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As children of the Lord, we should always be quick to outwardly show the
inward joy that we possess. We have much to be cheerful about and should
never go through life with the attitude of the world which is quick to
focus only on the negative and pessimism that surrounds them. The Lord
Jesus says that we are in the world but not of the world, so you remember
this the next time others try to impose their negativism upon you. (John 14:27)
As a shining beacon of light, we are to be the example of love, peace and
joy even in the midst of the storm and show all that with God by our side
nothing by any means shall be able to move us. Be encouraged to live your
faith and allow the Lord's Word to dwell in you richly where all will be
positively influenced because of your faithful testimony of love. (Colos. 3:16)
I hope you are encouraged and inspired by today's message to be filled with
the joy of the Lord at all times and allow His perfect peace to take root
in your life.
A SNOW DAY!
It snowed, and it snowed and it snowed. And after that...it snowed some more!
It was a quiet morning when I heard my husband call to the boys, “Rise and
Shine”!
“So early, I thought. Was it really time to get up already?”
Philip hit the floor running. He always did: forever looking for what was
around the next corner. John,...low gear John...dumped himself out of bed,
and with eyes still half closed, slowly maneuvered his way down the hall.
Andy, rummaging around in his room, whined, “Oh man...I gotta do my
spelling words yet!”
As Dad herded this 'happy huddle' into the sunny dining room, he slowly
turned to the window, “Oh Wow! Look outside! It really snowed last night!”
He clicked on the radio and chuckled, “Hummmmm?...I wonder if there will
be school today.” It got very quiet as all three scruffy heads swung around
toward Dad and the newsworthy clock radio.
No School? Could it be? They sat still...Not even breathing...Oh please --
please -- pleeease, they silently prayed in unison as the announcer read
the long list of school closings. Why did our town, an S, always have to
be at the end of the long list?
Even the dog had a wistful look of hope on his face as his ears tilted
forward in anticipation.
Andy sat with eyes closed and fingers double-crossed on each hand. Ohhh!! -
- A reprieve from that Spelling! PLEEEASE!
Then, the happiest words on earth! He said it! Schofield...all schools
closed! Ohhhhh! A Snow Dayyyy!!!!! The cheers went up! They yelled with
the sheer joy of only the young! Whoooppeee!!!
Watching from a safe distance, the cat sat with a haughty look on his face,
as if to say, “Oh good grief, my peaceful day is shot!” (No one seemed to
notice or care!)
A snow day! A snow day! They came bounding down the hall and onto my bed!
Laughing, cheering, and barking as they scrambled around me, just in case
I had not heard the fantastic news!
I thought, “What a transformation! Are these the same slugs that I heard
only moments earlier, dragging their half dead carcass's down the hall and
into another grueling day of homework and spelling tests?”
I dug my head down deeper into my warm pillow and drew the cozy down
comforter closely under my chin.
“Ahhhh...A snow day!” You see, I worked for the school district, and had
the same schedule as my children!
A free day! A day disconnected from any other. We didn't work for it. We
didn't earn it or even ask for it. It was just there. What a wonderful
gift! A new day. Nothing planned. Just as pristine as a clean white sheet
just off the line! Nothing had touched it. No claims had been made to any
part of it. It lay before us, an invitation to enjoy it fully, happily and
without reserve.
It was a cereal-in-the-living-room-day, a squeezie-cheese-and-cracker-day,
a TV-dinner-day!
Andy quietly tucked his spelling sheet back into his school bag, John was
doing his very own style of the Happy Dance and it would take a very large
spatula to scrape Philip off the ceiling!
As the kids finally settled down in front of Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green
Jeans, I relaxed and slowly began to enjoy this special day.
The sun shown like a million diamonds on the gigantic white waves of
drifted snow, mimicking the blue-green oceans so far, far away from
Central Wisconsin. This was a whole new world to discover.
Their large and playful dog led the party of brave scouts, dressed in snow
pants, scarves and warm mittens as they began their quest into the sea of
white. They were on the way to the discovery of hidden caves and new
adventures. I watched from the warm house as they dug and scraped, hauled
and carried their way into the side of the largest drift in our Yard of
Transformations. Finally they stood back, with the satisfied look of
architects and builders on their faces and declared it completed!
Suddenly John turned to the window and waved a soggy mitten at me. His
face and warm smile an invitation for me to “Come have a look! See what we
built!!” This was an offer I just couldn't pass up.
I donned my warmest jacket, hat and mittens. I pulled on my Canadian
Sorrels and headed for the back door. The proud proprietors of this icy
establishment invited me to “crawl on in!” “Come on Mom, it's so cool!
You'll love it”, they all chimed!
I crawled into this nether world of boys, dogs and long forgotten memories.
We all snuggled together. Their faces, sweaty from hard work, noses running
from the cold, the smell of wet wool, combined with a panting 80-pound dog
humbled me. This was the world of children. And I was invited in. There was
no other place on earth that I would rather have been.
I felt like the luckiest Mother in the whole world!
By Rosemary Salzman
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of
love, which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to
the saints, and do minister.”
1 John 4:10-12 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved
us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at
any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is
perfected in us.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall
fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields
shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there
shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy
in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and He will make
my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places...”
Psalm 118:4-6 “Let them now that fear the LORD say, that His mercy endureth
for ever. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and
set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can
man do unto me?”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today’s Selected Poem: A MOTHER IS A BLESSING
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem164.htm
Today’s Selected Testimony: TESTIMONY OF GOD'S LOVE
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony150.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry |
