Spirit & Trust

During the first week of December, fellow students brought decorations for the Christmas tree: bells, ribbons, pinecones, and candy canes. Miss Higgins read from the book of Matthew in the Bible, one of the greatest stories ever told about the birth of Jesus.

The class had decided to do a gift exchange with fellow students. Leon rubbed his hand down one leg of his pants, sweaty palms, and a fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. How can I ask Momma for a gift when she barely has money to buy food for our family?

When the time came to open presents, Leon stepped forward and asked, “Miss Higgins, can I clean the chalkboard erasers today?” If I take my time, I might be able to escape the gift exchange completely, he thought. 

Miss Higgins stood quietly for a moment, then replied, “Yes, Leon, you may clean the erasers.” When she returned to her desk, her eyes moistened, and a lone tear dropped down her cheek. She had long suspected that Leon’s family had fallen on hard times.

At almost three in the afternoon, the Christmas party was winding down. Leon stepped back inside the classroom. Miss Higgins stood and announced, “Students, I have one last gift to bestow on someone special.” Everyone turned around when she said, “Leon, will you come up to my desk for a moment?”

Leon’s mind raced. With a bowed head and a downward gaze, he thought, What could she have for me? Maybe if I don’t make eye contact, they won’t know how humiliated I am.

“Chocolate covered cherries … for you.”

A flush crept over Leon’s cheeks. “Thank you,” he said humbly, then rushed back to his seat.

That Christmas, Miss Higgins taught her students the blessing of giving and receiving gifts, which later opened the door to Leon’s father’s heart. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

This Christmas, make sure you have accepted God’s gift of salvation. And if you have, share it with someone else. 

I started attending a new church when I moved back to my hometown. I noticed a seasoned greeter, short in stature with outstretched arms, who embraced individuals as they entered her door. If asked how she was doing, with the biggest smile, she responded, “Blessed by the Best!”

I nicknamed her the hugger and decided one Sunday to purposely go to her post to be welcomed and receive a warm embrace. My custom was short-lived because COVID-19 became an issue and disrupted our daily lives.

Years passed, and the doors of the church reopened. I found a Bible study class, and God graciously orchestrated our paths crossing again. The hugger and I would finally meet and converse as if we were long-lost friends. When asked how she was doing, her response remained the same: “Blessed by the Best!”

It is wonderful to be blessed by God, to experience His mercy, goodness, and kindness, and to have a joy-filled contentment we cannot explain when faced with trials. As faithful servants of God, He blesses us even in our circumstances. Unfortunately, our situations can consume us so much that we can easily overlook His blessings.

We can testify that God is truly the best because of our relationship with Him and becoming familiar with attributes that define His character, such as knowing He is the Bread of Life and the Bright Morning Star. He is our Everlasting Father and Emmanual, God with us. He is our Shephard and the Savior of the world. He is the True Vine and the Truth, the BEST.

As Scripture states, we are blessed when we trust in the Lord and keep our hope in Him. Blessings come when we are in His presence, and, unlike presents or gifts, anything God gives will fully satisfy us.

Think of declarations you can make and actions you can take to reflect being blessed by the best.

As children, my sister and I often took fishing excursions with our father. He loved to take his small boat to the nearby lake to fish for bass, bream, or crappie. He sometimes caught the undesirable catfish, but he loved the serenity of the lake and the ability to commune with nature—especially if we girls kept our code of silence.

One day, he failed to drop his anchor. My sister had become lost in her book, I daydreamed, and my father took a short snooze because the fish were not biting. But a loud thump made us realize we had drifted into a marshy, muddy inlet.

To extricate ourselves and Daddy’s boat, we had to use both oars and muster muscle power we didn’t know we had. When we returned home, we discovered our failure to use the anchor had caused our boat to be caked with mud and marred with scratches that would require much cleaning and repair work.

Charles Martin uses the anchor analogy in his book They Turned the World Upside Down. His purpose is to encourage readers to become more like Christ’s disciples, who devoted themselves to spreading the gospel after His death.

Society has drifted away from God like “a rudderless boat absent its anchor.” We find ourselves lost in muddy waters when we let go of that hope. Our lives can easily drift into dangerous places. We become mired, muddy, scratched, and full of sin. Unless our eyes remain focused on Jesus, our wanderings can cause us to lose the secure footing He provides.

If you have drifted away from God, ask Him to be your anchor so that He can remove the sin and scratches from your life.

It was October, and the weather had started to cool off. The fall season was in full swing, and my attitude was as bright as the orange leaves on the trees. I did not worry as I walked into my doctor’s office for a yearly checkup.

But what I thought would be a routine checkup turned into more appointments and tests. I exited that doctor’s office, fearful and burdened. No longer did I have a bright and bubbly attitude. I was afraid and doubtful. From that moment, it seemed one difficult circumstance after another.

Growing up, my dad always told me to take one thing at a time. During this trying time, I did precisely that. However, I added a step: I thanked the Lord for the blessing He had given to me that day.

Paul did not say to give thanks in just carefree and happy circumstances. He knew about difficult circumstances, and so did the Thessalonian church. Yet they thanked God anyway. First Thessalonians is Paul’s letter to the church, encouraging them to grow and move forward.

Paul’s encouraging words still apply today. We should be steadfast and grow spiritually, no matter the circumstances.

During my trying time, I learned that when I took time to thank God, it distracted me from my circumstances and encouraged me. God is still present even in my struggle. It was encouraging to see that He was aware of my circumstances. Thanking Him for his blessings was an acknowledgment of seeing His hand in my life.

God wants you to thank Him in all circumstances. Recognizing all the blessings He has given you will bring hope and peace to your heart. Stay steadfast and continue your journey in faith. Most importantly, thank God in all circumstances. 

When the first day of autumn appears on the calendar, it always conjures visions of my favorite season. I have great expectations.

I look forward to cool, crisp air, beautiful fall leaf color changes, homemade pumpkin bread, pretty sweaters and scarves, snuggly blankets, and plenty of college football.

Expectations run high as the new season brings a fresh start and a chance to reset. There’s renewed energy and excitement, and our senses are filled with fall fragrances and scented candles. Soon, we smell the aroma of Thanksgiving turkey and dressing baking in the oven.

It’s nice to have lovely things to anticipate. It encourages me and elevates my hopes and dreams.

Prayer is like that. We eagerly seek what God has ahead. We wait to hear a word from Him. Scripture reminds us to pray expectantly that God will work in our lives and situations.

God is our hope. His steadfast lovingkindness is new every morning, not just seasonally. I’ve learned I can rely on Him in my circumstances. Nothing is too complicated for Him to accomplish, so I must dream big. I need to expect the Lord to do great things. He has done so before, and He will again; I can count on it.

Believe that God will work in your life—a new job, home, relationship, finances, or a health treatment plan. Pray with anticipation that He will respond. God’s favor and blessing are just around the corner because He’s already at work.