pooch, Roscoe) was stretched out asleep on a white furry rug. I had to look carefully to see the dog, so blended in with the background.

The caption read: “Day 3: Humans Still Think I’m Lost.”

It reminded me of photos a clever friend showed me—some before and after pictures of animals “hidden” in plain sight. A white dove resting on a patch of snow. An owl in the shadows of a cluster of branches. A gray squirrel scurrying over a rocky hill. A green parrot nestled in jungle brush. Even a giraffe standing in a thicket of spotty tree trunks.

Until someone pointed out the animals’ locations, I just didn’t see them! And when I did see them, I rolled my eyes and asked my friend, “How could I miss that?”

But then again, I sometimes can’t see my car keys, even when they’re “staring at me,” right there on my desk. (Please, no jokes about messy desks being a sign of genius. Mine is simply a sign of a messy desk!)

But my point is, sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us. Direction from God. An opportunity to serve. An answered prayer.

Maybe we’re too busy to stop and focus. Perhaps we’re distracted. Or maybe we’re simply blind to the wonders of God working in the world.

So much in the culture tries to rob us of the wonder of seeing God and His deeds. We’re so easily entertained, so quickly distracted. And we get a corrupted or diluted version of who God is from the media.

Our hearts fight against this wonder too. When we live in the flesh, rather than walking in the Spirit, we’re likely not alert to the true nature of what God is doing.

And finally, our enemy, Satan, conspires to shut down the wonder. He tries to hide the facts. He is, after all, the Father of Lies.

The world, the flesh and the devil. No wonder it’s so hard to see. So, my prayer is, “Open my eyes, Lord, to who you are, and what you are doing every day.”

Believing God helps me meditate when I store scriptures in my mind and heart, I memorized this scripture to remind myself of the wonders of God: “You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5 ESV).

It’s true! Our wonderful God does wonderful things. Don’t miss what’s right in front of you!

So Much for Which to be Thankful

By Gil Killam –  

My wife was in the hospital for two weeks recovering from hip replacement surgery. The operation went well but the recovery has been very slow. We had lots of time to observe a lot of what was happening among the patients and nurses. There were many patients who were in worse condition than my wife. One woman who was in the bed nex to my wife had cancer and there was not much doctors could do to help. Her groans and her breathing made us know that she was suffering great pain. My wife began to think of what she was thankful for: illnesses that she didn’t have; her family; her children who are now grown and married, still loving and caring for her; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Being in the hospital reminded us of how much we have to be thankful for! It gave us a new perspective about what is really important in life.

Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonian 5:16-18 NIV).

Have we ever stopped to give thanks to God in the midst of the suffering in our lives? This was Paul’s secret as to why we may be suffering: that you may have a ministry in comforting others in their time of need (2 Corinthians1:4).

A characteristic of the generation in the last days is ungratefulness. Along with this come pride, abusiveness, disobedience, envy and strife (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

If we were more thankful, many of our problems would disappear. If world leaders would be thankful for what they have, the more peace they would experience. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).

Something wonderful happens to each of us when we say thank you. Note how people’s faces smile when they are appreciated.

PRAYER: “Thank you Lord for the tests you allow in my life. Help me realize you may be preparing me to help someone in need. Amen

Umbrella

By Elaine James –

Spring is in the air; you know what that means? Rainstorms! Time to take your umbrella out, because the storms will come. When I was younger and a storm started I would brace myself, plug my ears when thunderbolts sounded, and close my eyes tight when the lightning flashed. Scary!

When a personal storm arises in your life, do you get tense and brace yourself? The Bible tells the story of a storm that arose and frightened the disciples. “Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, and the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:24-26 NIV). They ran to Jesus scared not knowing what to do. After Jesus calmed the storm they asked “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him: (Matthew 8:27 NIV).

