“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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” And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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Do you see others the way Jesus sees them? After you read this story, you may change your answer.
As I waited for my daughter in the Walgreen’s parking lot, I noticed a young man walking up and down the busy street carrying a sign that said, “Homeless”. I tried to dismiss the idea of talking to him, thinking my daughter would walk out of the store any minute.
But she didn’t. I kept waiting and finally, I grabbed a $5 bill out of my purse and stepped out of my car to talk to him. I asked him if he was from around here. He wasn’t. I asked him about his parents. He said his father was deceased and his mother wouldn’t have anything to do with him because of drugs. I asked him what brought him to town and he said he was here for the methadone clinic. I gave him the $5 and told him I would be praying for him. He seemed very grateful. His name is Michael.
I rarely do this kind of thing. I give to the poor through other means. The thing is, I can’t get Michael out of my mind. God keeps reminding me to pray for him. I don’t know what makes him special, I just know that I’m supposed to pray for him. I may never see him again, but if I do, I trust God to help me know what to say and do.
The next day, I ran across the following story and it made me think about Michael in a completely different way.
As a man explored caves by the seashore, he found a canvas bag full of hardened clay balls. Apparently, someone had rolled the clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but intrigued, the man took the bag.
As he strolled along the beach, he threw the balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it until he dropped one and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Delighted, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each one contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 balls with their hidden treasure out into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
This story made me think. Michael is like one of the clay balls. He doesn’t look like much on the outside, but there is treasure on the inside for the simple reason that he is loved by God. And, God has a purpose for his life. We can look at someone and think we see all there is to see. But the truth is, there is always a lot more that we don’t see.
I pray that this story will change the way we see others, making us more approachable so that we can better love like Jesus. Because, isn’t judging what makes us unapproachable? It’s something to think about……
May we be transformed!
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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“Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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“Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLT
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born.”
President Ronald Reagan
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18: 16-19 NV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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“Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.” Proverbs 12:25 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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God’s Word says we must love like Jesus. Is that even possible? How do we do that? As I searched this out, I came across something that was very helpful. I want to share it with you.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34
Dr. Les Parrott, in his book, Love Like That, describes “5 Actionable Ways to Love Like Jesus”.
These guidelines helped me immensely, especially the first, “Be Mindful”. I am quiet and somewhat shy. I guess that’s why I like to write. It’s the easiest way for me to share my thoughts with others.
Over 40 years ago someone said to me, “You’re really nice. I used to think you were a snob.” I will never forget those words. They are imprinted on my brain forever. I was so shocked that anyone would think that about me!
As I look back on my life, I can see why someone might think that. I’m quiet and don’t readily express what I’m thinking. I may have something helpful to share in a conversation, but keep it to myself. I think this is because I’m afraid of what they will think. (But we’ll save that for another post!)
Dr. Parrott encourages us to connect more deeply with people rather than living a detached existence. It is so easy to become detached when you are shy, especially if you have found an outlet like writing to fill your need for expression. Honestly, I thought this was just the way it is and would always be. But now, I believe God is doing something new in me.
As I shared these thoughts with my daughter Christina, she reminded me that the world needs listeners as well as talkers. (I hadn’t really thought of that!) She told me that I am a good listener.
I share that because it’s easy to get down on yourself and see all your weaknesses and faults. Don’t do that. God loves you and knows you very well. Trust Him to make you the person He wants you to be, a person more like Christ.
I am going to pray that I become more mindful and more involved in the lives of persons I see on a regular basis as well as the ones I don’t. This won’t be easy for me, but I plan to give consideration to how I can become more involved in other lives. Then I plan to take specific steps to accomplish my goal.
By doing this, I hope to learn how to love like Jesus. Won’t you join me in this quest?
With Love, Cindy
P.S. The photo is of my daughter, Christina, who spent 6 months last year working at a children’s hospital in Africa.
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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