Be Vigilant!

As we drive through the streets in Nassau, I constantly feel like I am in some of life size obstacle course. Every turn, stop, light, person seems as if they are destined for you to be in a collision with them. I thought this morning, as we were going out and almost collided again!! that people are so consumed with their personal objectives that they are not aware, or do not care of anything around them and hence, it causes accidents that sometimes lead to injury and death.

It's the same way with the Spiritual life, we are so consumed with what the world has told us is success, that we are out to get what it is we want, what we think we deserve, regardless of who or whatever suffers. Sacrificial living is not a part of who we are; neither is servant living. We don't believe that certain things will happen to us, even though it has happened to others that have gone before us. We believe we can do the same wrong things and for whatever magical reason we will escape.

This is why the bible is clear, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." Just as we are to stay alert on the roads, watching for people's faux pas, so that we avoid collisions, injury and death. So, we are to watch in our spiritual walk. There are pitfalls, stumbling blocks designed to take us out.  Most of the times, they are so subtle you cannot see them.

My admonition to myself is to also remember I have an adversary, to be watching all the time. not just watching but praying. Pray without ceasing. Reading the word of  God daily. Meditating on God at all times. My friends....be vigilant!

Encouragement from Unexpected Places

Have you ever walked into an unexpected blessing? A word, a gesture from someone, something unexpected. Something that creates in you a joy that you can not explain.

Yesterday, I had something like that happen.  My daughter and I were out, doing things for the ministry; when I said to her. Let's go and say hi to my uncle, as she was only going to be in town for another couple of weeks.

We waited for him and when he came out he was happy to see us. He told me, that he wanted to talk with me and so we followed him to his office. After he sat down, he said that I had been a blessing to him. I could not understand how or why? As I had not seen him for more than 8 months and had spoken with him briefly a few months back.  I was puzzled.

Then he proceeded to talk and he said, On Sunday!, and I then knew where he was going. He said that he been blessed by my testimony, that aired on the radio on Sunday morning. He said that he got a blessing from that message that morning. He told me, he was proud of me. He told me while reading the invitation to the event that, yes this was what I was created for. He also said, that my message on Sunday was "hurt for the hopeless/hurting."

Even, as a forty-five year old wife and mother, you need someone to say, that they are proud of you. That what you are doing a good and to just continue. You see, he is my mom's brother, my mom has been in heaven for seven years and she is not here to see what is happening.  She would be that person to encourage. She would give the words of affirmation.

So, coming from my uncle, yesterday, that was huge. I cried; the little girl in me, came out and sucked that up like a sponge. Today, someone may need to hear, well done, I am proud of you!
I did not know, how much I needed to hear that from someone, but now I do. Today, seek out those people you can tell them, I am proud of you, you are a blessing to me. It will make a difference in their day!
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11