11.11.12 This world is temporary...my life is waiting for me

Bountiful Blessings

November 11th, 2012

Good morning, my friends. Sigh. Each week these notes hopefully contain a message that someone needs. Guess that disappointment note was meant for me. I lost some money on Friday. Disappointment. That pass on the 2 yd line? Disappointment. (but we had to lose sometime, right? And well, we kind of deserved it.) The election? Dis… never mind. J Onto this week’s…

This morning I woke up bright and early coming out of a dream of a memory that seemed to have JUST HAPPENED. I could see colors. Feel the heat. Capture the emotions. It was SO REAL. I felt like this could not be a “coincidence”. For one reason or another, God was telling me to share this dream. Sound a little hokey? Maybe. But if you look back at the Bible, there were many mentions of important dreams. Ok, so this one may not be important but maybe there will be something to take from it.

 When I was young, I got the pleasure of visiting my family in Russellville. It was a true highlight for me. I visited family, hung out with my older cousins, shelled peas with my aunts and attended a small primitive Baptist church with my Mamma. Oh, I hated that church. A little church sitting atop a hill. No air conditioning. Hard pews. A preacher yelling and waving about fire and brimstone. I couldn’t understand how anyone could find God in that atmosphere. Now, before you say anything, I know that many people do. My Mamma loved her church! She was always touched by the hand of God. You could see the adoration come over her face. She simply glowed.

Well, in this particular dream (memory), I was sitting on that hard pew next to my Mamma. The air was hot and sticky. I was antsy in my seat. Mamma was fanning with her paper church fan. The preacher was yelling about going to hell, sweating and wiping his forehead with a hanky. I began to tune out. I was SO ready to go home. Then. Well, I cannot really explain it but it was like Heaven opened up and an angel appeared. I sat up straighter and tried to pay attention. The preacher asked if anyone wanted to come to the front to ask Jesus into their hearts. I so, so, so wanted to go but it was like my feet were in concrete blocks. I couldn’t move. I sat there in silence and agony. We left church a little later with my grandmother none the wiser. Well, for a moment or two. Then I broke down. I began to bawl. I was going to hell. I had my chance to ask God into my heart and I blew it. She wrapped me in her arms. She told me that God does not have a special time or place. You do not have to kneel at the front of the church. The preacher does not need to pray for you. It is as simple as asking. Open your heart. Believe. Ask God to enter your heart and forgive you of your sins.  It turned out to be one of the best days of my life. For you see, I did ask God that day. My mamma prayed with me. We asked him to complete me, to enter my life and fill my soul. Oh, I have made mistakes over the years. I have strayed from the path. But nothing can replace the feeling when God is welcomed into your heart. Even for me, there are no words.

 Today, I ask you. Have you talked with God? Opened your heart? Asked him to enter your heart and forgive you of your sins? This world we are in is temporary. Its only the world. Our reward, our treasure, it is waiting on us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can fill the hole inside you except God – not that we do not try – money, power, food, drugs, alcohol, even love – all are a temporary fix. We need God. Its in our DNA. A little something that he left out that we must ask for. It is not automatically given to us. We must ask and then we shall receive. And if God is in your life, take a moment today to help someone else. My mamma helped me. She was my second angel that day. Be someone’s angel.

Bible verse for the week:

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.            Romans 10:9-10

Prayer for the week:

Dear Lord,

Thank you. For your love. For your guidance. For your grace and mercy. For your strength. For your compassion. What a gift, O Lord.  You came into my heart, my soul, my life. You only asked for my faith, my obedience, my love. You gave me everything in return. Lord, I am unworthy of your love and yet, you forgive me, you love me, you offer me the promise of an everlasting life. I was broken and you healed me. Thank you, Lord, thank you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

 Bible fun for the week:

Romans 12:1

I secheeb ouy rheteorfe, nbretrhe, ub eht cremies of dGo, ttah ey spreetn rouy diobes a gliniv esaccrifi, yohl, eaclcbepat otun Gdo, ichwh si yuro eraenoslbe sesvirc.

Have a blessed week! Please take a moment to honor our military veterans who served for our country, our freedom, our lives….

 

Terri