Apron Strings Devotional for8/18/99

8/18/99

Good Morning....
Jesus loves You!!

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Circumstances may be outside your control, but the way you respond to them is not.
From: "God Is In The Small Stuff"
By: Bruce and Stan

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Hi Dear Friends!!

Hope this finds you doing well in our Lord Jesus! God is soo awesome, isn't He? At this very moment, my heart is so thankful for the blessing of YOU. I truly hope this touches your heart and helps you in your Christian walk. You already know what I am going to say next. ( smile ) See ya at the end!!!!

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment...that was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb...

God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created.

God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys and a spleen. He stretched against the walls and floated in the amniotic fluids of his mother.

God had come near...

The hands that first held him were unmanicured, callused, and dirty.

No silk. No ivory. No hype. No party. No hoopla.

Were it not for the shepherds, there would have been no reception. and were it not for a group of stargazers, there would have been no gifts...

For thirty-three years he would feel everything you and I have ever felt. He felt weak. He grew weary. He was afraid of failure. He was susceptible to wooing women. He got colds, burped and had body odor. His feet got tired. And his head ached.

To think of Jesus in such a light is---well, it seems almost irreverent, doesn't it? It's not something we like to do; it's uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. He's easier to stomach that way...

But don't do it. For heaven's sake, don't. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and much of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out.

From: "God Came Near"
By: Max Lucado

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Stan Buck tells the story about a little girl who, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me."
The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?
The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's true," the mother replied.
"He also said that God lives within us. Is that true too?"
Again the mother replied, "Yes."
"Well," said the girl. "if God is bigger that us and he lives in us, wouldn't he show through?"

-Author Unknown-
Received from: dasth@laf.cioe.com
Thanks Darla!

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FOCUS

Keep your eyes on Me
and you will see
what is meant to be.

Keep your eyes on Me.
Follow My lead
and I will bring you peace.

By: Lori Campisano
Poet4JC@aol.com
Thanks Lori!!

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James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I must've been in the store for almost two hours looking for the right shirt. I knew that Allen was picky. I knew my brother wouldn't touch the "wrong" clothing with a ten foot pole, so I had to memorize from past experience, what he usually wears, with colors, style, etc., in mind.

After several moments of consideration, I was done. I walked out with, not one, but two very stylish casual polo shirts. I carefully folded them when I got home, and made arrangements for these "cotton critters" to exchange hands. I couldn't wait to find out his response! I wanted him to love them as much as I loved picking them out for him.

I discovered that I would have to leave the shirts at my dad's house, and Allen would come by and retrieve them. Our schedules were a bit crossed so I wouldn't have the pleasure of giving them to him personally. That night I received a phone call from my dad informing me to come by and pick up the shirts. They were refused. Wrong size, wrong material, and it seems, wrong everything. I was speechless. I felt my heart drop as I heard these words. Before I responded, I found myself asking God to help me deal with this HIS way, and not my own.

I took the shirts back and gave them to Ben, my oldest son, and he accepted them graciously. I think an interesting note to this story is the fact that I have been known to sulk for days when similar situations occurred. And those times were no fun. I found that when I gave this situation to Christ IMMEDIATELY, He came to the rescue and took over, where my emotions usually like to rein. He showed me how to transfer the blessing instead of receiving rejection.

I could tell by Dad's tone that he hated to be the bearer of this news, and my heart went out to him. You see, when we give a situation to Christ, He not only remedies our own heart with His peace, he gives us eyes to see the pain of another. That's the way He is.

Here comes another example: This morning I was cooking breakfast for my Sweetheart, and I was making yet another attempt at his eggs. He usually eats two and he likes 'em with the yolk still runny, yet intact. No matter how hard I try, I seem to ALWAYS break them while cooking. It either happens when I crack them open, or when I flip em. This morning I cracked open the first one, and "Voila!" It didn't break.. I was on a ROLL! ( Well, actually it was linoleum ) Next came the second one. PALUNK! ( sigh ) It broke. I was standing there feeling sorry for myself when it occurred to me that I had two choices. I could sulk over the broken one, or I could rejoice over the whole one. It was up to me. Christ would do the rest. And so it goes in the life of a Christian.

The way I see it in a nutshell, ( or an eggshell, as da case may be.. tee hee ) I could pout because Allen hated his shirts. I could let my bottom lip hang low because I have not yet mastered the art of making both eggs whole...OR...I could praise God because my son was blessed with two new shirts, and I got one egg right. There are negative qualities in just about everything, and we can see them clearly if we are viewing them in the flesh. But, if we are walking in the Spirit, we can see through the eyes of Jesus.

It's not so much the big things that set us off, as it is a series of small things. It's like my Lil Joseph's Leggo blocks. Somewhere down the road, we find ourselves with a huge life-sized "Castle of Complication" if we continue to stack those blocks. I use the illustration of Leggos because they click together and attach themselves so well, and that's what a series of negative things can do in our lives.

Immediately give those little discouraging episodes to Christ so that He can show you the glass that's "half full" instead of the one that is "half empty." Then you will find yourself "sowing an action, thus reaping a habit." And a good one at that!

In due season, it will be as natural as the air you breathe, and you can count on this: Others will notice and will ask your secret. If you profess to be a Christian, you can bet the world is watching. They are looking for a lifeline in this sin-sick world. That is one reason it is so important for us to get "anchored" in the Word, and continue to abide in His Presence.

I have a feeling that when the Holy Spirit moves on me to throw that lifeline, it won't be while I'm ranting and raving because my brother hated his new shirts, or while I take revenge on that scrambled egg that was supposed to be gross and runny. I just sense deep down, that it will be during or soon after I look to my God on High, and praise His Holy Name, because He is God, and He ALWAYS takes a situation that seems bad at the moment, and turns it around so that we can see the fruit that was behind the leaves the whole time. We just have to choose to look for it.

Romans 8:28
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. ( You notice I use this scripture a lot? I love it! )

One more thing:
I get the impression, based on some letters I receive, that some of you may have me stereotyped as a Super Christian or that I always do or say the right thing when something goes wrong in my life. 'Scuse me while I take a moment to burst that bubble. ( POP! ) The truth is, I mess up many times. You see, I know how I am, but I also know how I CAN BE, based on the Word of God. I see hope in Christ, just as you do and that's the glue that holds us all together. Many many of you encourage me in one form or another, and I greatly desire to encourage you. Those are direct manifestations of Christ in our lives. We can do nothing without Christ, and I am finding out in my own life, as each day goes by...how true that really is.

John 15:5
..for without me ye can do nothing.

God Bless You All!!
And remember..
Jesus loves you and I do too!

In Christ!!
Carol
Justaservn@aol.com

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