Me Time

I want to share some thoughts I've been having about "me time".  As the mom of two young and very energetic children and the wife of one very brilliant and ambitious husband...I understand well the need for time alone to reset my sanity gauges!  Sometimes I lock myself in my bedroom with my iPod and noise cancellation headphones, to float away on a sea of my favorite music.  Sometimes I take a hot bath and read a good book (without pictures!).  And even, on occasion, my wonderful husband will approve a day-long outing with a good friend to get manicures, eat a nice lunch, and window shop.  These times are fabulous!  I bet you can relate.

But have you ever noticed how quickly that fabulous "me time" feeling can flee when bombarded again with the very stresses, demands, and noises that caused the need for it in the first place?  I open the bathroom, bedroom, or front door and WHAM!...the kids are screaming, the husband is calling, the phone is ringing, the house is messier, the kids are hungrier, and *Ouch!*...did I just step on a toy car?!  Heave a sigh and wave goodbye to that blissful feeling!

I find that when I make my "me time" only about me, tending only to my superficial needs, then the effect doesn't last long back in real life.  But there is a Way to stay fresh, peaceful, and blissful even in the face of real demands and loud noises.  The secret is to bring Someone along to your me time...turn "me time" into "God time".  Invite Him into that private space and time where you go to refresh.  Because, believe me, He will do a much better job of revitalizing you than you or any manicurist can!  Not only that, but His name is Faithful and True...what He fills you with won't fly out the window when reality tumbles back in!  It's as simple as turning your thoughts and heart towards Him.  Recognize that He is already there and He totally gets where you're coming from and what you need.  Holy Spirit is a great listener.  And the words He whispers back to you will cause your heart to smile with quiet joy long after you return to the daily grind.

This is a very simple thing that has a tremendous result.  And not just for housewives.  I know my husband, a perpetual student, hard worker, and entrepreneur, finds long-lasting strength and inspiration when he brings God into his personal time.  In fact, even our times alone as a couple are better and more enjoyable when we talk about and enjoy God's company together!  Holy Spirit is just one of those people that makes everything brighter!  He can't help it!  You start talking with Him and He will make it well worth your time!

For me, it's all a part of abiding in Jesus.  He is the ultimate Lifegiver, the Living Water.  And if I am supposed to carry streams of that Living Water (like He said in John 7:38), then I need to be receiving from the Source.  Often.  And what better time to do that than when I get a few minutes or hours to myself?!  I stumbled upon another blogger's post about creating "ME time".  I think her advice is applicable to creating "GOD time", too:
1) Start small.  You don't have to make a big deal of it...just start thinking about Jesus while you're getting your nails done or taking your walk.
2) Work it into your routine.  Keep it simple and natural, do what works to connect you to God.
3) Build on it.  As you practice and become addicted to the refreshing nature of His presence, you will better know how to plan and prepare for your God Time!  Do you need music?  A journal?  To be outside?  Make it your own!  He enjoys what you enjoy!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Brilliant Thought: Branch or iPod?

I love my iPhone!  I use it daily for music, movies, games, and a myriad of helpful apps.  But there is one annoying thing.  As I use it, the battery drains and then I have to plug it in for a while to recharge.  Once the little icon is all green again, though, I get to unplug and am free to use it however and wherever I need it!  Fabulous technology!


In the past I have had this view of my faith-life.  Like my relationship with God is something like the iPhone dock: when I am drained I plug in, fill up, and then I want to be free to roam around and run off of that buzz for a while.  Problem is, I am always using up and running out of the spiritual strength that I get from God and it can fade pretty fast.  I am now aware that this is a faulty perspective.  God is not my dock!  My relationship with Him does not consist of me plugging in once or twice a week to sync and recharge only to unplug again and go about my business!  It must be more than that!
Jesus Himself holds a DTR conversation with His disciples in John 15:1-11:  
 ¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."


