Prayer

Making a Difference                  9/26/10
Gina Kelly Ellis

We were in the grocery store recently and the little girl sacking our groceries
noticed the cross necklace I had on. She said, “I love your necklace. I love
crosses. I love seeing Christians.” I thought how very sweet! This child was so
innocent and so very honest. She truly thought that a person wearing a cross
must be a Christian. That would be nice. But it is no more true than wearing a
crown makes me a queen. Or putting on an apron makes me a cook! Sadly,
there are many people who wear crosses who have no clue what price was paid
on a cross for them all those years ago. We see lots of people wearing crosses
whose lives appear to be anything but that of a Christian. Unfortunately for
most of us, our lives do not necessarily reflect Christ much of the time.
I recently did a Bible study on having the mind of Christ. Excellent. I would
recommend it. But it made me so very aware of how often during each day my
thoughts and my actions do not show a Christ-like attitude. I find myself
recognizing when I am about to say or do something that would not be showing
the world Christ. I have found myself thinking a little harder about my choices
regarding what to watch on television. Some of my very favorite shows have not
made the cut! I catch myself wasting my time on unimportant things when there
are so many other things I should be doing. I find myself thinking about each
task and whether or not it will bring God glory. It has really changed my life.
Sort of.

Sadly, I find that often I still go ahead and do what I want without worrying
too much about what I should do. I suppose we are all that way. But if we want
to represent Christ in the world (as He told us to), we must begin to have a
mind like Christ. We must begin to look at the world through His eyes. We
must begin to feel with His heart. It has to become important to us to be a true
witness for Him in our world. The time is growing so late. We have no clue how
much longer we have in this world. My world may end before I reach the end of
this column. If it did, how many lives would I have left untouched? How many
people did I come in contact with that I didn’t show Christ to? Or even worse.
What if someone in your world died today and you never shared with them the
message of Christ and His saving grace? Oh, it just hurts to even imagine it!
We have a responsibility to our world to be Christ in the world. We must be
about His business in all we do.

Don’t just wear the cross. Wear your Christianity. It will make a difference!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to wear my Christianity all the time and to
show others how proud I am of YOU!

"The Quilt Holes"                                                               9/19/10

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of
us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my
squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that
had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw
hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.
My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth.
The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel
looked upon me and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I had love in my life and laughter. But there had also
been trials of illness and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I
spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. And now, I had
to face the truth... My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the
face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every
time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.'

'Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there
was more of Me than there was of you.'

PRAYER: Dearest Father in Heaven, May all our quilts be threadbare and worn,
allowing Christ to shine through!

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The Perfect Understanding of Christ                                          9/12/10

It takes some of us a lifetime to learn that Christ, our Good Shepherd, knows exactly what He is
doing with us. He understands us perfectly.   ~ Phillip Keller

When you were a child or teenager, did you ever hope for something with seemingly all of your
heart - but it never came to pass? A particular toy. A part in the musical. A certain someone to be
your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Even when it comes to temporal desires, Solomon says that, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). How are we supposed to handle the grown-
up disappointment of having noble and spiritually motivated hopes delayed and deferred?

In Hebrews 11 we find a hall of fame of faith. Some received what they were promised, while
others didn't - at least not here on earth. And therein lies the secret of maintaining a positive and
optimistic sense of hope and expectation when things don't appear to be working out. It's the
realization that in eternity, all hope is realized.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God
had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39–40

Prayer: Father God, it is by faith in You that I know you will have great plans for me and my life -
all within Your time. Amen.

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Accepting God's Discipline                                                      9/5/10

"I am mended by my sickness, enriched by my poverty, and strengthened by my weakness."
Abraham Wright

Our culture craves comfort, the avoidance of pain, easy projects, nothing but success, leisure time,
entertainment, fun hobbies, and anything else that can fit under the umbrella of "smooth sailing."

When things don't go right—a slip on ice, conflict with a loved one, a demanding and troublesome
boss, a leaky roof, car trouble, financial setbacks—there is a prevailing attitude of surprised anger
and resentment, a strong sense that life is unfair and cruel.

Paul, a survivor of every sort of calamity, challenges this mindset. Not only are difficulties
inevitable, but they become opportunities to grow—and even become catalysts for great things to
happen. Are you convinced that all things work together for good in your life?

Accept discipline. Ask God to help you get the most out of the difficulties you encounter. You
might feel pain for a moment, but the long-term rewards will be great.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as I know that the difficulties in my life cannot always be avoided,
help me to accept and grow from these opportunities and see the good that may come of each of
them. Amen.