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With the many stresses of life, it's important that we never lose the inner
child like joy that God has placed within each of our hearts. It is fine
for us to be serious at the workplace and firm when it comes to our faith,
but we should never get so serious that we forget to enjoy and appreciate
the simple pleasures of life. The Lord Jesus declares in Matthew 18:3, "I
say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." I encourage you to enjoy
life as best as you can and remember to see the humor in the things that
would otherwise get you frustrated. (John 16:20-24)
I hope you are blessed and encouraged by this great story that shows how we
should not always be so serious, but rather try to appreciate and enjoy the
simple joys of daily life.
GOLD, COMMON SENSE AND FUR
My husband and I had been happily (most of the time) married for five
years, but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious
praying and promised God that if He would give us a child, I would be a
perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my
guide. God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God
blessed us with another son. The following year, he blessed us with yet
another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter.
My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four
children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask
God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If you
pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."
I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they
lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with
four children and I didn't want to disappoint Him.
I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the
kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding when
they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it
took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs.
When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket
to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than
the mess.
In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot
meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still
thank God daily for my children.
While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother. I didn't even
come close. I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God.
I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were
going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along
to "wash up" Jesus, too.
Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us
everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us
his "last wife."
My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My
daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest
son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five-year-old
shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes." But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled
clothes."
My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's
dirty, rotten clothes." A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the
shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing.
I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll
representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama."
Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise
men arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper
crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and
we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."
The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing
ovation. "I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,"
Pastor Brian laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life,
I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense
and fur."
"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as
I dug through my purse for an aspirin.
By Linda C. Stafford
Just in case you are puzzled by the title of this story, it was Gold,
Frankincense and Myrrh that the three wise men brought to the Lord Jesus
when He was born. I hope the lightheartedness of the story encouraged your
heart to have the same attitude of Joy. (Matthew 2:9-12)
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
John 15:10-11 Jesus declares, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide
in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His
love. These things I have spoken to you, that My Joy may remain in you, and
that your Joy may be full."
Psalm 16:8-11 "I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my
right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory
rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of Joy; at
Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Psalm 34:1-5 "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall
continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the
humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and
let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and
delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto Him, and were lightened:
and their faces were not ashamed."
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem168.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: LIFE CHANGING EVENT
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony46.htm
In Christ's Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry |
