STOP WHINING!

. . . O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, 
and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)

I was not the nicest child. Born a sinner, I had a favorite sin—ME! God sees that as PRIDE.

Actually, it is about more than me. I am God’s child; He gave me to my parents to train up in the way I should go, not the way I want to go (Prov. 22:6). He (and they) gave me siblings, so I had to accept that I was not the center of the universe — not even the “universe” on Cohassett Drive.

When I complained in piteous tones, Mom would say, “I can’t hear you when you whine!” That is a logical fallacy. She was saying, “I won’t listen to your whining.”

Whining is also a disrespectful way to approach our heavenly Father, but . . .

Compare God’s response with Mom’s. He does hear me when I whine to Him. He loved me even before He formed me in the womb, and He knew I would be an accomplished sinner and whiner. That probably describes many of us.

The Master Potter shapes and reshapes hearts and minds until they surrender to His Will. God has been molding us since before we were born. Some of us do require more work than others.

He has been very, very patient with me for many decades—shaping me into something for His pleasure. I need to quit whining about the process, and praise Him for his grace and mercy.

Dear Lord, please remind us that You are the real Center of the Universe. We would be wise to cooperate with Your plan, instead of advising You about our preferences.

© 2020 Sarah F. Strachan

HOLY REFLECTORS AND REFRACTORS

For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)

 

A lovely antique prism hangs in my window. On bright days it refracts the sun and sends brilliant rainbows dancing around the room.

It is a beautiful reminder of God’s love.

If the crystal were silver, the sun’s beauty would reflect its source, but would not refract with clear brilliancy on everything around it. That is like us, dear ones, when we receive God’s grace.

It’s a marvelous truth that when we give our hearts to Christ Jesus, our eternal home with Him is secure. We worship Him with adoration and praise, reflecting His love back to Him in humble gratefulness.

But wait, there’s more—if God intended for that to be all He desired for us, why wouldn’t He have taken us to Paradise right then and there?

He leaves us on earth to be His body, loving and doing good works. In communion with Him we are strengthened and empowered to let His light pass through us to others, so their eyes can be opened to the life-giving power of His love.

His plan is like an infinite circle of love beginning with Him and returning to Him. As His Word says in 1 John 4:19, We love because He first loved us.

During this process of holy reflection and refraction as our hearts are lit with His love, we shower the light of it on others, helping to complete the circle.

Father, change our hearts from silver to purest crystal so we shine Your love on everyone we meet, pointing them to Your saving grace. 

©2020 Bonnie Mae Evans

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one. Mark 10:6-8 (NIV)



In November, 1933, Hank Wayland and Rebecca Carr were married. They had met at the university and wed soon after their graduation. The Great Depression was still in progress, but Hank was able to find a job and provide for his wife. They were very much in love, but it was almost four years before their first child was born…me. A couple of years later Hank opened his own business, a Ford dealership, in a small Missouri town. Later a second son, my brother Al, was born.



Both Hank and “Becky” had strong Christian heritages, and they lived that way. There was honesty, faithfulness, integrity and unity in the home. In that atmosphere, wisdom also flourished. And it rubbed off on us two boys as we grew and developed our own lives and character.  Christ became our guiding light with all the confidence, guidance and blessings that He promises. Certainly there were the challenges and threats common to everyone’s life, but God’s blessing was on us as we faced them all.



Fast forward, Hank passed away in 1986. By 2007, Mother was in a nursing home. When I visited her, she was fond of reminiscing about her life with Dad. She would burst forth, “Happy, Happy, Happy!” Truly they had become one flesh. In doing so, they had become one that God could bless. And He did so in many wonderful ways.



That’s how it works, folks.



Lord, show me the way to Your blessing!



© 2020 Parker Wayland

SEEDS OF LIFE

Already he . . . is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. John 4:36 (NASB)

For decades I’ve enjoyed a hobby of growing citrus trees. It began one day quite simply, removing seeds from a tangerine for my daughter.

One seed had a little green sprout. I could hardly disregard the hope of new life emerging there. And so, with the planting of a few seeds in a pot of soil, some sunshine and water, thus began a hobby I love.

I’ve planted many varieties of citrus seeds; oranges, lemons, clementines and grapefruit. At present, wintering in my basement under a plant light, are tiny kumquat and Key Lime trees.

One tree in particular grew marvelously over fifteen years. As it grew I transplanted it into larger pots, moving it outside in the summertime. One season it stretched too tall for our ceiling and required pruning four feet off the top. It then grew in diameter monopolizing an entire corner of our family room.

It was a bittersweet day realizing it needed a larger space. I contacted the horticulturist at Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, a magnificent glass house dating back to the 1800s. They were happy to give it a home where it now thrives. In their continued care, together we’ve shared the joy of seeing it produce blossoms and lemons.

I’m reminded of the parable of the sower. I find joy in the planting, not only citrus seeds, but seeds of faith in the lives of others by serving and encouraging them through God’s word. It isn’t necessary for me to see the seeds to fruition, but to be faithful in my part along their journey.

Father, show us how to be faithful gardeners of the heart.

©2020 Bonnie Mae Evans