The future starts now! “Don’t get swallowed up in a cup of water” ‘’ Don’t not create a storm in a tea cup’’ Truth is heavy, so only a few men carry it. Jewish proverb
Warning: This column may be hazardous to areas of mediocrity in your life!
I know that you have entrusted to me one of your most precious resources, your time. I promise to do my best by the grace of God, to be a good steward of the minutes we spend together. Thank you. mucho gracias
…the hand of divinity in the annoying little things of life
After 11th September attack, in World Trade Centre New York, USA, one company invited the remaining members of other companies who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their available office space. At a morning meeting, the head of security told stories of why these people were alive…… and all the stories were just the ‘LITTLE’ things.
As you might know, the head of the company survived that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time. One of them missed his bus. One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change. One’s car wouldn’t start. One went back to answer the telephone. One had a child that dawdled and didn’t get ready as soon as he should have. One couldn’t get a taxi.
The one that struck me most was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is ALIVE today. Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone…All the little things that annoy me….I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment!
Next time; Your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can’t seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light…Don’t get mad or frustrated. God is at work watching over you! Regrettably, a lady lost herself because of one of those everyday little annoying things; What a pity… She gave her car key to the youngest child in the car while she went to buy some stuff in the mall. Upon her return, the boy had misplaced the key and the whole family was stranded on the road. Observing her discomfort with innocent kids without a masculine shepherd, some kind hearted men joined the search party. For each passing minute without the key, she landed the boy that had the key with a slap or a concentrated curse! After few minutes, she strayed in frustration into a motorbike’s way and was knocked down. It was in the process of helping her up and picking the pieces of her belongings that the car key was found. She had already lost herself before the key was found!
Many people lose themselves, lose their moral limb, lose their health and material wealth, lose their message, lose their relevance and destiny helpers, lose their marriage, lose their integrity and so forth in those little annoying things (Songs of Solomon 2.15)! Don’t get missing because something was lost. Sometimes, you just need to ignore the emotional missing link so you can remain spiritually connected. Don’t lose your mind because the job is lost. Don’t lose your children while searching for their school fees. Don’t lose your ministry while searching for tithes and instruments. Don’t lose your mantle while searching for title. When those things are eventually discovered or acquired, greater things (yourself, relationship, character, values and virtues) would have probably dissolved!
The apostles were looking for peace in the midst of storm, but by the time Jesus restored calmness they have lost their faith. Similar way, Elimelech lost his life and sons in search of greener pastures.
Think about these…
At the end, will your nail still be strong to hold the woods of your integrity in a frame? By the time you get popular, will you not be strange to dignity? By the time you get visa or fame, will your passport to purity not have torn? When you eventually make the money, will your marriage, friendship, relationships, etc. still have meaning? May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.
Rhonda Byrne says:
Look for the gifts in everything, especially when you are facing what appears to be a negative situation. Everything that we attract causes us to grow, which means that ultimately everything is for our own good.
Please live life always being thankful…with an attitude of Gratitude!
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (KJV)
God knows the best, He does the best, He gives the best because He’s the best. May He make you achieve the best in everything you do in life now and forever. God loves YOU!
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a humblest manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.
Visualizing the family needs, she said: ‘Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.’ John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, ‘Do you have a grocery list?’ Louise replied, ‘Yes sir.’ ‘Okay’ he said, ‘put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.’ Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, ‘I can’t believe it.’ The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a hundred-dollar bill to the grocer and said; ‘It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.’
Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It’s not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till the very end. Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them; a Wall or a Bridge? Remember you are the architect of your life. Search for a good heart, but don’t search for a beautiful face, because beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful. It’s not important to hold all the good cards in life, but it’s important how well you play with the cards you hold. Often when we lose all hope and think this is the end, remember God and pray, ‘it’s just a bend, not the end.’ Have faith and have a successful life. One of the basic differences between God and humans is, God gives, gives and forgives. But the human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life… When you read and receive this, say a prayer. That’s all you have to do…the supposedly little things of life make the difference! Just stop right now, and say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Almighty. I believe if you can surround your life with result oriented prayers, you will find peace and rest for your soul!
My prayer for you today is:
Your eyes shall not behold evil, your hands shall not labour in vain, your mouth shall laugh forever, in Jesus matchless name! Remain in God’s love and have a lovely journey of life! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will never fail you because He is LOVE! If you think it is your alarm clock that woke you up this morning, try putting it beside a dead body and you will realise that it is the Grace of God that woke you up. It is JUST BY THE GRACE OF God that we are alive…! He is OUR NEVER FAILING GOD!! Hold on to Him! Don’t give up!!
A Pastor was ministering in a remote area where he had to trek each Sunday for 4 hours through thick forest, and to make it on time, he had to start travelling on foot from 4:00am. One Sunday morning, as the Pastor was in the midst of the forest, thunder announced rains. He knelt down and prayed to God to hold the rains back until he reached the parish and to protect his pastoral vestments, his Bible and communion. But after prayer, the rains started pouring heavily. He reached the parish badly soaked with the rains. He preached but with discouragement because to him, God had not answered his prayers.
