What I’m thinking about this morning is standing out. Often, when I’m walking, I see a flower not in amongst other flowers, but all by itself. I love this! The flower seems to have a beauty all its own. It is refreshing and totally unconcerned that it is by itself. Sometimes, as Christians, we forget that sometimes our beliefs as a Christian will put us at odds with the world. We need to be like those flowers blooming and standing boldly proudly even if there is no other flower right there. The world is watching and desperately hoping that we are going to be different that those around us. The world wants to know that what we have is different than what they are seeing on TV, at the bars, at work. Sadly, many of us are so busy fitting in with, being like, the world that we are effectively saying that being a Christian makes us no different than anyone else with which they come in contact. We should not be different in a negative way, but we can have a beauty not dependent on whether there are other flowers but a beauty because of who we are, a Christian. We should have a beauty that spills over. A beauty that draws attention to WHY we are different. My prayer is that in the times that I need to stand alone as a Christian, that I will show the beauty and love of my Creator so that others will be attracted to Christ because of what they see in me.
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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