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So much of life is waiting. . .

As a Christian, I am waiting for a lot--for God to do His refining work in me, for Jesus to return, for me to GET how much God loves me and for me to see what He is doing . . .

What to do in the meantime? I have learned much about what the Lord is trying to teach me, tell me and show me through the discipline of daily time spent reading the Bible. So often we make this time harder than it has to be.

This blog was born out of wanting to share what God is showing me and wanting to be an example that daily time with God is not a deep or mysterious thing (well, every once in a while it can be), but simply a time to read scripture and note what jumps out at you that day. We don't have to be scholars or super-holy or ministry leaders to do this. Some days I hit the jackpot and others I come up empty--but only by persevering do I give God the space in which to speak and myself the stillness in which to hear and obey.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

"Squirrel!" Saturday

Like the dogs in the Pixar movie "Up", I'm having a very distracting Saturday morning. I have a to-do list a mile long, but they are all little things. Problem is, every time I sat down to pray, then I think of just one of those little things I needed to do. I did finally manage to park myself on the sofa, thank goodness!

I'm still reading in Genesis, and I'm at the part where Jacob is setting out on his own with his entourage of 2 wives, many children, and lots and lots of livestock. As he heads out, he runs into Esau, the brother whom he had deceived and who had declared that he would kill Jacob.

Jacob sends forth gifts to appease Esau and ease the way.

The verse that I really liked this morning contained the words Jacob says to Esau when Esau tries to refuse the gifts Jacob is offering (Genesis 33:11):

Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Thus he urged him, and he took it.

To recognize that God has dealt graciously with us, and that most of us have enough physically is a large part of being grateful. I think I was struck by the verse because one of the key concepts that Wess Stafford, the president of Compassion International, talks about is that the opposite of "poverty" is not "wealth", it is "enough".

In light of the earthquake in Haiti and the heartbreaking situation there, it makes it even easier to see that most of us are incredibly blessed in the area of material things, and that it is a privilege to offer a blessing to others out of our wealth.

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