Well, if I am a branch then I jolly well can't 'unplug' from the vine, can I?  No, a branch, by definition is connected to the vine.  Otherwise, it is just a stick.  And it is considered dead.  Independence from God renders me useless.  I want to abide in the Vine!  I want to bear fruit for His glory!  So, I must stay connected.  What does the branch do to produce fruit?  Only receive the continual flow of nutritious sap.  Fruit happens!  


Holy Spirit, I reject the thought process that reduces You to a dock.  I accept that I can do nothing by myself.  Abide in me, so that I may abide in You!  I love Your sap!  And I love the fruit of it that shows up in my life!  I am connected...increase the flow!  I want Your joy in me that makes my joy full!  Amen!  


Bliss to you!
Sarah

Dumbells, Brokenness, and Other Victories

I am part of a fitness group that meets twice a week for an intense, whole-body workout which includes 45 minutes of strength training.  Often I am sore for two to three days afterwards.  But the result is that I have gotten noticeably stronger!   Here are some facts about training and getting stronger (don't skip this part!):
"Hard exercise damages muscle fibers. Then other cells release chemicals called cytokines that cause inflammation characterized by soreness (pain), increased blood flow to the injured fibers (redness), and increased flow of fluid into the damaged area (swelling). The damaged muscle cells release tissue growth factors to heal the damaged muscle fibers, and if the athlete allows the muscle soreness to disappear before exercising intensely again, muscle fibers become larger and increase in number by splitting to form new fibers." (drmirkin.com) 

Why am I talking about strength training on a spiritual blog?  I believe that physical principles of the natural world are glimpses into spiritual truths.  In that vein, let me rephrase the above passage about muscles to address our spiritual strength and the process of maintaining victory in our lives...
Life is hard and leaves us damaged.  God highlights the broken part of us with pain, Jesus increases His redemptive bloodflow in us to the injured part, and Holy Spirit washes that part in His Living Water, until we are full up swollen with Him.  The damaged fiber of our being responds by growing as He heals us.  We then take time to rest in Him, allowing Him to solidify and multiply His strength cells in us.  

Another thing: I cannot expect that one really good workout will make me strong forever.  No way!  I have to be at it faithfully to not only grow stronger, but even to maintain my current strength!  Same is true of my spiritual life: though I cannot earn my place in Christ's victory, there is an element of faithful, repetitious application of His paid-for work in my area of weakness.  I think there is a process here:  I come against opposition, activating Christ's victory in my life, but realize that I am a broken human, so I receive His covering and healing flow, which works His deeper strength in me as I hide in Him; I then faithfully activate again the next time I am confronted with the stressor.  And thus the cycle continues, as the tissue of Me is continually broken down, soaked in Him, and restored more in His likeness again and again and again...becoming stronger with each repetition.

Activate!  Feel the burn of the brokenness!  Surrender to the flow of Blood and Water!  Let Him build you as you rest!  Do it again!  
Bliss to you, victorious one!
Sarah

Blow the Trumpet!

Today I was thinking about the shofar, the trumpet or ram's horn of the Bible.  My husband and I have had one since we were married, a gift from my mom.  We love it, display it proudly on our mantle, blow it often, and have taught our children to blow it as well!  It is one of the most spiritually significant instruments (harp is another one, but that's for another day).  The shofar blast signifies two main things: a call to battle and a call to rejoicing.  This morning, I was wondering in my heart how to tell the difference between the two meanings.  I mean, how can one know at the blast of the horn if it is time to suit up for battle or dance in the streets?  Which is it?  I felt God's chuckle as He answered in my heart, "It's both!"

YES!  In this life, we come against severe, relentless, and intense spiritual opposition.  We, as God's emissaries, are instructed to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the enemy.  But, we don't suit up in fear and trembling, wondering what the outcome of the battle will be.  God leads us into battle in confidence of triumph in Jesus, who is the Mighty Man of War!  Each altercation with the realm of darkness serves one purpose: for Jesus to further establish His rule and authority in the earth through my victory!

Listen!  You will hear the clarion call of God's shofar blowing, calling His people to rise up, suit up, and ride out in His victory with rejoicing!  I hear the trumpet in Zion, and as I put on the armor of my King, I am laughing with joy and lighthearted with praise because I know I am on the winning side!

Bliss to you!
Sarah


James 4:7
⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:10-17
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlyplaces. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵ and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Colossians 2:9-15

⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; ¹¹and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

2 Chronicles 20 

Jehoshaphat's army wins through rejoicing!!  :)

Praying In Giggles

Last night, during prayer time before bed, Isaac (3 yrs old) was bouncing around, laughing, and talking goofy gibberish.  Knowing our Lord's love of children and their ways, I smiled and asked my silly son if he was praying in the Spirit.  He replied enthusiastically, "No, I am praying in giggles!"

I'm sure Jesus speaks that language, too!  In fact, sometimes laughter is the most effective prayer there is!  It is, after all, agreeing with His heart!  Some days it's easier than others to see why Jesus asked us to become like little children!

Bliss to you!  
Sarah 

Psalm 2:4
⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 

Job 8:21
²¹ “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting.

Deuteronomy 16:11-12
¹¹ and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name. ¹² You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
[more than a slave released, I have been raised from the dead!!]

Psalm 32:11
¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Jeremiah 32:40-41
⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. 

Zephaniah 3:17
¹⁷ “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

1 Peter 1:7-9
the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Brilliant Thought: Against Me

Romans 8:31
If God is for us, who is against us?


I was pondering this today and was struck by how often I am against myself when God isn't even against me!  If God is on my side, who am I to think, speak, or act in ways that are contrary to His love and victory in me?!  Actually, those thoughts originate not in myself (because I have died and Christ lives in me) and certainly not in God (His wrath is satisfied and He sees me as His new creation)...so they must come from the enemy of my soul, the father of lies.  Since he has no part in Jesus, Who is the Truth, he can only lie.  So, no matter how I may feel those thoughts to be truth, if they don't line up with God's nature then they are lies, intended to keep me from walking in freedom and victory.
  
This is why it is so important for me to know, really know Who God is and what He is like.  Learning to recognize influences (even if they are inside my head) that don't align with what I know of His character, and promptly refusing to believe or act on them is vital to my continued spiritual growth and victory.  The fabulous thing is that God is my coach, defense, cheerleader, and referee in this!  Not only that, He has tipped the scales overwhelmingly in my favor!  In Christ, I am destined for victory!  I am, as Graham Cooke says, condemned to conquer!  

This gives me joy in facing my problems and hang-ups....God is smiling over me in this situation, because He knows if I continually realign to Him I will advance!  My problems become a platform for my promotion!  Haha!  If God is for me, who can be against me?!  None!  


Bliss to you!
Sarah


John 8:44
[the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.


2 Corinthians 2:14-15
¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ¹⁵ For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;


1 John 2:12-14
¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


John 5:3-5
³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
 ⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Brilliant Thought: Be a Bulb, Shine The Light!

I like Bill Johnson's analogy of a Christian as a light bulb: the bulb doesn't produce light by itself, it only shines based on it's proper connection to the power source.  In the same way, any light that comes from me is a direct result of my connecting with the Source of Light itself.  When I connect to Him, He shines through me.  As the Light illumines, you shouldn't even think about the bulb, only the beautiful, powerful, glorious Light!

The world is dark and getting darker...let's connect to the Power Source and shine like stars in the universe!






Psalm 18:28
Psalm 44:3
Psalm 118:26-27
Psalm 119:129-131
Proverbs 4:18-19
Isaiah 60:1-3
Matthew 5:14-16
John 1:4-5, 7-9
John 8:12
2 Corinthians 4:5-7
1 John 1:5

And one more, just to make you smile...

