The Spirit in Our Minds

The first summer my family and I moved to Texas, I saw an indoor play space having an open house. I decided to check it out. I thought it would be an excellent location for my family to enjoy while getting a break from the hot weather.

When I arrived at the indoor play space, joyful giggles, kids darting across the foam floor, and squeals of excitement welcomed me. The owner invited me to hop into an art class.

In class, the children finger-painted pictures of a cat. The class instructor gave each student the same color. The instructor also gave step-by-step instructions on how to use their fingers to create the different parts of the cat.

Then the teacher displayed her finished painting on the wall. I saw a little boy crumple up his cat painting and lament, “My painting does not look like yours!”

The teacher walked over, opened the crinkled paper, stood near the young boy, and said, “Well, honey, your drawing won’t look exactly like mine. I gave you the steps, but our fingers and fingerprints are different, so our pictures won’t look the same.”

The teacher then asked the young boy if she could show his picture to the class. The little boy nodded. As the teacher showed the painting to the class, one student said, “I like his painting. It looks like my old cat. I miss my cat so much.”

As the conversation continued, the instructor turned to the young boy and said, “If you didn’t create your unique picture, our friend wouldn’t have been reminded of those great memories of his old cat.”

Seeing this interaction was a great reminder that purpose and blessings are in our uniqueness. Yes, it is great to be inspired by, learn from, and even admire someone else’s work. However, even in our admiration of another person’s gift, God’s Word reminds us that we all have specific talents that are special and much needed in this world.  

Remember that you possess distinct gifts to open and share with others for God’s specific purpose and glory. 

While reading about today’s bad news, I wondered why our world cannot be peaceful. Reading tales of disastrous global conflicts, I thought leaders must let bygones be bygones.

I turned to my Bible and read tthese words of our Lord: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother, He who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” As Jesus told Peter, letting bygones pass by empowers peace of mind to be everywhere. As a Christian, I try to enrich my days with Bible texts, prayers, and meditations on the true healing belief in following faith.

The situation in current affairs is quite grim. God calls us to educate ourselves and our children in constructive actions. This will contribute to the mighty task of providing power to the peaceful.

We can explain our beliefs, guide others to see how the Holy Spirit can work among mere humans, and allow individuals to choose their beliefs for peace. If everyone lets bygones be bygones, humanity can have blooming good years ahead.

Like most, I can waste my thoughts on silent grievances. Following Jesus’ path and wisdom will help me keep smiling and being kind.

Keep your heart and soul in the right place. Stay calm, explore your inherent attributes, and focus on forgiveness—at least seventy times seven. Doing so gives power to the peaceful. 

When I was little, a show for children had, as two of its characters, a bird and a furry elephant with a pointed trunk. The two talking animals were friends. No one, however, would ever believe the bird when he told the people that the elephant was his friend. Now, the bird would never tell the people that his friend was an elephant. He just told them the elephant’s long name. No one believed the bird, even though the elephant was close by on at least one occasion.

Finally, at the end of the series, the bird convinced everyone to let him take them to where this big elephant was. Then, they all believed he existed. The next show seemed to start the whole series over again because everyone didn’t think that the big elephant existed.

Some people are that way with God. He has revealed Himself to us through nature, but they still ignore Him. I know some people who have been hurt by different circumstances that the Devil used to make them doubt God’s existence. God longs to help them through by showing them His love and mercy. Yet if they refuse to accept His tender love and compassion, they will someday experience His wrath and judgment.

For it is written, “As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Jesus is coming back one day. He is returning for His bride, the church. Everyone will see Him, and they will all know He is God. After this, all who have died without believing will be raised from the dead to stand before Him and give an account of their lives.

If you haven’t, accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you have, stay faithful to Him because He is coming soon. 

The annual mess of autumn leaves in my yard sparked something I had never considered before: the leaves fall because their work is done.

Curious, I researched and learned that leaves fall off to protect the tree. No longer converting sunlight into energy, the dry leaves put the tree at risk for disease and broken limbs. This lifeless foliage falls away in preparation for new growth yet to come. The very things that fed the tree must now fall off for it to survive.

But these fallen leaves serve a secondary purpose. They release essential nutrients that nourish the tree roots as the leaves decay into the soil. This happens when the trees are most vulnerable and cannot generate their own energy. This life-sustaining process is not visible. Likewise, the reason we need to release things (or people) isn’t always apparent. Nevertheless, it is still necessary that we drop dead things so we can thrive.

Our frustrations often stem from holding on to lifeless things. We unknowingly invite disorder and unease by clinging to things that drain us instead of sustaining us. Learning how to let go is vital for our growth. God may prompt us to explore new opportunities or relationships. Doing this may also require us to make room for them.

Unfortunately, dead relationships, habits, and influences rarely fall away. We must choose to release them. Even then, they can stubbornly hang on. Yet our faithful Father eventually sends turbulent weather to shake them off—just as He does for the trees. Every adversity is not an attack. Our storms clear the way for new things to grow.

Take stock of what is dead. Is there anything that stinks? Forget your guilt, regret, would haves, and should haves. Let go of fruitless habits. Make room and look forward to new opportunities. We have far more to be grateful for than God ever asks us to lose. Trust God and let it go.

DANGER …TRAIL CLOSED … NO HIKING

The sign stopped me in my tracks. I was in the middle of nowhere on a solo hike that had gone perfectly fine until now. “Okay, Lord, now what?” was my prayer as I looked around, contemplating my next steps.  

I’m an avid hiker. The challenge of hiking a new trail, seeing beautiful scenery, and capturing unique photos exhilarates me. In extreme weather conditions, with a partner or alone, every day is a good day for a hike.

The most important aspect of hiking is preparation. I spend as much time planning as I do hiking. First, I must consider the trail’s location, length, and difficulty. Then there’s mundane stuff to consider: snacks, hydration, a map, and proper attire. There are other details to ponder, but you get the idea.

Once, I set off on a new trail, map in hand, just as I had done dozens of other times. I had hiked about two-thirds of the trail when a large DANGER sign suddenly loomed before me. Now what? The trail app directed me to go one way, but a clear warning sign told me otherwise. I took a deep breath and studied my trail app, comparing what I saw on my phone to my surroundings and finally decided on what appeared to be the route other hikers had taken instead of the original trail.

Proverbs clearly tells us that we can plan, but God ultimately gets us where we’re going in His timing and in His way. We see examples of this in Scripture with Paul and his intended journeys. Paul always sought God’s will for his life and travels. However, God didn’t always allow Paul to reach all his proposed destinations. Regardless, Paul trusted in God’s sovereignty.

Our spiritual walk with God frequently parallels my real-life situation. The clock, calendar, and needs of others often dictate our lives. Life doesn’t always work out as we script it. Scripture instructs us to plan, but it also tells us to seek God’s will for our lives in the process.

Make a point to regularly seek God’s wisdom and desire for your life through daily prayer and Scripture reading.