ENCOURAGEMENT

I sit here finishing up notes for a Sunday School lesson I'm teaching tomorrow.  Odd how I always find the lessons speak to me the most.  This past week has been very eventful with good and not so good things but that's how life can be.  I am happy to say that I have a surgery date after meeting the hip surgeon on Thursday afternoon.  It's slightly less than three months away but I can be patient.  There's lots to do between now and then.

I found encouragement often last week from a couple of quotes that came my way.  This one was via the internet and goes like this:

"Grace is when God gives us good things that we don't deserve.  Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we don't deserve.  Blessings are when He is generous with both.  Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank Him.  God is good all the time."

Now ain't that the truth?

The other came to me via my pray without ceasing friend.  She and I have had some strong, bold prayers going up together the past couple of weeks.  Her saying goes like this:

"If you're overwhelmed by the fact that there's nothing you can do except pray, then my friend, you undervalue your greatest weapon."

That, too, is truth.  

I also tend to find encouragement from butterflies.  Their beauty and freedom to fly and land on the prettiest flowers just blesses me somehow.  I spent a little time one morning this past week at my almost dead zinnia patch as I watched the most beautiful orange butterfly flit around.  I noticed the beauty of the spots that were practically equal on both wings and the delicate wings that flew them away.

 Hope these words and wings encourage you as they have me!  

Consider....

THIEVES

A thief is defined as "one who steals, especially in secret and without force or violence".  We think of stealing and even some of my readers have experienced stealing of goods.  I can recall a couple of times that The Husband's fishing and hunting supplies were stolen from his truck and boat.  Once the thief did damage to the truck to get in to steal, the other time the thief just easily helped himself to something that wasn't his.  We had insurance that helped with our loss a bit but not totally.  One feels very violated when a physical robbery occurs.  Even when it involves fishing rods.  Trust me.  

I was thinking the other day, though, about other things that are thieves in our lives.  When i considered those things, I decided to make a short list.

Covid is a thief.  It robs us of our health, our physical and mental confidence, and often our friends and family.  I have a friend now that is in ICU on a ventilator.  I know many who have battled this disease just last week.  Yes, Covid is a thief.  Covid has stolen many that I love.

Time is a thief.   Years, months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes seem to be stolen from us daily by whatever it is that makes time go by so fast.  It could be our busy lives or our lack of time management but I still say time is a thief.  It seems like yesterday that I was a youngster.  Today I am far from a youngster.  

Anxiety is a daily thief.  Becoming concerned and worried about things we have no control over (and things we do have control over) can rob us of our joy in the blessings we have already.  Of course I try to rid myself of that thief by remembering that "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)  I would say, "Enough said."

Insomnia is a thief.  Of course, insomnia is the ability to lie awake for hours when you are supposed to be sleeping.  This happens to me so often as I age.  Goes back to that thief of anxiety in the paragraph above, doesn't it?  Yes, many of us are robbed of sleep and this hinders our physical and emotional well being.

There are so many things that we can consider thieves in our world.  I'm sure your thoughts go to thieves in your own lives.  I am so grateful we can look to Jesus when we feel and are robbed of these things.  HE is the insurance policy we need to recover our losses and move forward.  As a sign in my kitchen that reminds me daily says, "In Christ alone my hope is found."  

Be assured (and insured) that "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:  I will set him on high, because he hath known my name."  Psalm 91:14

There's no greater insurance policy than that!

Consider...

ONE MORE SLEEP

As is said in the world of The Grandbaby when she is anticipating an event, it's one more sleep.  What you might ask?  The  answer is the first day of Kindergarten for The Grandbaby.  Mercy, how fast is the time flying?!  It seems just like yesterday there were bottles, diapers, pacifiers--you get the idea.  And now, here we are....the first day of Kindergarten.

The week as seemed to be one of events "before school starts".  One of the events I was directly involved in was a girls' tea at our city's tea room.  We three girls, The Girl, The Grandbaby, and me, dressed up on a Wednesday and went to the nice restaurant.  It was the request of The Grandbaby to dress up and since she was the reason we were celebrating, we did that very thing.  I was able to find some hats from my summer of hat wearing with that dreaded skin cancer surgery and they worked nicely.  

We posed on the outside on Main Street...

The Grandbaby only drinks milk and water so she was brought a teapot of ice water and she kept her cup filled.

We got trays of savory and sweet treats...

Yes, that is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich dipped in chocolate and a sandwich dipped in sprinkles as well as a chocolate mouse.  

Chocolate dessert....the very best part of the meal.  Being dressed up doesn't hinder the chocolate on the mouth!  May we never be too dressed up to eat chocolate!

It was a beautiful blessed day.  

On Thursday, The Grandbaby, The Girl, and The Son-in-Law went to the elementary school to meet and greet the new teacher and see the classroom.  I will not lie to you.  The Grandbaby is not excited to be going to Kindergarten but I feel certain after a few hours there, she will enjoy it just fine.

I think change often gives us all a bit of grief until we adjust.  And we do adjust, sometimes sooner than others.  I see this as no different.  It's that growth that we long for in our children and our grands but it also shows us how time is passing.  

I gave The Grandbaby some kindergarten advice today.  I tried to make it simple and wise as she was anxious to hear my advice (bet that anxiousness to hear my advice doesn't last for many years, huh?).  I told her to be kind, be polite, and to remember her manners.  Then I whispered to her to remember to listen and learn as that's why she goes to school in the first place.  :)  After we talked about that, I told her that advice applied not only to little girls going to Kindergarten but to mamas and daddies, neemas and poppas, nanas and granddaddies and everybody.  I actually listened to my own advice and found so much truth in that for myself.  

As I considered this beginning of school, I was reminded of something a dear, dear friend said to me.  She and I became friends several years ago when our girls became friends in college.  After our first meeting at a college sorority event, she sent me a letter.  I will never forget what she said.  She said she had always prayed that both of her girls would have friends who would be Christian role models to them.  I thought it was such a great gift she gave them by those prayers.  Our girls, both excellent role models for each other, are still treasured friends today as are us mamas.  So I've already began that prayer for The Grandbaby....friends who will lift her up and be good, Christian role models as she grows.  

So one more sleep.  One more sleep then the time will become reality and life will continue to have growth and learning....growth and learning not only for the students but for us all.

Consider.....