Matthew 11:29-30

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 

Haha!  Love it!  Lay down your heavy burdens and striving...just be the bulb and carry His LIGHT burden!  :)  

Bliss to you!

Sarah

P.S.  If you want further encouragement in this, I highly recommend listening to Bill Johnson's sermon "Screwed In Right", available for free download on iTunes, under the Bethel Sermon of the Week podcast.  

Brilliant Thought: Just Like God Loves God!

I recently heard this line in a live worship set at IHOP-KC's Prayer Room:  "Let this sink into my heart: God loves me, just like God loves God".  At first I was taken aback.  Really?!  Slightly shocked, I began shuffling through Scripture verses to determine if this was a Biblical idea or not.  Here's what I came up with...

*God the Father clearly loves God the Son. 
(Matthew 3:16-17, John 3:35,  John 10:17, John 15:8-10, John 17:22-27) 

*The Son loves the Father, as evidenced by His testimony and obedience. 
(John 15:8-10) 

*The Father loved me, so He sent the Son to redeem me. 
(John 3:16,  John 16:27, John 17:22-27, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, Titus 3:4-5, 1 John 4:9-11, 1 John 4:16-19) 

*I love the Father, so I believe in the Son.  Because I believe, the Son is in me.  He loves me and I love Him. 
(John 13:34-35, John 14:20-23, John 15:8-10, John 17:22-27, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 5:1-2, Revelation 1:5-6)

*The Father loves me for loving the Son. 
(John 14:20-23, John 16:27, 1 John 3:1) 

*The Father loves me just as He loves the Son. 
(John 17:22-27, 1 John 3:1) 

So, YES!  God loves me just like God loves God!  

Another truth I cannot ignore from these Scriptures is His repeated command to love others just like He loves me.  I must love you just like God loves me, which is how God loves God!  

Let this sink into my heart!  

Bliss to you!
Sarah

The Original Superfruit!

It seems that modern nutritional science is discovering jaw-dropping, must-have, all-but-magical properties to some fruit or other every few months.  Hundreds of products line grocery store shelves claiming to bestow the benefits of these "superfruits" to consumers.  According to Wikipedia, a superfruit is "a fruit which combines exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant quality with appealing taste".   So, they are fruits that are fun to eat AND really good for you!  Win, win!
  
Well, I propose to you today that God has the Original Superfruit!  It is His secret weapon.  Only problem is that it's not secret to the enemy, but it's mostly secret to His people.  It is a Fruit of the Spirit that is powerful to enhance our spiritual health, dangerous against the realm of darkness, and it is addictively fun as well!  God's Superfruit is JOY! 


Think about it...next time you are really happy, stop for a minute and survey how you feel mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  I know for myself, when I am full of joy I feel energetic and efficient, generous and bright, able to make better choices, able to commune with God, able to reach out to others, I feel great about myself, my life, and everyone else, too!  Joy is an enhancer!  All the other Fruits of the Spirit flow so much better in me when I am operating out of Joy!  Patience?  No problem!  I'm joyful, so I have no need for impatience!  Peace?  Absolutely!  In joy I am happy where I'm at and positive for the future!  Love?  You bet!  The actions of love are definitely more effective when accompanied by Joy!  Self-Control?  Sure thing!  Joy gives me confidence to make wise decisions! 


Just like the other Fruits of the Spirit, Joy sometimes requires a disciplined will decision to choose to operate in it.  When it comes to Love, Patience, Faithfulness, etc., we expect to actively use our will at times to practice and grow in those things.  So, why, when it comes to Joy, do we so easily dismiss it as a fleeting emotional experience that "just happens" to us?  "I'm not feeling joyful today.  Oh, well.  Just one of those days, I guess."  I'll tell you something, the enemy knows full well the many benefits of Joy for us, and he does everything in his power to keep us from discovering lasting victory in this area.  It is so much easier for him to keep us away from Joy if he can just keep us thinking that it is something beyond our control to access.  