The apostles were learning firsthand who Jesus is. We have the Bible to explain to us exactly who He is. By reading the Bible it builds our faith and helps us to remember who Jesus is and that He walks us through the storms in life. Picture yourself with an umbrella open over your head. Written all over the umbrella with permanent marker are Jesus’ names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus and umbrellas are a lot alike. They both cover us from storms.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV).

PRAYER: Thank you God for protecting and guiding me through life. Help me to stay calm during the storms. Amen.

Beyond Downton

By Diane Mayfield – 

Clear blue ocean water, the melodious sound of the waves gently rolling onto the shoreline, the sun’s rays dancing across the water and orange and pink sunsets filled my life last week. I took a girls’ trip to North Captiva Island with my daughters and daughter-in-law. We try to make this trip every other year if possible. Between weddings and babies, that is no small task. Our destination of choice seems to always be the beach.

I treasure this time together. We read our books while sunning on the porch. We eat seafood, French Fries, and ice cream. We take walks on the beach, talking about dreams, plans, children and memories. There is plenty of teasing Mom about her Mom ways— from being a bit technically challenged to a little OCD in the kitchen. At sunset, we all gather on the porch to bid farewell to the sun and see what glorious colors God gives to us to delight our soul. For a brief moment, it truly is heaven on earth.

One of our favorite past times this trip was to watch Downton Abbey. Two of the girls had not started the Downton craze, and they were eager to join the movement. My challenge was to not give anything away, which was quite difficult since I ooh and aw through most movies anyway.

I love Downton Abbey. I could watch it continually. I guess one could say it is “play” to me. I never want it to end. I love the historical time, the romantic culture, the glamour, and the upstairs-downstairs characters-all that makes up Downton.

If you are not familiar with the story, this English aristocratic family owns Downton Abbey. It is a castle estate with much land that the villagers support by farming. Part of the story centers around saving Downton. In fact, personal choices of marriage are based on saving this gorgeous estate and the way of life that goes with it. Saving Downton seems to be the glue that keeps the family together.

That gives me pause. The family lives for the estate. Two of the sisters don’t even like each other but they are bound by Downton, a structure. Magnificent as it is, it is just a building. They are all bound together for this cause, as if the people inside the house are second to the house itself.

To me, family is more that the house we grow up in. Family is more than a building or its land. It is the site of memories and relationships, but it’s not the family. Family is heart connection, where we are bound beyond the obvious physical link by something spiritual and intangible. Living people made in the image of the one true God make up a family. A house, even one as majestic as Downton, provides shelter for the family. It’s the connection between the inhabitants that really matter, that will really last for all eternity.

What’s funny is that I long for a house that brings my family together since we all live in different cities. I realized, though, that a house, even one as magnificent as Downton, is not what brings people together. It’s the relationships of love, caring and support that matter. It’s playing, laughing and even crying together that create bonds that bind us. I’m grateful to have a family that wants to come together even when there is no Downton to draw us.

Do the Happy Dance

By Elaine James –

“If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or does He give them the opportunity to find patience?” That’s a line from the movie, Evan Almighty. I feel like the wife in that movie at times. When life gets uncomfortable, I can become controlling and perfectionistic to a fault. Sometimes I don’t see eye to eye with my spouse, one of my children or a co-worker. When I realize that they aren’t going to respond the way I want them to, frustration wells up in me. Fortunately, I’m not always this uptight. This usually only occurs when life is moving too fast and I have a lot on my plate. I want peace, and I want it now! Why can’t everyone just cooperate with me?

Do you ever feel like that? Do you catch yourself asking the same question?

The Bible teaches us to “glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4 NIV).

This reminds me of the saying, “God cares more about our character than our comfort.” We are all on a path full of trials. Those trials sometimes lead us to a fork in the road where we can either choose to make a stink, insisting on our own way, or we can adjust our expectations and pray about the next step. From there we can walk in God’s way and maybe, just like the ending of Evan Almighty, we can celebrate by doing… the happy dance!

PRAYER: God, what do You want me to do? How should I react? Guide me and help me with Your wisdom so that I can truly celebrate as I walk in Your way. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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