Come!

Today the words of the verse, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." has been on my mind a lot. 

Maybe He is trying to tell me something and I need to listen. Maybe it is because I am so weary with the heavy amount of responsibilities that I have had this week. Whatever the reason, I know that He is calling me at this moment to rest in Him and He will care for  me.

This week has been crazy with the busyness of processing the fruit from one tree-- a peach tree that stands in our back yard bearing fruit year after year. Some years we will get about 3 bushels from that tree alone, but not this year!  We had at least twice that amount in spite of the fact that someone stole all of the fruit from the peach tree in the front yard while we were away at church on Sunday.

They stole all of the peaches from our tree! 

You know, there are people like that who take advantage of our spiritual fruit tree as well. We are to bear fruit for the Master. Sometimes people take advantage of our kindness, our gentleness, long-suffering, patience, goodness, etc. Sometimes they take and take from our tree until we are completely spent. That is where Jesus says, "Come unto me. I will give you rest."  

In the natural world wintertime is for the trees and other plants to rest so they can bear forth more fruit the next season. It is when the Savior trims off that which is not like Him so we can be at our best for Him. However, the rest is an essential part of the fruit-bearing cycle.  You have to take time to recharge your batteries...time to rest. 

Just think about those who claim to be His own and are out doing what they think will please Him. They are doing good works without the faith. However, if they are not taking the time to rest in Him and allow Him to restore and refill them, they are going on their own strength. They may have started out well, but when they lose focus and try to force their own growth, what they do will be counted as hay, wood, and stubble.

"Come to Me!" Jesus says. "And I will give you rest. What a thought!

The peaches took a wintertime of rest and withstood the winds and heavy rains, thunderstorms and the heat of the summertime. All of that combined together for their good ...and the fruit is luscious, juicy, and sweet!

After all of the hard work of summertime and autumn, there will be a wintertime of rest.

Jesus says, "Come."  It doesn't matter what kind of storm that you have faced. You are not alone. He is right there with you. 

One day, He will say, "Thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of thy rest...and those who have endured the storms that came their way all of the while bearing sweet fruits of His Spirit will join Him in the Eternal Resting Place forever and ever! 

Thanks for reading,

Donna McHugh

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

This morning in my time with God, we talked about mirrors.  I know that sounds like a strange subject for prayer time, but it was the what He wanted to talk to me about today.  He told me that the longer I walk with Him, the more my image will become His image in the mirror of life. The more I reflect His image in Me, the more desirable the traits that I have to other people. 

Not only will my outward appearance reflect His image, so my heart will as well. We do not have to stay the same! We can change! We can reflect a different image than we have in the past. We can change from someone who was once unacceptable into someone who is pleasant. What do I mean by that?  Simply put, there is something called the Grace of God that can change even the worst among us. 

When we get up in the morning, we are not ready to face the world immediately.  We need to shower, comb our hair, and  make ourselves as presentable as possible. That fixes up the outside for the day, but what about the inside?  Spending time with God in the morning helps us to groom spiritually for the day. It is His time to talk to us...groom us, if you will so that we will be reflecting His Image throughout our day. 

We cannot hide who we really are inside. He already knows what we are like. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. We do not have to wear a mask to hide anything. He is faithful to show us where we need some grooming. He is the One who does the polishing and shining, not us. When we call on Him and allow Him to remove the unpleasant blemishes in our lives we will reflect His image more clearly.

Other mirrors (that are not His) will distort our image. Some may make us tall and thin, short and fat or whatever. Others may think we should do things their way and they try hard to convince you that their way is the only right way to think or act.  No one knows another's heart fully...only God knows what is inside of each of us. God's image is the only true image to reflect. When another's mirror is before us, the results can be disastrous! That is why we need to measure up to His standards and not get sidetracked into what others think. 

God's mirror is never cloudy, distorted or opaque. His mirror is clear and clean, showing the heart as it really is. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to see what He sees inside of us, but when we groom what He is asking us to straighten up, the beauty will shine through. People will notice the changes in your life.  After all, He is the Great Beautician. Even though we may be battle-scarred and weary, we are all beautiful in His sight.  He made us just the way we are...in His image...reflecting His image from our mirror! 

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

Walk a Mile In His Shoes

We have all heard that old saying, "Don't judge until you walk a mile in his moccasins." We never know what the other person is going

through.

 Recently, God taught me a lesson about this. I made a special treat for a friend and I gave it to her. Another friend came along and wanted it so she gave it to them. She really wanted it for herself, but sacrificed it so another could have the special treat. She knew that I would make her another one, so she felt free to give it up to the other person.

When she told this to me, I was upset because I wanted her to have the treat, not the other person whom I had told that they could not have it earlier.

It bothered me at what they did and I grumbled to God about it.  He listened to me for a while, then said calmly, "That person may have really been hungry...." And He went on to remind me of the circumstances that the person has been facing recently. 

He said, "What would happen if you were walking in their shoes right now?"

That made me stop and think a bit. I would not have wanted to have happen to me what that person is going through. I would not want to walk in their shoes because they are facing a lot of difficult circumstances right now.  