Below are some insights on this SuperFruit of the Spirit!  There is a wealth of Scripture on Joy!  I encourage you to take the time to look up the references and read them with Holy Spirit!  Joy is powerful and reveals a beauty of God's heart like few other things!   

*Joy = Strength...physically and spiritually!  We are joyful because He is our strength, and we are strong because He is our Joy!  
(1 Chronicles 16:26-28, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 81:1-3, Psalm 118:14-16, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 17:22, Isaiah 12:2-4)


*Joy is supposed to be the Christian norm, not the occasional experience!  Grief and weeping are to be the passing things, healed in the Presence of the One who is anointed with the oil of joy more than any other!
(Psalm 30:4-5, Psalm 32:10-11, Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 45:7, Psalm 89:14-16, Psalm 118:14-16, Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 132:8-9, Luke 24:52-53, Romans 14:17-18, Romans 15:13)


*Joy's source is God's presence!  He enjoys worship that is dynamically, loudly, extravagantly praising Him with diverse expressions of gladness!  In His presence we find inexpressible joy, and that gives Him pleasure!    
(Psalm 16:11, Psalm 21:6, Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 95:1-3, Psalm 100:1-3, Psalm 149:4-6, Jeremiah 15:15-17, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 24:52-53, John 15:10-11) 


*Joyful praise is a correct response to God's redemption, protection, favor, and provision.  Especially sweet to Him when we offer it before the answer comes!
(Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 25:5-7, Psalm 63:6-8, Psalm 126:1-3, Isaiah 12:2-4) 


*Joyful lifestyle, even in the face of trials, is evidence of right relationship with Holy Spirit in our lives, and is one of the most powerful forms of communicating His goodness to pre-Christians!  It is one of the brightest, most attractive signs that point to His life in us!  The more progress with make with Holy Spirit, the more consistently joy should be visible in our lives!
(Psalm 51:11-13, Psalm 107:21-22, Psalm 126:1-3, Psalm 145:6-7, Isaiah 12:2-4, Isaiah 24:13-14, Luke 6:22-23, Acts 13:51-52, Romans 14:17-18, Philippians 1:25, Hebrews 12:1-3)


*Joy is not always a reaction to good circumstances, it is also a will-led response to the wonderful, breath-taking, majestic nature of God, no matter what is occurring around us! 
(Psalm 118:14-16, Isaiah 24:13-14, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 6:22-23, Acts 13:51-52, Hebrews 12:1-3) 


*Joy is an integral part of our prayer life!  Answered prayers bring joy, and praying should make us joyful!  Prayer is essentially coming into the presence of God, connecting with His heart, and then repeating back to Him what He reveals He wants to do!  This is a fun and pleasurable process!  
(Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 149:4-6, Isaiah 56:7, John 16:23-25)

I know this is a lot of material, but if this is something that interests you, take this journey of discovery with Holy Spirit deeper into His joyful nature!  He will make it fun, I promise!    


Bliss to you!
Sarah
P.S.  For large amounts of Scripture look-ups, such as this, I like to use www.biblegateway.com...it's quick and easy to copy+paste the references in the Search field.  Or just type in "joy" and read away!  :)  

Occupation: Treasure Hunter!

My husband and I are part of a small group at our church called, Kingdom Come.  We are just normal guys and gals who love Jesus and love partnering with Holy Spirit to spread His love around!  We worship a lot.  We pray a lot.  We laugh even more!  But one of my favorite things to do with the group is something we learned from Bethel Church in Redding, CA, called Treasure Hunts.  We meet together as a group and ask God for "clues" to people He is setting up for a blessing that day!  Individually, we write down names, places, articles of clothing, prayer needs, etc. as they come to us.  We compare notes and gather in teams of 3-4 based on similarities in our lists.  Then we head out, using our "map" to find people who match 1 or more clues (such as a lady wearing a purple shirt who is shopping at Target), or anyone we feel Holy Spirit highlighting to us.  We approach them respectfully and cheerfully, simply asking if they need prayer for anything.  We don't mention a church, we don't ask them for anything, only offering a listening ear and a caring heart to agree with them before the Throne of Heaven for the changes they need to see.  Some turn us away, but most are pleasantly surprised and grateful, if not totally blessed out of their socks, by this simple ministry.  To know that God sees you, knows you, and cares enough to send a stranger to tell you that...that is a powerfully encouraging idea!


