I wish I was a butterfly

Have you ever thought about how a butterfly could 

ever have been a caterpillar?

There is nothing that would ever indicate that inside that little ugly creature dwelt

the heart of a butterfly. But caterpillars were not meant to be that way forever.

God had something else in mind for the creation.

When my boys were small, they were fascinated with anything that crept and

crawled around on the ground and elsewhere. They would stoop down on the

ground and watch the caterpillar with its many legs creeping awkwardly along.

If that was all there was to life for the poor caterpillar, then it would be a very

depressing way of life indeed. 

Have you ever imagined what the caterpillar thinks as he crawls along? Does

he ever long to be what he was fully meant to be? Does he ever get impatient

with God saying, "Would you hurry up and make me into a butterfly?" 

The caterpillar has to endure the dust and dirt carrying his heavy little body

around the earth feasting on leaves and grass. He could say to God, "Why am

I eating grass and leaves when I should be sipping nectar from the flowers? 

When the time is right, God takes him to a place where he begins spinning

a cocoon and by all appearances he is totally lifeless inside. Totally Dead!!!

That is what man sees, but not what God sees. He looks at things from a

different perspective. The heavy awkward body and many legs have to go!

The skin has to change. Wings need to develop. A new creature is forming

from the old. The caterpillar is becoming a butterfly. 

Then one day, the shell cracks open and a wet, slimy creature comes forth

all on their own in God'd time. No one can help the butterfly to gain the strength

that he needs. He has to do it on his own. Oh, others can encourage him, but

he has to make the ultimate decisions for himself.   

Soon he emerges and flaps his wings rapidly. The colors become sharper and

the beauty of God's creation appears and he confidently flits and flies around from

flower to flower across meadows and into the blue sky. The gentle winds

blow and he catches the wind. The sun warms him as he happily goes on his way.

Behind in the shell lies the cumbersome, awkward body and legs...all of the things that

weighed him down to the earth. The baggage is all gone. He doesn't dwell in the dust and 

dirt of the ground anymore. He was made for better things than being on the ground.

So are we. We are not created to carry the baggage of earth (jealousy, anger, hurts,

unforgiveness, etc.) We were made to be free to fly with joy, peace, and happiness without

a care in the world...to live in forgiveness and rest! 

I know whereof I speak. It was not that long ago that I was a caterpillar, but God

has done a miraculous transformation in my life and He'll do the same for you if

you ask Him to. It doesn't matter what it is that keeps you on the ground. God is

bigger than any problem, relationship or trouble that you have. He wants you to

fly up into the beautiful blue sky where He dwells. Allow Him to transform you into

the beautiful butterfly that He intended you to be. 

Thanks for reading.

Donna

Who Do You Think You Are?

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Corinthians 4:5

The past several days, my quiet time held some real challenges for me. In the devotional
book called, "Grace for the Moment", by Max Lucado, He tells the story of Leo Tolstoy,
the great Russian writer who was walking down the street and saw a beggar. He stopped because he felt compassion for him and reached into his pockets to drop some coins in the man's cup, but found no money. He said to the man, "I'm sorry brother," smiled,  gave him a word of encouragement. 
The beggar was not upset at all for not getting a few paltry coins. Instead, he said, was thrilled that Leo had called him,' brother'. 

Leo did not give the man a wide berth and stick his nose in the air, totally ignoring the man. He did not scowl and berate him for being in such a state. Instead, he looked on him with compassion and tried to help him monetarily, but instead ended up giving him something far better than money...he gave him compassion and friendship.

It is so easy to do walk around the long way to avoid someone in need, however that is not what Jesus would have done.

In 1 John 3:17 we read these words.


But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

Here is my question for you. 
If we do not do as Jesus did and do not treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with compassion when they have a need, how can we say that we love God? 

Let's take it a little bit further. How can we claim to be a Christian and not show the world that we care about their souls or their needs?  How can we keep our love to ourselves? Love was meant to share. Like the song says, "Love isn't love until you give it away..."

Jesus talked about this very subject when He told the story of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-37

30.   And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, 
         and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and
         departed, leaving him half dead. 

31.  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, 
        he passed by on the other side. 

32.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and 
        passed by on the other side. 

33.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw 
       him, he had compassion on him, 

34.  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him 
       on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

35.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to 
        the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest 
        more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36.  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among
         the thieves? 

37.  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do 
        thou likewise. 

Jesus commended the one who was not really among the "in crowd" because he had compassion while the others judged the man who was robbed and beaten. Judging is easy, but compassion is what pleases Jesus. It is that simple.

Just because someone snubs you does not mean that you have to do the same to them or to anyone else. I had this happen to me recently. I met someone in a grocery store who at one time was an acquaintance. When she saw me, she turned the other way and totally ignored me even though I had done nothing to offend her. I was being judged, but that did not give me license to do the same. I am to act as Jesus would have me to act and to forgive without being asked. Judging is instantaneous, compassion keeps on giving.

So that leads to the final questions.

•  Who do you think you are? 
•  Are you better than everyone else or do you play on a level playing field? 

Jesus died for everyone of us. He loves everyone of us. It is up to us to act like Jesus and love as He would have us to do. That's a tall order for a Valentine's Day!

Thanks for reading.

Donna

Oh, Joy!

Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh, Joy!" when they are already  exasperated and one more thing happens to make them feel overwhelmed? Today's verse reminds me that instead of being frustrated, I need to rejoice in the midst of trials.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 

Joy comes from the heart, not from external situations. There is absolutely nothing that can take away the joy that Christ gives. Our world can be turned upside down, but deep inside there is a joy that can help us through the difficult times.

We read in the book of Acts where Paul and Silas demonstrated joy.

Acts 16:22-25

22.   And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off 
         their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 

23.   And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, 
        charging the jailor to keep them safely: 

24.   Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made
         their feet fast in the stocks. 
25.   And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the 
         prisoners heard them. 

Yes, you may argue, but that was the Apostle Paul that we are talking about here. He was a super saint. Oh, really! I think not! He and Silas experienced true joy in the midst of their pain. If you read the Scriptures of what the Apostle Paul experienced as a result of his faith, you will be astounded. Yet, he could sing at midnight.

God taught me a lesson some time ago about joy some time ago. I was quite ill and a number of things were happening that were not encouraging. My friend also was facing a real trial in her life at that time when I needed her and she could not be there because she was overwhelmed with her own circumstances. 

One day, God brought this passage to mind and said, "Can you sing with your friend at midnight?"  At that point I had to hang my head and say, "NO." However, took me on a spiritual journey to find the joy and peace that only He offers. It wasn't long until I was able to say, "Yes, I can sing at midnight with my friend." Even though both of us experienced the difficulties, we could rejoice in the fact that all was well within...and our friendship was taken to a different level.

I am not saying that it is always easy to do and it is something that I have to remember to do as well, but we can rejoice when things go wrong.

My husband sometimes will sing a little song called, "Hallelujah Anyhow!"
I do not remember all of the words but the song fits so well here.

Hallelujah Anyhow! Never never let your problems get you down.
When those troubles come my way, I lift my head up high and say,
Hallelujah anyhow!

Joy comes from within the heart of Christians who really know how to rejoice in the midst of trials. That is not always easy, but if you can get to the place where you see everything that happens to you as an opportunity to rejoice, things will look differently.

God want us to learn to practice joy...practice rejoicing. It will come naturally to you if you keep at it. It makes so much of a difference in your life. It will brighten your countenance and will be contagious to others. 

Joy encourages others. Someone you know may be struggling right now. Your life is an example of what a Christian should live like. 

But, you may argue, I have nothing to rejoice about. Oh, yes, you do!

• Your sins have been forgiven and you are on your way to Heaven.
• You may be poor as a church mouse, but your Father in Heaven is richer than anyone on earth. Last time I checked, He owns it all, so He is rich enough to meet your needs.
• You have something that the world does not possess. Joy. Unspeakable Joy!
• Rejoice because you are a child of the King!

Spreading joy to you today!

Thanks for reading.

Donna

I Don't Live There Any More!

 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where
 thine honour dwelleth.  Psa 26:8

This morning as I was talking to God, He brought these thoughts to my mind.

He dwells in the hearts of believers. That is His tabernacle. Oh, we worship

in churches on the Sabbath Day, but it would be sad to only have His Presence

just on Sunday. What would it be like if we could not call on Him any time

that we needed him?

But the amazing thought is that the God of the Universe asks each of us

to allow Him to dwell inside of us... all of the time... every day of the week,

If we refuse Him, He will do what He can to draw us, but He will never force

His way in the door. 

When He moves in, the furniture gets rearranged. Priorities are changed.

The whole outlook on life is different. He talks to us about things that do

not please Him because He cannot dwell with unrighteousness. 

He brings us to a different place, gradually changing our lives and hearts

to become more like His. It does not matter how dilapidated our home is

when He comes in. He starts to work right where we are to change us more

and more into His image as we allow Him to.

I have heard so many stories of how people who lived in the slum districts

were changed when they met the Master. They began to clean up their yards,

get rid of garbage, put a coat of paint on the outside, plant flowers, etc.

Then, it is not long until they go from being an abusive drunkard to being a

kind caring person. Their whole demeanor changes when Jesus dwells inside.

They become respectable citizens leaving all of the old life behind. 

Their dwelling changes from hatred, anger and strife to a life of peace.

It is the same way with us as we walk with God. We don't have to be a drunkard

to be unrighteous. The apostle Paul gives some very good advice in the book of

Ephesians chapter 4: 21-32.

21.     If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in

          Jesus:    

2

2.    That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt

          according  to the deceitful lusts; 

23.    And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

24.    And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and

          true holiness. 

25.    Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we 

          are members one of another. 

26.     Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 

27.     Neither give place to the devil. 

28.     Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his 

          hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

29.     Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is

           good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

30.     And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of

           redemption. 

31.     Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put

          away from you, with all malice: 

32.     And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as

           God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Jesus doesn't want us to dwell among the backbiters, troublemakers, talebearers, etc. He wants us to dwell where there is kindness, forgiveness, peace, gentleness, and love.

That is what He does to a life who will allow Him to dwell inside of them. 

Challenging thoughts!

Thanks for reading.

Donna

That's Impossible

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mar 10:27

This morning in my quiet time with God, I read this verse and found it an encouragement.
There have been some situations in my life lately that looked impossible, yet God came
through just in time to meet the need that we had.

Wintertime is a difficult struggle for our family. What little income we have during 
the springtime through fall is virtually non-existent in the wintertime. That is when things
get a little scary...when our faith is stretched a little further than before.

One day early in the month of January while I was looking at the bleak financial
situation, God spoke to me. He told me to tell Him the exact amount that we
needed to pay the monthly bills. He instructed me to ask the family to pray with
me for the exact amount. We told no one else about the need, but faithfully
brought our request to Him each day.

He then began to instruct us to praise Him that the answer was on its way.
We still owed the money, but He promised that He would provide.
So here is how the answer came.

My son gave me a certain amount to help out. 
I had to buy some dishwasher soap. 
Then I had to see the doctor about a physical problem.
The remainder was not near enough to meet the bills.
My husband did some odd jobs, but he had to buy gas
for the vehicle so there was even less than before and
the bills needed paid the next day. There was no way
that we could meet the deadline. 

After church last Wednesday night, a widow from our church needed
my husband to do a few little projects for her. She was generous with what
she gave him, but it was not nearly enough to pay the bills.

My faith began to waver. God had promised and He did not deliver. I
thought it was impossible...that is until a phone call came that
afternoon. We had not told the party anything. Remember we told
only God. They asked how much we needed. We would not tell them
because we wanted God to be the One to speak and show the
party how much it was. Finally, they offered a certain amount and
we accepted.

As soon as the phone call ended, my husband and I opened our wallets
to count what we had plus what was offered that afternoon.
It was the exact amount needed to pay the bills on time and not 
a moment too soon. 

What seemed like a total impossibility became the utterly possible
because God was in it. He did the impossible because He is God
and He cares for His own.

I don't know what impossible situation you are facing today, but
I know Who is the God of the impossible!!!

Thanks for reading.

Donna