A few days ago I gave my daughter these instructions as I
left for work, “Do something with the chicken in the refrigerator for supper.” The problem is that my daughter does not
always deal well with such ambiguous instructions. So after work, I decided to pick up something
for supper just in case there was nothing ready to eat when I got home. When I got home she had indeed made something
using the chicken in the icebox. I was
pleased, to say the least. I told my family
I brought home fried chicken. I also
told them again the next day, at LEAST three times. I am not usually a nag so why go through the
bother of repeating it that many times? Well,
I know how easy it is to forget and I wanted them to be sure and eat it before
it spoiled. So I went to the trouble to remind them. I am sure you have done the same thing in
your home, for the same reason. It’s
something you want them to remember. In addition, at a later point, you do NOT want to hear, “I didn’t
know”, and you do NOT want the discussion that will follow. As I was thinking about it, I was reminded of
the things in the Bible that are repeated.
Things like: Do not fear, love your neighbor, love your enemies, God is faithful. I could go on but you get the point. I can’t help but smile as I think about this
because I imagine God repeats himself for the same reason that we do. He’s hoping, like I was, that by the tenth
time that we have read it, it will finally sink in and we will remember that he
loves us; that we don’t have to be afraid; that he will help us. Can’t you imagine God throwing his hands in
the air in joy and saying, “Finally, You remembered!
Now you understand.” I’m learning
to look for things that God repeats because if he repeats it, it’s because it’s
important and he wants me to remember what he has said. By the way, there is one other thing that
Jesus repeated, “I will come again.” I
can’t wait!!!
There are tragedy and sadness in everyone's life, No one is exempt. Yet, in the midst of the hurt and pain, God is there. He takes the things that hurt us and make us sad and turns them into things are beautiful. The death of my mother was a tragedy to my dad. However, because of that tragedy, my dad began to see his need for God. In his brokenness, he found a God that could make him whole. God turned his ashes into beauty. My dad, in turn, taught me to love God. I am blessed to know God as my savior because of my dad. God also blessed me with a lovely step-mom Life is harsh at times, and many things are sad, Yet, if we let him, he will take our ashes and make them into a work of art. He delights in making the ash heaps of our life beautiful. When we are broken, God is near, and where there is sorrow, he will turn it into dancing. Thank you, God, F...
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