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| hand crafted mallet, from my daddy |
A teacher who encouraged me to write, helped me today too. I haven’t seen her in decades, yet that one
bit of encouragement remains clear in my memory. She taught about literature, grammar, and
such but, the encouragement is what I remember. Having been a High School teacher myself for
a few years, I tried to fill my students with encouragement and direction that
would stay with them even after I was no longer a part of their lives. Sometimes, I am blessed to visit in person or
on facebook with some of them, and feel so honored that they include me in
their circles.
We are each doing more than taking up space in this world;
we are building a legacy and making a difference. Our flesh will die, and our spirits will
leave this earth. The things we acquired
will be sold and distributed to someone else. Many of the hearts we touched will also remain,
but those are the things which can not be sold. Our impact, for better or worse, will
remain. Neither you nor I can go back
and undo those things we have done to make a negative impact, but we can
purpose in our hearts to honor our Father starting today and going forward. How can we use our remaining time here to
make a lasting, eternal impact for the kingdom of God? Consider with me these
three starting points. Perhaps you will join me in;
Seeking His will. This is the logical starting point, but is actually
a tough one. If you are anything like I
am, you may face serious temptations to do what you want to do. It isn’t easy to let someone else guide your
life, but with Him leading, it is the best way.
He will always guide you to do that which is good and right. Once the director is determined, the
direction will be perfect.
Searching His word. Spending
time with God while studying His word is an absolute necessity for growth. I recommend a good study such as Precept
(although I admit I am biased in this area) that allows you to see truth for
yourself. Those with heavy commentary
are man’s comments, and may or may not be accurate. The only way to know what God has said is to
study what He has said. Reading in
context, over and over, committing to memory (hiding in your heart), and
letting Scripture interpret Scripture. (Commentaries can be helpful, but study
first. After you KNOW what the Word
says, you can discern whether or not the commentator is on the right track.) The key is to spend time with Him, allowing
the Holy Spirit to teach us.
Speaking His wisdom.
With God guiding and our hearts full of truth, wisdom will come from our lips
as a natural result. Our responses to
our life events and the circumstances of those around us will be a reflection
of what is in our hearts.
Our Father has given us this beautiful opportunity to live a
brief vapor of a life that will have eternal impact. He has shown us how we are to live, and has
even come to earth to give us an example in the flesh. I pray today that you and I will follow the
legacy of Christ, and in turn leave legacies and examples of godly direction
and encouragement. I pray God will forgive our words and actions that have
broken spirits and give us a heart like His own that equips others with wisdom,
strength and truth.
Side note: There may be days when you feel that you make
no difference at all, or that no one cares, or that the world would be better
off without you. That is a feeling, but
it is not true. Let me repeat, THAT IS
NOT TRUE! If you hear those words and
are tempted to act on them, wait. Never
act while angry, tired, upset or sick. You
will make the wrong decision.
Tomorrow will be an entirely new day, yes, it will have its own set of trials, but it will also have a new set of opportunities for you to help, encourage, and make a difference. Someone who is watching you may need to see you work through your hard time, hand in hand with God.
You are created in the
image of the Creator of the universe. He
knows you, and the number of hairs upon your head (you probably don’t even know
that about yourself)! He knows your talents and He knows your limitations. He has allowed circumstances that we do not understand to
encompass us but He will not, leave us or
forsake us. Life and death are in His hands, and He knows the number of your days. Things
are not out of control. Trust Him. Not
only that, you make a big difference to me! Knowing someone is out there reading, is just absolutely precious to me.
Lest you think I am looking through rose colored glasses, I share with you that my life circumstance
has changed quite a bit in the last few years, and many of the things I used to
be able to do are now out of reach. But,
I can spend time here with you. You are such a blessing to me!
Live.
Live strong.
Live for encouraging someone who
needs to hear the truth.
Live for
Him.
I always welcome your comments, and examples of how God is working in your life!
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| About me https://about.me/lisawsmith57 |
Interested in more stories of faith? Read
Amazon -
http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Extraordinary-Hummingbird-Other-Fathers/dp/1490882197/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1434117054&sr=1-1
Oscar the Extraordinary Hummingbird
and
Other Tales From Life In My Father's World
available onAmazon -
http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Extraordinary-Hummingbird-Other-Fathers/dp/1490882197/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1434117054&sr=1-1
Westbow Press -http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000990255/Oscar-the-Extraordinary-Hummingbird.aspx
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