The thing is, this is how I want to live my whole life.  I don't want it to be an "outreach".  I want to utilize the courage to step out in love daily, to let myself actually feel something for the hundreds of random people I pass by everyday.  Because God loves each one, they are His Treasure, though most don't know it or don't believe it.   His thoughts towards them are too numerous to count, if I can catch just one of those and communicate it to them...I might never know just how much it means.  So much of this process begins by understanding how much God loves me, then it becomes easier to realize that He loves them that much, too!  From there, all it takes from me is an open and willing heart and a step towards a stranger....He really does the rest!

Over the past week or so, I've been thinking about hunting for the treasure in situations, too.  Thinking about negative situations in a different light, turning them around through a godly attitude and Holy Spirit inspiration.  Let me give you a few examples....

* Start the funeral: my car battery is dead.  I am late and bored by the time the AAA service guy arrives.  Though he greets me politely, I have no idea how his day has gone.  Maybe I will be the only customer he helps today who is cheerful, smiling, and genuinely appreciative.  Maybe not, but I don't want to take that chance.  I don't have use for the negative feelings anyway.  Let the joy flow, it is terrifically contagious!

* I walk into the doctor's office only to be greeted by seven other pairs of eyes in the waiting room.  This is going to take much longer than I thought.  I sit patiently, quietly turning my heart's affection to Jesus...best use of my time!  As I wait, I notice something, or rather, someone.  The receptionist is exceptional:  kind, cheerful, patient, efficient but unhurried in her dealings with people.  Compassion, peace, and joy are practically oozing out of her!  Holy Spirit smiled in my heart.  I knew He was setting her up for a blessing, and He wanted to use me!  As I concluded my business with her, I asked if she was a Christian.  She said yes.  I told her I could tell, because the love of God was all over her!  I asked if I could pray a quick blessing over her, and she was moved to tears.  I left that office an hour later than I had expected, but I was so joyful to have had that time to witness that woman in action and to encourage her in her ministry!

* Stuck at another red light.  Deep breath.  Holy Spirit, give me insight to pray for the people in the cars around me.  Look.  Take what He gives, and pray the promises of God over those people.  It can be childishly simple...Large, shiny, red truck = God, stir up a boldness in them for the blood of Jesus!  Excessive peace signs and "coexist" bumper stickers = God, become real to them as the Truth, the Way, and the Prince of Peace!  Understanding that my prayers give the angels employment can turn a boring commute into a powerful time of intercession for strangers and my city!

* Oops!  I almost took that guy's turn at the 4-way stop.  I stop in time, hold up my hand, and smile in apology, but he honks, yells angrily, and flips me off.  Wow.  He must really be having a bad day to respond so negatively to something so small.  Instead of railing inside against the injustice of that reaction, I begin to pray for him and whatever hurts and difficulties he has to deal with.  I reject any curse he spoke to me and receive God's grace instead, choosing to see him as someone God highlighted to me on purpose because he needs prayer for something.

I have no way of knowing if I made any real difference in any of those situations.  But my attitude change sure made a difference in me!  I find that my joy and peace increases as I focus on sowing love seeds wherever I go and whatever I do!  And just maybe God will use those small attitudes, words, actions, and prayers to touch a heart with His love.  That is the ultimate treasure!  That is what I am hunting for.  At every opportunity!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

P.S. Here are two of my favorite songs, part of the soundtrack of my life you could say!  They capture this idea well.  Enjoy!