"He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it."
People get what they look for AND what they give. If people are always sad and gloomy then sad and gloomy is what comes their way. If they always focus on the bad, the evil, the negative, then that's exactly what they'll see.
God has given us eyes, a heart and a mind to use to see this world.
Think of using a camera. You put it up close to your face, you make adjustments to it, then you move your head all around, sometimes even turning your whole body in order to see just exactly what you want to see. When you find that perfect scene, you take your shot.
Most of the time, we are taking pictures to preserve a memory. Usually it's a good and pleasant memory. Other times we are forced to take photographs of not so pleasant things, like damages to a home after a fire or a car after an accident, but we usually don't go looking for those kinds of things to put in a scrapbook.
I believe that the verse in Proverbs is telling us to be wise where we aim our camera.
Look for the good in yourself, your family, your friends and all the other people that God brings into your life.
Because, whatever you are looking for, whether good OR bad, chances are... you'll find it!
As we were traveling home the other day, Mark and I sang along with the radio. I so enjoy singing but have always felt that my voice just wasn't cut out for letting anyone else hear me. As some people sing in the shower, I sing in the car.
When Mark and I are traveling together and a song comes on the radio, I instinctively begin to sing. Sometimes it dawns on me that maybe I am singing out of tune. I immediately lower my voice or stop singing all together.
That very thing happened on the way home the other day. As I lowered my voice, this thought rushed through my mind...."I will be so glad when I get to heaven because then I will be able to sing like an angel."
Just as quickly as that thought rushed in, the Lord so sweetly spoke to my heart. He said, "You already sound like an angel to me. I love to hear you sing. The angels sing to me because that is what I created them to do....but you...you sing to me because you love me and because you want to praise me. It is an act of worship and I really enjoy it when I hear your voice."
It brought tears to my eyes because in that instant, I was reminded that God is attentive to my every thought and that not only is He attentive to it, but took the time to speak to my heart in response to it.
Our God is an AWESOME GOD! He not only hears the cry of our heart, but also the Song of our Heart!
Matt. 14:22-32 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Walking on Water
When we are "oflittle faith" and start to doubt, we need to climb into the boat and then the wind will die down...... The disciples were feeling the effects of the storm when they were in the boat. They saw and watched Jesus walking on the water. The storm was all around Him, but He wasn't bothered by it. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water with Jesus. He joined Him in what He was doing. Peter and Jesus were in the middle of things; exciting and scary things, but the storm was still swirling around them. We, too, can join Jesus where He is or we can stay in the boat, our comfort zone. Only, what we perceive as comfort is really getting tossed all around by the wind and waves. We see it as comfort because we have gotten used to it.....desensitized! It is actually safer out on the water with Jesus! It's all in our perception....how we look at things, how we see life situations.
What will you do? Be "comfortable" in the wind and waves, or join Jesus and Walk On Water!
Do you remember learning to swim as a child?Did your parents teach you?
When learning to swim, you must first learn to float.You lie on your back in the water, suspended by your father’s arms.You can feel his arms underneath you, strong and wrapped securely around you.Then he tells you to lay your head back in the water.As you do, the water comes rushing into your ears.It’s uncomfortable at first, but you adjust.He tells you to relax and just breathe naturally.As you follow his instructions, you think, “Wow, this is great!”
Then, suddenly, you feel his grip loosen.You panic and very quickly begin to sink.“How could he?” you think.You trusted him.Why would he let you sink?Doesn’t he know you can’t swim?Doesn’t he know you could choke, drown….DIE!Why, why would he allow this to happen?
Isn’t that how we are as Christians?Each day is another lesson…in something.A new adventure, another first.As we listen to and follow God’s instructions, we feel secure, we feel His strong presence and we are fine.But as He begins to loosen His grip, we panic and begin to sink.We think He has forgotten us, just walked away or even worse…doesn’t really understand us or know what He’s doing.We may not say that, but isn’t that what we are thinking?
We ask ourselves, “Does He really CARE?”We ask Him, “Why!? Why did you let this happen?Why did you let me sink?You know I can’t swim…….or preach, or….teach, or…..sing, or….do foster care, or….adopt, or….move away from home, or….go to college, or…be a missionary, or, or, or….you knew I couldn’t do it, Lord!”
As our father quickly elevates us from what our minds perceive to be our watery grave, we say, “Daddy, don’t let go, I’ll sink.”Dad begins to tell us that in order to swim we must first learn to float and to float we must relax.
