reflection from Our Daily Bread's
Devotion, "Bon Voyage"It's amazing how sometimes we think we can go over something numerous of times but you hear it taught another way and it gives new insight on that subject. I remember a while back writing a post on not fearing death because my believe in my Heavenly Father and knowing that He sent his Son to die just for me (that alone makes me joyful) but today's devotion makes me love life even more. It's really strange for me now that I do not pay much attention to our space program the way I did as a child. No, I'm not cynical about the program because last week I heard the teacher describe how the earth looked, how fast they travel around the earth (I believe she said they make a full rotation around the world in 90 minutes, that is so cool) but just knowing that who created this entire universe just blows me away. When I look up at the sky, the clouds, the space on a clear night and just see the stars up there it just blows me away. Now imagine being in space and just seeing the entire earth, just sitting there, rotating in nothingness...I can not see how people can say they is no God. God is awesome, He is great, He loved us so much that He gives us free will not to follow Him nor believe in Him. Our pastor gave us a illustration on how God can not violate His own law. "If a person wished to get a ladder and climb to the top of the church and jump he will not and can break his law of gravity." By our pastor saying this he was giving an example on how sometimes people say, "If God was such a loving God, how could he send someone to hell?" God didn't create robots, he created you and to with free will, He has the angels for that just obeying everything he says. When traveling you are more at ease when you know where you are going. Sure you can stray off the path from time to time for a scenic route, to check out things you have never seen before but knowing your true destination is a very good feeling. This is how I truly feel knowing that when I gave my life to Jesus Christ death has no victory over me. No, I do not carry myself in a way that I'm looking to "be with the Lord" right now and besides by Jesus Christ dying for me to be able to stand in God's presence when I die Jesus Christ also died for me to live life to the fullest here on earth. To be able to spread His Good News, to let people know that when God tells us "not to do something" He is not trying to keep it away from us but as our pastor said this past Sunday, "God knows what will bring us the most harm", at he's right and when I sit back and really ponder it. Everything I thought was "okay" to do but deep down I knew I did not need that in my life in the end it was truly a waste of my time. I'm not regretting or holding on to "shoulda, woulda, coulda"...on the contrary, I understand now when you get older how you try and let the younger generation know that there are some things they do not have to know by experience but learn from others mistakes. For me when I realized that Christ Jesus died for me it allows me to live more freely because knowing that I do not have worry about where I go when I die and knowing that my life can be so fulfilling will here on earth is for me two major blessings for me.Be Blessed, Be Safe, &Have a Great
Evening
Devotion that inspired
this reflection>>>>Giving Others A Pushfrom RBC Ministries I loved to encourage people. I love to let people know that God loves them know matter what because no sin is to great for God to through up his hand and say, "umm, I'm sorry; what you just did I can't let you in the Family." God may chastise us from time to time but that is because He would rather chastise you than pour his wrath upon you. To encourage people is to let them know that I'm not perfect, I have made mistakes, I continue to make mistakes from time to time but whatever dream is in them I try to let people know they can do it. It's amazing how sometimes just a couple of words will lift the spirit of an individual.
I encourage because I did not get encouragement coming up as a child. At first I wondered why I was going through something like this. I stuttered and stumbled bad as child, I was not the best looking, I was coordinated for my height, I was a mess coming up. I was an only child and was a loner most of my life, I had a very "strange" taste in music so I really could not fit into anyone's cliques so to speak. But for some reason before I even came to know the Lord he was pushing me forward. I don't know why but I never turned to drinking or drugs to fit in because my way of thinking was, "things may be bad but it's not THAT bad." I'm not going to lie, there were many nights I cried myself to sleep because I felt I was not loved, I would never meet that special someone. I would get angry with God and cry out, "Why are you allowing me to go through this mess." I mean I wasn't a saint but I didn't deserve this cruelty from people. So many ways I could have turned but I know [He] was guiding my footsteps. Don't get me wrong, I made some dumb mistakes and at times I was walking around with a chip on my shoulder feeling that the "world owes me for what THEY[people] have put me through. But as time went on I realized that many times it was not me that had the problem but the close-minded of people were the problem.
I began to realize that God did not make me or anyone else to be a carbon copy. I learned that when you are yourself that is what draws people toward you and if they do not like your company 9 times out 10 it is they who are unhappy. What also helped me to be an encouragement toward others are the things I encountered coming up: it made me patient with others, it taught me the difference between empathy and sympathy, it has taught me to that sometimes people need time to heal and realize that you can be trusted. It has also taught me that by opening up to people that you will get hurt from time to time because people will be people but it's a great feeling to open up to the world because in the end it is more good than evil.
As time has went on I continue to learn which people are genuine and which people are just out to use you and learn to turn away from them and just pray for them because you can not let someone else hangups stop your happiness. It has taught me that sometimes I will have times of isolation from the world because you can not just go along with everyone and everything but what I have also learned is that good hearted people recognize good hearted people and before you know it you have a network of friends and associates that are there for you, even if they are across the US or on the other side of the world.
When you encourage someone they will soon be an encouragement to others. It's so cool and so good to help others "just because".
Be Blessed, Be Safe
and Have a Wonderful Weekend.
