Hawaiian Humility

By Cindy Martin –

 

Hawaiians are indeed a humble people. My husband and I had opportunity to experience their gracious and hospitable spirit on our recent trip to three of their gorgeous islands. The trip was a fulfillment of a dream of ours to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. It was glorious – a steady stream of brilliant sunshine, dazzling sunsets over the ocean, lush green foliage accentuated with cascading colors and exhilarating aromas, plenty of new adventures and all the mango and pineapple that we could eat!

One of our new adventures was to try boogie boarding. Wearing our matching mango-colored Monkskin shirts to protect from sunburn and boogie board rash, we waded out into waist-deep waters, ready to ‘catch a wave’. Let’s just say the wave caught us! I had just turned to listen to what my husband was saying and the next thing we knew our legs were tangled up in each others’ under the water, our boogie boards had left without us and we came up gurgling salt water and gasping for air.  The ponytail that I thought I had anchored at the back of my head was now dripping into my left ear!  Once we were able to gain our footing (much closer to shore), we laughed uncontrollably at ourselves.

I had just commented earlier that day that you sure could tell who the tourists were.  My words had been in response to all the mismatched and clashing Hawaiian print shirts and shorts we’d seen, along with the big wide brimmed hats and heavily sun screened faces. We now felt like the obvious tourists and were experiencing a little Hawaiian humility of our own!

Despite our initial ineptness, we did manage to get in a number of good runs; enjoying the pure bliss of skimming across the top of the water at what seemed like warp speed. Our form was not perfect by any means – in fact I finished off the day with a full face-plant in the sand, complete with a scratched up chin and skinned upper lip!  Still we had so much fun and I am not soon to forget the very practical object lesson I learned that day. “Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 RSV).

Prayer: “Thank You Lord for the gifts of fun and recreation.  Thank You too for joining us in our fun and creating teachable moments in the midst of it all.”

“First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall” (Proverbs 16:18 MSG).

 

 

A Moment

By Elaine James –

 

I was nervous as I waited with my classmates for the announcement of who would get the part of Mary. The teacher stood up and shouted, “…and the part of Mary goes to Elaine.” This was the highlight of my childhood. I walked down the aisle at the children’s church service and approached the baby Jesus in the manger. I knelt beside Him, stroked His brow, and placed Him in my lap till the service ended. It became one of the most fulfilling moments in my life.

I was doing an assignment in my Bible study years later where I had to trace the moments in my life where I was touched by God. It helped me to see that playing the small part of Mary played a big part in my life.

In my growing up years there were many struggles in my family, so my dreams were put on hold. In my twenties when I discovered the saving grace of Jesus, He began to heal me from the inside out. I felt like a new person, ready to reconnect with my dream, so I signed up for acting classes.

When I read through scripts I was drawn to the end where the moral of the story was revealed. A small whisper came to me one day saying “Theater with a message.”

God’s message, God’s vision, God’s ideas, God’s revelation, God’s awareness…  When asked to do script writing or acting projects my response is “If God is in it He will help me write it and perform it.” What a blessing it has been.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God gave Joseph dreams. Joseph told his brothers and dad about his dreams. He had to wait many years before his dream came true. Everything God promised Joseph as a boy was fulfilled.

We all have moments in life where God placed dreams or desires in our heart. Do you remember some of the moments? Have you given up on them? I pray this message is reminding you to carry on with courage and have the faith to believe and not give up on your dream.

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

 

PRAYER:  God, remember when you put that on my heart (name the moment or dream)?  I thank you and I pray that you continue to guide me in this dream with faith so I will not give up.  Amen.

 

Wealth Envy

By Cheri Cowell –

 

“Daddy, are we rich?” the young daughter of a wealthy businessman asked.

“Well, we’re rich in health, a great family, and good friends.”

The girl shook her head. “No Daddy. I mean, do I have a lot of money?”

Without hesitation the wise father answered, “Until you are eighteen you do, but then you will be poor like I was and you’ll work your way up.”

Some of us are falling prey to wealth envy that teaches if someone has more than their fair share there is less for me. The Bible teaches another way of looking at wealth. Not only does God provide the wealth, he gives us the ability to use it wisely and to enjoy its blessings. Whether you have a storehouse of money or your riches are counted in other ways, God is the source of that wealth. So, thank him for the wealth you have, and then go a step further and praise God for what others have.