In time, we get better and better at relaxing, even though we are still nervous.Daddy takes a step back and watches as we lay suspended atop the gentle ripples of the water.We learn that he really does know what he is talking about and we trust him when he says, “I’m right here, baby.I won’t let you drown.”And he never did!
Before long, we are swimming, then diving and sometimes even skiing in the water.It’s fun, even if we sometimes take a fall or get choked on the water.We know it was worth it.The fear of the unknown, the hard work, the patience and practice, was all worth it to be able to enjoy the water.So here I am…floating, swimming, diving and skiing.There are dangers though, and I must follow the rules in order to stay safe.
The Christian life is very much like learning to float.It’s about trusting and relaxing and breathing.We must rest in our Savior’s arms, trust that He knows best and breathe in the Word of God.God wants to stand back and watch us float atop the water of His love and then send us out into the ocean of life to swim, dive and ski for Him.In following His instructions and obeying His rules, we will be kept safe from the dangers.From time to time, we will be tired and weary.It is in those times that our Heavenly Father will elevate us from what our minds perceive to be our watery grave and tell us, “Its ok, I’m right here, just rest for a while.” He takes us in His arms and we float, secure in His grip of love.
One day it won't be a thousand trips to Chattanooga; it’ll just be a trip out to Bellview... One day it won't be worrying about an infection, It’ll just be doctoring a boo-boo 'cause Jack skinned his knee climbing a tree at G.G. & Pop's... One day it won't be the relief of knowing Jack once again crossed another hurdle in his effort to gain weight, But it will be the thrill of seeing Jack take his first steps and walk across the room to Mom & Dad holding a cookie out for Jack to take hold of.... One day will come and all the yesterday's will be just a memory of the Goodness of God and how He got us all through The Miracle of Jack!
My childhood was an idyllic one, not because we had lots of money and things, we certainly did not, but because it was filled with love.We had our problems and our share of grief, pain, and sorrow, just like everyone else, but us kids remembered only the good times.We had wonderful times in our yard.Our yard was filled with boats, big boats, small boats, fast boats, slow boats.Every kind of boat you could imagine.And we loved to play on and in the boats and on the trailers that pulled them.Our dad built, worked on, and raced boats.He even set a National speed record….fastest man on water…101.69 mph…it’s still a pretty impressive record, although, it has long since been beaten.Summers in my yard as a child were great!Who else had boats to play in?We pretended to drive them and then jump out into the water and swim.Yes, my childhood yard is one I recall with fondness.
As a child, I only remember living in one house, a little white single wide mobile home located at Rt. 2, Box 425, Murphy, NC28906.I lived there for 17 years.We moved there when I was only 2 years old and I left when I married at age 19.As an adult, I have had 19 addresses.Some of those are more memorable than others.One home in which I have beautiful memories of is the second home we ever bought.It was a brick house with beautiful landscaping, mature, as the realtor calls it.It was a three bedroom, 2 bath home in a lovely neighborhood on a quiet street.It was right on the corner of Julia Lane and Pebble Creek in Toccoa, Georgia.Our children were 9 and 13.I loved watching them play from the kitchen window.We had a huge deck that was so inviting on cool spring mornings.It was a coffee drinking deck, for sure.Many plans were made on that deck.My husband and I loved to rock and talk on that deck until long after the sun had set.Not all the plans that were discussed were fulfilled, but memories were made, nevertheless.
Each home, each address, and indeed, each yard, has many stories to tell. Each unique and each one is just as special as the other.The home we now live in has its own stories.Our boys are nearly grown and so this house will witness memories of a different kind.They will include others, not just our family of four.Our boys are bringing home girls and making memories of dating, dinners, class rings, football games and things that either don’t include their father and me or include the four of us and then some.This house has witnessed the first born leaving the nest and flying off to start making memories of his own.This house is the first home that the yard really wasn’t used much at all.This yard hasn’t seen the forts being built or the trees being climbed.This yard, with it’s grown up mess in the back, doesn’t have the trails worn through it or holes leading to China.Yes, this home will hopefully see graduations, weddings and even grandchildren.The walls of this home will tell the whole story, from little boys to grown men.The cycle will then begin again with them, but as for us, I hope to make many more plans with my husband and see many more dreams fulfilled.
As I look back on these three “yards,” the thing that strikes me most about all of them is….how different each one is, yet how much they are the same.They are all stories of plans, dreams and memories…and of family.
