ROSY NOT THORNY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I was sharing some time Saturday with a good friend who has been in the ICU at Kettering Hospital in Dayton for 60 days or so. He is IMPROVING but has a “ways to go”.  He is stricken with guillain-barré syndrome.  In fact his case is one of the worst on record.  But he is progressively healing and progressively improving. 

Continue to pray for Kip.

The good news was that Saturday was the first I have been able to converse with Kip since he got sick.  The disease had him paralyzed.  And it was good to see the wry smile and a little light back in those eyes as we caught up.  He has been through a lot. 

But the visit brought with it a lot of perspective.

We can get pretty frustrated with waiting for our coffee at the drive thru.  Get impatient with the folks behind the counter or on the phone.  We curse at the traffic and get frustrated with the boss or the supervisor.  We complain. 

We grumble.

But when you see a once vibrant and powerful man laying fairly motionless in the bed struggling to talk, being assisted to breathe and eat, suddenly those little inconveniences seem, well AWFULLY little.

It can be a little humbling.

GOD called us to be thankful people.

GOD called us to be grateful people.

1 Thessalonians 5:18(NIV)

…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

“Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man/woman has many -- ” - Dickens

When we are argumentative or impatient, when we express ungrateful behaviors or exude frustration, we don’t look much like He desires us to look.

So a couple of simple suggestions today.

Remember Kip. 

But before you offer GOD your laundry list for yourself, THANK GOD and then pause and think about the others around you who could use a prayer a little more than you today.

Someone sick?

Someone in a crisis?

Pray for that first.

Is there something you can do? A visit?  A card? A call? Get that on your calendar. Don't "gonna do it", do it!

Resolve to keep them in mind throughout the day rather than grumbling about ‘your stuff’.

Resolve to not complain so quickly.

Remember…

Some people grumble that roses have thorns; be grateful that thorns have roses.

So don’t be “thorny”.  Be rosy!

Deuteronomy 26:11…celebrate all the good things He has given to you…

For:

“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” NVP (Norman Vincent Peale)

I love you all

Freedom Church