Bountiful Blessings
August 19th, 2012
Jim
and I went out to eat with a different set of friends this weekend and had a
fantastic time. Summer’s friends are second children to me. I have friends from
high school that I dearly love, and I have friends from work who make me laugh
and help me through those hard days at work. Friends are an important part of
life. But what about those people that you are not real crazy about? The ones
that take a little extra patience. The ones that require you to bite your
tongue instead of laughing and chatting together. These relationships are just
as important. These relationships show what you are truly made of. That saying
…. WWJD? Well, lets take a look…. The sleazy woman? The liar? The thief? The
priest? The rich landowner? Could you tell a difference in his treatment? Did
he only serve the nice ones? Or did he serve everyone? Mmmhmmm. Ok. So,
sometimes I am the “one” and sometimes it is an acquaintance, a coworker or
even that person in front of me at the grocery store. ”. The one that I dread
seeing. The one that brings sparks to my eyes. The one that is like nails on a
chalkboard. Not very nice of me, is it? I know. And when I am the one who does
that to someone else? Ouch.
So
what do we do? How do we “fix” it? It may be an impossible feat for me to
change what others think of me but you know what? I CAN fix the way I see
others. The way I treat others. I CAN fix my thoughts, my actions, my
behaviors. I CAN strive, and pray, for the strength, the wisdom, the
patience, the clarity to see what God wants from me as an individual.
Relationships in any form or fashion take a little work. Marriages,
friendships, coworkers, …. It all requires that you put some effort into it.
God did not give us free will and thought only to let us coast through life.
Life is about work. About choices. About serving. “Whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be
your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28
Bible verse for the week:
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the
Spirit through the bond of peace. Eph.
4:2-3
Bible fun for the week:
Uh-oh. Math quiz…
Take the number of loaves plus the number of
fish Jesus used in feeding the 5,000 _____ + _____= _____
Add the number of chapters in Philippians +
_____ = _____
Subtract the number of people on board Noah’s
ark - _____ = _____
Subtract the number of letters in the New
Testament that were written to Timothy
- _____ = _____
What is your final answer?
(helpful hints - John 6:9 and 1 Peter 3:20)
Thought for the week:
That one person that really gets to you? The
one you just cannot stand? How about giving them a smile or a kind word or a
helping hand? Be a servant of God.
Prayer for the week:
Lord, I come to you today to ask you to teach
me to be a better servant. Help me to serve those who are harder to serve. For
a moment, let me put aside our differences and follow the path that you have
prepared before me. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Picture of the week:
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