Worthy

By Pat

Many times through the years, I have prayed for God to help me to be more worthy. I would go before God in prayer feeling dirty, sinful. Ashamed. Not good enough. Not worthy. I would approach God almost embarrassed to present my requests to Him, certain He was disappointed in me for being so, well, unworthy.

But then God reminded me, gradually, that no matter what I might be feeling about myself, He sees me differently. He actually WANTS me to be His child, to feel special and loved, but not because of anything I did. I am worthy because the blood of Jesus has cleansed me and made me worthy. That's what did it! I need not feel ashamed, for the wonderful sacrifice Jesus made for me has freed me from the chains I surrounded myself with. I am free and I am loved. God wants me, warts and all.

I now approach the throne of God not timidly, but boldly, reminding myself when necessary that God found me, a sinner, worthy of Him, the Almighty, when He sent His son to pay the heavy price for my sins. I have a new awareness now, a greater and more profound gratitude in my heart. A humbleness I had not known when Satan was whispering lies into my head. I will never be perfect, but thanks to Jesus, I will always be worthy.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

The Simple Trust of a Dog

By Pat

My golden retriever, Lillie, is getting old. She's ten now and her age is showing in the difficulty she has at times getting up and down, and especially in climbing steps. At one time, she bounded effortlessly up the steps to bed every night. Now at bedtime she goes very slowly and cautiously, sometimes stopping after she gets part of the way up. So we now have a new routine. I go down the steps and meet her wherever she is and walk up beside her, encouraging her with my hand lightly on her back. Once I reach her, she begins the rest of the journey up. She feels more confident knowing I am right there at her side.

My walk with Jesus is like this. Sometimes I feel all alone and unable to climb the stairway of life on my own. My steps are uncertain, and I am cautious, sure that I will fall or be unable to finish. But then Jesus shows up, and as soon as I feel the comfort of His presence beside me, I can continue my climb knowing that if I stumble or become too weak, He will give me the encouragement and strength I need to make it.

I need to be more like Lillie. I need to simply wait for Jesus to make His presence known to me so that I can walk forward and upward with confidence. Lillie's faith and trust in me is very simple, but I allow my faith at times to be too complex. My aging, sweet dog has taught me a lesson about simple trust, and I am have learned from her. Perhaps someday I will be as smart as my dog.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

The Family of God

By Pat

The daily devotional I like best consists of short devotions written by people all over the world, regular, ordinary people just like me. Many of their thoughts and feelings echo mine, and I can relate. Others write about things I have not encountered, and from them I can learn. Some of the stories submitted include pictures of the writers. They are men and women, young and old, black, white Asian, Indian...you name it. I don't know them, but yet I feel a kind of kinship with each one, a bond I cannot explain.

We are all different, but yet the love of God, the blood of Jesus makes them feel so familiar to me. They are my brothers and my sisters. The common bond of faith makes them dear to me. The blood of Jesus is like that-it turns strangers into family. This love unites us in a way unlike anything else I know. It's nothing I can really even explain coherently, but I feel it just the same.

Jesus took twelve strangers in different classes, occupations and walks, and just by being Jesus, He joined them together and created a force. The common sharing of their love for Him enabled them to change the world. And we, too, by joining with our brothers and sisters around the neighborhood or around the world, can make a difference, for it's not the blood running through our veins that make us family. It's the blood of Jesus covering us all. What an awesome power-what an awesome love!

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

Invisible Cross

By Pat

Ash Wednesday was last week, the day that marks the beginning of Lent. In churches worldwide, Christians receive the mark of a cross on their forehead and wherever they go, they are seen as followers of Christ.

I hope the world around me can label me a Christian after I have washed off the remnants of that cross, because it takes a lot more than that to show your faith and to proclaim your Christianity. In fact, the things most effective are not visible at all, but yet they speak volumes and can change the world.

Let me have the invisible cross of loving-kindness, generosity and gratitude. Let me give love unconditionally and forgive without hesitation. Let me be quick to hold another's hand, and just as quick to hold me own sharp tongue. Let my actions, words and thoughts be Christ-like. Let me be an empty vessel, ready and willing to be used by my Lord every moment.

The cross on my forehead on Ash Wednesday is nice, and I like it. But the unseen cross, the one I carry in my heart and soul, is the one that really matters. Nothing can wash it away. I pray that God will help me to be more like Jesus, so that people know I am a Christian not by what is on my forehead, but by how I live my life.

"Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

Timing

By Pat

We have had a very mild winter and, as a result, there are some spring plants that have already started to pop out of the ground. Crocuses are blooming, daffodils are coming up all over my neighborhood, and while it is a wonderful reminder that spring is right around the corner, it's not time yet. It's too early. And it will affect them later in the spring when it's actually the right time for them to be blooming.

Everything has been designed by God to bloom and grow at it's appointed time, including us. If we try to trust our own timing on what we're supposed to be doing, we usually find ourselves out of sync in our lives and unable to succeed in our service to God. But if we wait on the Lord, He will prime the conditions around us to enhance our growth. He always knows best...and His timing is always perfect. But our inability to be be patient and to truly listen for God's instructions causes us to take matters into our own hands, and we find that we are unable to bloom properly when the time is truly right.

Diligent prayer, frequent scripture reading, and learning to tune out the distractions of life will help us greatly in our quest to bloom properly for God. It's not easy, but it's definitely worth it!

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.