In the devotional book called, Grace For The Moment, by Max Lucado, He wrote these words under the May 8 devotional.

  "Get Out of the Judgement Seat"

We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn't see the blows

he took yesterday.

We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe.

We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts that they have dodged.

Are they too loud?  Perhaps they fear being neglected again.

Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again.

Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried.

You don't know. Only one who has followed yesterday's steps can be their judge....."

It is so easy to judge without knowing all of the facts. Jesus said simply, "Don't do it! That is His job, not ours."

So, I had to offer grace and forgiveness to that person and to my friend. She knew that I would make her another treat if I knew the circumstances. 

By walking a mile in another's shoes we see things a bit differently. We see things that we did not see before. And...maybe after a while you will develop blisters on your toes because the shoes are not made for you! By the end of the mile you will be literally footsore and weary!

Wear your own shoes. Walk your own mile. You cannot walk for another. The road is only wide enough for you and one other person, Jesus Christ. He will carry your load and theirs, too. 

I have heard an old radio preacher say, "Walk with the King today and be a blessing!"

That is good advice for today!

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

 

 

What is Your Worth?

Over the weekend I was working at a garage sale.  My job was to operate the bake sale  and food stand. Others were carrying out items to be sold, sorting merchandise, etc. We were all quite busy about the tasks that were at hand.

 When there was a lull in customers, we walked around looking at the things that were for sale. We talked about the different items that were for sale...and we bought some things that saw at good bargain prices.

One of the workers was talking to another worker about the value of different glasses, goblets, and other glassware. She pointed out that some of the prices were not right and should be relabeled. She demonstrated why. She picked up one glass and showed the thickness of the glass. She snipped the side of it with her fingers and said, "This one is crystal."  How did she know that?  The sound of the tap on the glass. It sounded clear and had a melodious tone to it. 

She picked up another glass and tapped her nail against it.  This one sounded hollow. Oh, it looked expensive, but it was nothing more than a cheap plastic imitation of the real thing. That glass wasn't worth near the value of the true crystal glass with the clear pure tones.  

What about our lives?

• Do we sound melodious when our glass is tapped or are we a hollow- sounding, cheap, plastic imitation of the real thing?
• Are we genuine in our love for Christ and others?
• When others hear us talking or observe our actions do they ring true with what we say?

People are not fooled by imitation. They know what is genuine or not. 

However, I wanted to make another point here. Crystal is valuable whether it is chipped or not. To God we are all valuable treasures created in His image. Our worth is far above rubies to Him. It does not matter if we are battered and scarred on the outside. He sees our hearts. He knows our true value. Underneath that crusty individual is true pure crystal.  We do not see the potential that He does. 

It takes Christ and His sacrifice on the cross to transform that treasure on the inside so that the outside will be pleasant to the eyes..... Pleasant in attitude and actions.... Valuable beyond worth. Priceless Treasures! That is what we are to Christ. 

Thanks for reading,


Donna McHugh

Lessons From a Mother Bird

The other evening, we were working outside trimming shrubs and doing garden work. My son was using the electric hedge trimmers and was unaware of the fact that a mother catbird had flown out of her nest and was scolding him for disturbing her peace. She was trying to get him away from her nest in one of the shrubs. She was frantically calling to her babies in the nest. She was not abandoning them, but instead was protecting them from a distance.

In a moment a little bird half- flew, half- hopped out of the shrubbery and tried flying unsuccessfully from the danger he felt he was in. The mother continued to call encouragement to her baby. He hopped into the tall grass and tried to hide. 

Within another moment, two more little catbirds did the same as the other one only this time, they stuck together and frantically called and hopped and flopped across the yard. 

We wanted to help them back to the nest, but we could not touch them. We did not know what to do. We hated to see these little ones get lost in the grass and never find their way back to the nest. 

Then we noticed that the two that stuck together had reached a tree a few yards across the lawn. Their mother, who had been watching them, flew down to the ground where they were. She chattered to them in her own bird language. The single bird heard their calls and headed in their direction. 

Darkness was beginning to settle in and we lost track of the bird family. We did see the mother bird later and hope that she was able to keep her little fledglings safe. 

The lesson from this is that when we leave the "parent nest", our Heavenly Father is always watching out for us. Just like that mother catbird, He knows right where we are at all times. He is calling out encouragement to us to help us find Him. 

Another lesson was that the ones who stuck together fared better than the one who went a totally different direction. They encouraged each other and went in the same direction. That is called fellowship in people terms. That is what God wants us to do for each other...

• Call out encouragement to each other.  
• Don't abandon a brother or sister in a crisis.
• Head in the direction of the voice of God.  He will lead you to safety.
• Even if we stray far away from God, if we stop and listen, He will always welcome us back.There was a bird reunion right there under the tree the other night. 
• God is always watching out for us even though we make bad choices and abandon what we know is right. 

As far as we know, the mother catbird was able to take care of her little ones. Our Father in Heaven cares for us, too. He sees when the sparrow falls from the Heavens and He will see us through the difficult times. How much more important are we than the sparrows? 

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh