We wanted to share a few written messages with you. These are the same
type of messages you will hear when you sign up for Thee Calling.
Beauty in Unexpected Places
One chilly January morning I woke up and looked out into my backyard. It had been very cold the night before with a clear sky that changed to a misty fog in the morning. It never ceases to amaze me the myriad of changes that can happen seemingly overnight.
This particular morning the trees had a heavy frost on them making them appear almost white, which was beautiful in and of itself. But after I relaxed my eyes I began to see something very unusual dangling from the branches of my apple tree. There were very thin, crystal white filaments that appeared so fragile, no thicker than a human hair. They varied in length from a few inches to almost a foot. I can only guess they were the work of spiders, but there were no webs to be seen, simply these stunning strings. The scene was mesmerizing. I had the distinct feeling I was the only person in the world who had the privilege of enjoying this natural work of art.
At that moment I thanked God for such beauty. I had to laugh that I wanted God to somehow let the spiders know how much I was enjoying their creation. So today, stop and see what visual splendor God has in store for you to enjoy. It’s His gift. Remember, God is with you right now.
Being Mad
The other day I got mad at my cat Moochie for knocking over a glass of juice
and spilling it all over my desk and papers. To make matters worse, the
glass then fell on the floor and shattered. As I cleaned up the mess in a
huff, I started to think, “Should I really be directing my anger at Moochie?
He’s just a cat after all, and he was only coming up on the desk to be with
me.”
I pondered this for awhile and realized that I was actually angry at myself
for leaving the glass where it was in the first place. I could easily have
moved it when Moochie jumped up. When things go wrong, it can be easy to
misdirect our anger.
Can you think of a time when you did just that? Recognizing the part we play
and taking responsibility for what we could have done differently are the
first steps in heading anger off at the pass and having more positive
resolutions to negative situations. Psalm 103:8 tells us that “The Lord is
compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Take this to
heart the next time you feel yourself getting angry at someone. Remember,
God is with you right now.
Fear in the Woods
Have you ever been in the woods at night and been afraid of what might be
lurking in the dark? When I was young man I joined a canoe club at the local
YMCA. We canoed down quite a few rivers in Texas. On one of these trips I
didn’t bring a tent and the weather was getting bad. As darkness descended,
I covered my sleeping bag with a tarp and hunkered down for the night.
Between the wind and thunder I bet I only slept an hour the whole night. Man
was I scared.
When the sun rose the next morning, I discovered that we were camping in the
most beautiful, serene setting. What I learned from this experience was that
I wasn’t so much afraid of the woods and what was in them, but what my mind
created and for all practical purposes what didn’t exist or pose any real
threat.
Being young I hadn’t yet learned that God is with us always and was there
with me in the darkness that night. Psalm 91:1 tells us that “He who dwells
in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” So
the next time you’re afraid, trust in the Lord and rest easy. Remember, God
is with you right now.