Back home, he could not even eat. He was contemplating whether to resign or continue because he could no longer serve a God who does not answer prayers. He believed his prayers were not effective and did not match his preaching. While he was reflecting on the decision to take, three young men entered his home and said to him: “Pastor, we came to testify and assure you that you should continue serving your God for He is a living God.” The pastor changed his attitude and was eager to know more. They showed him money and told him they’d been paid to kill him because his prayers and preaching were disturbing the witches, wizards, sorcerers and occultists in the community. That they were in the forest waiting for him to shoot him when from nowhere and in the midst of the dry season, heavy rains started pouring and wet the gun powder they were to use. They were shocked by this event. They were holding guns in their hands as they watched the pastor pass them with no power to accomplish their awful mission. After hearing this, the Pastor knelt down, thanked God and committed to serve Him for the rest of his life and said, he has a God that will never fail him. Do you have a God that always answers your prayers the way you want? MY GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS (Isaiah 65:24). Remain in His blessing and hold on to Christ.
It was about eight o’clock when her son who was asthmatic developed some complications. He had to be rushed to the nearest hospital about 1km away or else it would be fatal. She called a neighbour who had a car but the neighbour said the car had no fuel; she called the pastor who said he had visiting pastors from USA and could not leave them alone. She decided to carry the son to the hospital; she could not imagine losing her only child to the same sickness that had killed the husband few years earlier. She had a problem with her leg and could not move fast enough and the son was also heavy for her to move faster. Along the way she met people rushing home from work who just stared at her. She tried to beg them for help but they ignored her. She also tried to stop passing vehicles but they never responded. She fell many times but she had to keep moving. Then a man who was mad and used to roam the streets unclad noticed her. He came running towards her and took the son from her. She could not talk but just pointed the direction of the hospital. The crazy unclad man could understand perfectly well what she meant since he saw the desperate boy struggling for breath. He put him on the shoulder and told the woman “all will be well” as he ran towards the hospital. The doctors on seeing the crazy man knew something was really wrong, they attended to the boy immediately.
Ten minutes later the mother arrived and the doctor broke the news, “if he was brought five minutes later, he would have died”
God doesn’t have to use Bishops, Pastors, family, politicians and rich people to rescue or bless you. No matter what may come your way, no matter what you are going through, your life is in His hands and He has good thoughts for you. I know you will make it. For there is a friend in God who will wipe away your tears. The Word says for with GOD all things are possible! Let’s always pray and be a HELPING HAND for one another.
“Mr Luis, we are sending home your children from school, they haven’t paid their school fees and we will not allow them to take the exams” Luis began to plead but the principal wouldn’t budge. Just as he dropped the phone another call entered, it was from his landlord, he had been given an ultimatum of one week to pay the house rent or he would be forced out of the apartment. The moment he dropped the phone a text message entered, a business partner he was owing money was on his way to arrest him. Luis began to cry; “Jesus I am in trouble, I need you to show up for me, the world is caving in on me, I need Your help”. Just then he heard a voice so clear as though the person was standing next to him and the voice said “DANCE!”.
It sounded crazy but Luis was desperate, he would do anything at that moment. Luis put in a Christian music and he began to dance, so much joy and peace filled his heart, he forgot about all his troubles and just danced before God. Suddenly he got a text message, it was a bank alert for ten million naira. It was the payment of long time contract he did that the man who gave the contract didn’t want to pay. God touched him and he felt he must pay at that minute. Luis could not believe it, he put on his clothes and rushed to his bank to check that he wasn’t dreaming, it was real. Luis immediately removed his tithe and made three transfers; one to the school, one to the landlord and the last to his business partner. Luis began to scream “Thank You Jesus” in the bank, they all thought he was crazy but he just couldn’t control himself, Jesus had saved him from shame.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you forget anything about God, don’t ever forget that the MIRACULOUS is linked to the RIDICULOUS, those little unusual things!
God wanted to part the red sea, He asked Moses to stretch out his rod and his hand, God wanted to bring down the walls of Jericho which were so thick that there were roads in the walls, God asked the children of Israel to shout! Jesus wanted to turn water to wine, He asked the servants at the marriage feast to fill a bowl with water and serve it! Beloved the sea doesn’t part because a man stretched out a rod (try it at bar beach or Jabi lake), walls don’t crumble because a group of people shouted, water doesn’t turn to wine because you filled a bowl and served it! These miracles happened because of INSTRUCTIONS! What instruction has God given you recently that you have not obeyed? It may sound simple but your next level is tied to that instruction, obey instantly! He may tell you to sow a seed, forgive someone, spend time reading your Bible, whatever it is, do it promptly!
Some may ask “how do I hear instructions from God?”. Don’t be eager to rush out after prayer, start prayer by praising God and end with praising God then wait for the Holy Spirit to talk to you, prayer is a dialogue not a monologue, you have said things to God, wait quietly for him to talk back to you. Your life will not remain the same. Read, study and meditate on His Word. He speaks through His word and servants. The Gospel can be preached to a billion people through the social media. You too can be a social media evangelist.
PRAYER:
Father, Thank You for each and every day You have blessed us here on earth. Thank You for Your tender mercies. Thank You for giving us friends and family to share these joys with. I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those I care deeply for. Where there is joy, give them continued joy, where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence. Where there is need, fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings.
Good morning 😊 Psalms 30:5
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