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)
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
I mentioned last week about a new effort coming to our community to help in the addiction challenge. It is called the RECOVERY Café and the first one was founded in Seattle. And since its start, many others are opening or in the planning stages like ours in Dayton Ohio.
At its core the Café is designed to provide a safe place for folks to gather, connect and hopefully begin a path of recovery and restoration.
And while we were meeting with their team they shared some of their guiding principles with us. Some of which were the following; that the Café provide a place where peaceful living, respect, compassion, and forgiveness were practiced.
And while I appreciated the intentionality of the team at the Café to encourage those behaviors, those traits when it came to the facility, I was a little saddened because it was evident that instead of those traits being inherent, that folks needed to be reminded.
But maybe we all do.
Maybe I do.
Am I committed to offering peace today?
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14 ESV
For:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9 ESV
What about respect? If I want it, do I demonstrate it or model it?
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:10 (ESV)
How about compassion and forgiveness? Do those roll off my tongue or do I walk in either or both?
Good question.
A mandate for sure.
Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ. - Ephesians 4:32 (ERV)
So…
Here we are at the start of another day. We are few hours ahead of those folks in Seattle, but I know several who are hurting are going to encounter a place and people who are peaceable, respectful, loving and forgiving.
The question is if someone encounters us today will they experience the same?
I hope so…
“Hide yourself in God, so when a man (woman) wants to find you he (she) will have to go there first.” ― Shannon L. Alder
I love you all…
OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE
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