Today I'm thankful for...
Today I'm grateful for the rain
and for quiet moments of reflection
on rainy days while sitting in the car.
I'm currently reading a book by
Emily P. Freeman
(not to be confused with Emily Belle Freeman
the LDS author).
The book is called
Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living
in a Fast-Moving World.
In it she says "What gives moments
meaning is not the moments themselves
but the presence of Christ with us
in the midst of them" (page 47).
Today I had such a moment.
I had run to the dollar store
to pick up a cheap potato masher
to use when I make Jam later today.
While L and I were in the store,
it started to rain and
by the time we had gotten home
it was pouring.
L had fallen asleep and
I didn't want to wake her
by taking her out to get rained on
between the car and the house.
So I sat in the car for a little while
waiting for the rain to at least die down a bit.
While I was sitting there,
I started thinking about rain.
Rain is amazing!
It waters plants and helps them
stay green and healthy.
It helps flowers grow and bloom
and trees grow delicious fruit.
It provides water for us to drink,
which helps us to live.
It cleanses.
It purifies.
Rain is like the light of Christ.
He is Life.
Without him we are nothing.
He helps.
He gives us nourishment,
He cleanses.
He purifies.
I'm thankful for this short moment
I had the chance to ponder and learn.
Oh my goodness, friends!
Can I tell you how much I am enjoying this book
The Christ-Centered Home: Inviting Jesus In
by Emily Belle Freeman!
I've got it all highlighted and written in!
I'm only two months/chapters in and I
have already been touched by the Spirit!
Today's scripture comes from the Chapter
called "The House on the Borders of Tyre:
A Household of Faith, The Second Month:
Expect Miracles.
Mark 7:24-30 (with JST added in here)
"And from thence he arose, and went into
the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into
an house, and would that no man should come unto him.
But he could not deny them; for he had compassion
upon all men. For a certain woman, whose young
daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him,
and came and fell at his feet: The woman
was Greek, a Syrophenician by nation;
and she besought him that he would cast forth
the devil out of her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children
of the kingdom first be filled: for it is not
meet to take the children's bread,
and to cast it unto the dogs.
And she answered and said unto him,
Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table
eat of the children's crumbs.
And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way;
the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she was come to her house,
she found the devil gone out, and
her daughter laid upon the bed."
So Christ travels to the Gentile regions.
A Gentile woman hears He is there
and comes to see him.
She falls at his feet.
and implores urgently for him
to cast away the devil from her daughter.
He tells her that the children of the kingdom
of God must be filled first.
"...for it is not meet to take the children's bread,
and to cast it unto the dogs."
I think he was testing her faith.
Seeing if she would let it lead her
to having faith in Him.
Her reply, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs
under the table eat of the children's crumbs."
Basically she says, I'll take whatever you
would give me even if it is only a small crumb.
He saw her faith and granted her petition.
Her daughter was healed.
I love what Emily says about this woman.
She went to the Lord expecting a miracle.
I don't know about you,
but I don't always expect a miracle
when I ask for things.
As I've thought further on this
faithful woman's story,
I see that Christ did not give her a miracle
right away. He made sure her desire and faith
were there and then he gave her the miracle.
How often do I ask for something
and it doesn't happen right away.
Instead I get to wait and stay faithful.
Believing in my Savior
and having faith that in His perfect
timing He will grant me a miracle.
I'm going to start expecting miracles
and being happy for any small crumbs.
I'm going to be patient while I wait
for the Lord's timing for those miracles.
Can I tell you how much I am enjoying this book
The Christ-Centered Home: Inviting Jesus In
by Emily Belle Freeman!
I've got it all highlighted and written in!
I'm only two months/chapters in and I
have already been touched by the Spirit!
Today's scripture comes from the Chapter
called "The House on the Borders of Tyre:
A Household of Faith, The Second Month:
Expect Miracles.
Mark 7:24-30 (with JST added in here)
"And from thence he arose, and went into
the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into
an house, and would that no man should come unto him.
But he could not deny them; for he had compassion
upon all men. For a certain woman, whose young
daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him,
and came and fell at his feet: The woman
was Greek, a Syrophenician by nation;
and she besought him that he would cast forth
the devil out of her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children
of the kingdom first be filled: for it is not
meet to take the children's bread,
and to cast it unto the dogs.
And she answered and said unto him,
Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table
eat of the children's crumbs.
And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way;
the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she was come to her house,
she found the devil gone out, and
her daughter laid upon the bed."
So Christ travels to the Gentile regions.
A Gentile woman hears He is there
and comes to see him.
She falls at his feet.
and implores urgently for him
to cast away the devil from her daughter.
He tells her that the children of the kingdom
of God must be filled first.
"...for it is not meet to take the children's bread,
and to cast it unto the dogs."
I think he was testing her faith.
Seeing if she would let it lead her
to having faith in Him.
Her reply, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs
under the table eat of the children's crumbs."
Basically she says, I'll take whatever you
would give me even if it is only a small crumb.
He saw her faith and granted her petition.
Her daughter was healed.
I love what Emily says about this woman.
She went to the Lord expecting a miracle.
I don't know about you,
but I don't always expect a miracle
when I ask for things.
As I've thought further on this
faithful woman's story,
I see that Christ did not give her a miracle
right away. He made sure her desire and faith
were there and then he gave her the miracle.
How often do I ask for something
and it doesn't happen right away.
Instead I get to wait and stay faithful.
Believing in my Savior
and having faith that in His perfect
timing He will grant me a miracle.
I'm going to start expecting miracles
and being happy for any small crumbs.
I'm going to be patient while I wait
for the Lord's timing for those miracles.
On my heart today...
I've been thinking about how
miracles don't have to be something
big and grand and flashy.
Sometimes they are the little things
that go unnoticed in our everyday lives.
A baby's laugh in the early morning hours.
A flower blooming in the sunlight.
Making it through a hard day.
The rain on the windshield while I
ponder on the Lord's grace.
The little crumbs He gives me daily!
The tender mercies that let me know he cares!
I've been thinking about how
miracles don't have to be something
big and grand and flashy.
Sometimes they are the little things
that go unnoticed in our everyday lives.
A baby's laugh in the early morning hours.
A flower blooming in the sunlight.
Making it through a hard day.
The rain on the windshield while I
ponder on the Lord's grace.
The little crumbs He gives me daily!
The tender mercies that let me know he cares!
No comments:
Post a Comment