Knowing God's Plan

Life's Like This — Sometimes the paths that God sets for our lives are not the shortest, most direct routes, or at least that is how it appears. Quite often, we want to get to our destination on our own time schedule rather than exercising the patience needed to arrive at our destination according to God's plan. Knowing God's plan for our lives and what blessings He has in store for us are questions that many of us seek to know the answers to. It would be nice if we could just give God a phone call, or meet Him for a cup of coffee to discuss questions we have and to learn all the details we need to live our lives fully and in accordance with His plans for us. But God does not work that way; He wants us to exercise faith and trust in HIs Word that whenever we come before Him in prayer, that He will hear us and answer the burning questions we have in His time and in a manner that He chooses. And He wants us to know that He has our back, that He is always looking over our shoulder, keeping an eye on the road ahead, and speaking to us through the Holy Spirit with words of comfort and guidance as we face the trials of life. If truth be told, most of us are not willing to wait on God. We want His blessings now, on our own time schedule, and in a manner or way that we choose.

Wall of Shame

Life’s Like This — Quite often, God will give us opportunities to demonstrate the things we have learned. Hopefully, we are good students of life and learn our lessons well. But in reality, each of us have our unique learning curve, and because of that we may require extra coaching in some areas of life. I find this especially true in matters of faith and how we live out our Christian lives. As Christians we are called to reflect the life and ministry of Jesus Christ — a tough act to follow. If it was meant to be easy, then there would have been no need for Christ to die on the cross for our sins, because prior to His crucifixion, just as it is today, mankind was caught up in willful disobedience and constantly turned to the pursuit of self-interests rather than the fulfillment of God’s Word. God does not expect us to be perfect in any of our endeavors, but He desires us to have a heart in pursuit of Christ-like behavior and thoughts so that we can be brought into closer harmony with His will and purpose for our lives. It would be so much easier for us to live Christ-like lives if when we went through a spiritual transformation that left our new-found faith and love for God so deeply embedded in us that nothing could separate us from His will. As much as we may want to be faithful in our walk with Christ, the nature of sin and its constant tug will always be present and seeking to undermine our relationship with Christ.

Unbridled Compassion

Life’s Like This — A thoughtful act or kind word may pass in a moment, but the warmth and care behind it stays in the heart forever. It seems that you can’t go a day in your life without something pulling at your heartstrings, something that arouses a deep concern or sympathy for the plight of others. It may be a story you hear on the news, one that speaks of a family searching for a missing loved one. It may be images of children in third world countries living in squalor and whose bodies are so emaciated that they are on the brink of death. And, it may be those children with special needs, who live with a variety of debilitating conditions that we may sometimes prefer to close our eyes to and pretend they are not there. The truth is, there are countless people whose lives are filled with despair, and who, on the surface, may appear to be living lives with no hope for the happiness that we so often take for-granted. Unfortunately, even within our own family, circle of friends, neighbors and people we work or associate with, there can be sadness and hopelessness that cries out for someone to show some compassion and understanding for the situation that is consuming their thoughts and day-to-day lives. This is the nature of life — it is filled with told and untold stories of those that are in need, who are suffering from situations or conditions, and that are in need of people to reach out in a spirit of love and compassion to help them through the storm in life they are passing through.

Smiles From Heaven

Life’s Like This — Anyone can make you smile or cry, but it takes someone special to make you smile when you already have tears in your eyes; my mother was one of those people. It’s been a year now since my mother passed away. During that time I have discovered that while her physical body is no longer on this earth, she is still very much in my heart and mind. Her presence in my life is so real, that on days when I have something troubling me, I find myself saying “I need to call mom” but quickly remember that she is now in heaven, enjoying a new life with Jesus. But despite her absence, I know that she is smiling down upon me with the same impish eyes she had when her physical body was here. Memories of her are intricately entwined in my life and will never be forgotten. Despite the hardships my mother endured on this earth, she was always there to love and comfort me and the rest of our family with grace, humility, and spiritual wisdom — she was truly the heart of our family.

The Truth About Truth

Life’s Like This — If the truth is so simple, why does the United States Court System have people swear the following oath before they testify: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” It is a wonderful oath covering everything within reason and logic, and knowledge. When it comes to matters of man’s written law, the truth should be pretty clear-cut. When it comes to the Word of God, there should be no second-guessing. When it comes to our own personal truth, the waters can then become murky because what is true for one person may not be true for someone else. I think it would be a fair statement to conclude that our perception of the truth is often based on the belief system we have chosen to adopt. Even within the Christian beliefs, there are interpretations among liberals and conservatives that simply are different and do not reflect shared “truths” concerning biblical scripture and yet for each of these groups of people, what they believe is their truth, regardless of what the Bible states is the truth.

The Sanctity of Life

Life’s Like This — There is perhaps no more controversial issue during an election year than the issue of abortion. With the recent debacle between the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood, the American people are once again being asked to examine their values and the sanctity of life. This question has been and will probably always remain a divisive issue. But for me, the issue is clear. The pro-choice and right to life movements fall under the umbrella of the sancity of life and any decision to abort a fetus must be governed by morals founded in God’s Word. Unfortunately, we live in a world where our values are constantly being eroded and people want to prove to others that they are inclusive of choices that people embrace regardless of biblical and even scientific evidence.

Grateful For Love

 Life’s Like This — Love can touch your heart when you least expect it. In my life, I have often found love to be elusive. I remember growing up and wanting to have that one thing I did not have as a child — a normal family life and the true love of one woman. As a teenager, I embarked on a journey to find love but seemed to find it in all the wrong places. I quickly discovered that the flip side of love with all its magical feelings was pain and heartaches. As I have matured, I have discovered that love is more than infatuation, more than a case of incurable butterflies, and more than all the physical desires we so often equate with love. Love is a steadfast devotion to someone that grows and blossoms year after year. It is not stagnant, but matures through constant self-pruning of all the personal faults one has, and that despite the imperfections we all have, remains joined in a unwavering bond of love.