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 NKJV).

Prayer: God, help me to avoid wealth envy, and instead enjoy the wealth I have because all good things come from You.

Abandoned But Not Forgotten

By Judy Davis –

My friend Debbie shared her story of how her husband walked out of her life leaving her with 15-month-old twin sons and two daughters, ages three and seven. She waited and prayed. After several days, she realized that he was not coming home.

Two weeks after he left she was humiliated as she applied for food stamps and welfare assistance.

To her, even with four children, the house seemed empty. Somehow during the day, she managed to maintain a semblance of order for her children. Meals were prepared, and the children were dressed and cared for. At night, however, after she had finally tucked the kids into their beds, she wanted the privacy and solace of her bedroom.

She said, “I pulled a pillow over my head to stifle my sobs. Guilt consumed me. I had caused it. What if I had handled the quarrel differently? What if I had pleaded with him to stay? Soon the bank was forced to close our business. As bills piled up and I made calls of explanation to creditors, rage surfaced within me. What a coward my husband was to dump all of the responsibility on me! Didhe really believe that he could run away? I hated him—and I loved him. Nothing made sense any more.”

Eventually she smothered the loneliness by going to bars. “I was looking for anyone to restore my broken life. Instead, a series of tragic relationships only confirmed my low opinion of myself: I had little merit and would probably never amount to much.”

One morning, Debbie prayed and committed her life to Jesus. “At last I had found someone who would never abandon me. Peace and joy encompassed me, and I knew that somehow my children and I would be all right. God took away fear and torment. I felt freed from all my emotional pain and my sins. Jesus had cleansed me and healed my pain. Even though my life had been sin-filled and chaotic, Jesus loved me! I was touched with the immensity and reality of His love for me. That day was the beginning of my friendship with Christ. In Him, I have found peace of mind, hope for the future and a solution to loneliness. What a privilege to be His!”

Debbie learned that she can take steps to ensure that her single-parent family stays on course. Daily she seeks God’s wisdom for her life. “Time with Him in the morning helps me set priorities and reminds me that I am not alone in the day’s happenings. I commit the lives of my children to His care. I want Him to be involved in the decisions and the problems we face as a family. We have seen answers to prayer that prove His faithfulness.” Through relationships in her church family these kind people have played a significant part in the healing process.

PRAYER:  Father, please comfort single parents today.  Help them to see they are not all alone but have You to make them strong through the days ahead.

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5 NIV).

The Power in the Promise

By Hally Franz –

 

As a veteran 4-H parent and leader, I am a member of our county’s 4-H council, which meets about six times each year. We discuss the activities of the dozen or so 4-H clubs around the rural county in which I live, the annual county fair, the distribution of available 4-H funds, and other local 4-H matters.

At our last meeting, an issue came up for a vote. When the council president asked for those in favor to say “aye,” everyone in the group did just that – everyone, except me. The issue in question was of a financial nature, and I suppose I lean in favor of prudence and fairness. I considered the proposed expenditure to be something that would be a slippery slope for future spending, and, at the same time, one that we would be unable to honor in coming years.

So, when our leader asked if there were any “nays,” I made no sound but sheepishly raised my hand in opposition. Of course, I knew I was outvoted, but the almost-unfailingly honest side of me was compelled to express my solo vote.

There were at most fifty people in attendance at this meeting. I am acquainted with or friends with about one third of them, and there were less than five complete strangers in the group. I knew I wouldn’t be lynched, tarred and feathered, or kicked out. And yet, I was a little nervous about being the only one with a dissenting point of view.

So, I have to wonder… How would I handle a question about my faith in a group of atheists? Further, would I have the strength to stand up for my Lord and Savior even when doing so could be dangerous? And, would I have the courage to express my loyalty to Jesus Christ when it might mean my life? It’s a question many of us have pondered.

I pray that my honesty would be greater and my “vote” in favor of my Heavenly Father bolder than what I demonstrated at the recent council meeting. And, I find comfort in the words Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew.  Though my confidence in myself may be shaky, my confidence in His promises is not!

PRAYER: Most Righteous Heavenly Father, help me to always stand up for You, whether I am surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters, or alone in a crowd.

“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” (Matthew 10:19 ESV).

 

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