Diane Mickler's Blog

He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:10-12

The year of our Lord 2020 has certainly afforded the opportunity for us to ask many questions. We have asked things like, “What is Covid 19? What do we do? Why would God let this happen? Where is God? Why weren’t we prepared?” and so many others.

I began to wonder, what if we could ask God one question and be guaranteed that He would answer? What would we ask? I would probably want to know why there is suffering? I would want to know why good and faithful Christians suffer? I would ask if we are penalized for trying to do good?

The pollster, George Barna, actually asked this question in a national survey, and the primary response to it was: Why is there pain and suffering in the world?

At some point in our lives, we will all face pain and suffering. It might not be all physical, but it is a guarantee. In the above scripture, Job was a good and godly man, yet all ten of his children died tragically in a single day. His wife wanted him to curse God and die, yet Job never betrayed God with his lips. He grieved deeply, but he never gave up on God. Even though I know he had lots of questions for God that went unanswered, he remained faithful.

This year we have personally lost several friends, relatives, and watched as many have suffered, yet God is still faithful. There have been times when God has seemed at his farthest away, but in those times, He is often the nearest to us. He helps us see the integrity and joy in the lives of those we love.

He has been near to us as we have take the time to remember the lives of our friends and relatives and all the joy they brought into our lives. Randy’s uncle Fredrick died recently, and the occasion marked the last of the brothers and sisters in the Mickler of Madison family. We remember this gentle doctor for all the babies he birthed in the community, his love of baseball, his beautiful voice, all the sports games he announced, his love of his family and friends, and all the people who loved him. He was excited to arrive in his heavenly home! He was always faithful and steadfast.

We lost our dear friend, Paul, this year after a battle with Parkinson’s. My question rears its head yet again. Although in the end, he was confined to a wheelchair and covid had sequestered him, he never lost his sense of humor, his love of family and friends, his love of his Men’s Club, his enjoyment of a mellow cigar, and his appreciation of a good scotch. He stayed faithful and encouraging.

Our friend Randy died this year as well. The question that I would ask is, “Why do good people have to suffer?” Yet, when we remember the assurance he had, the career he enjoyed, the stories he told, his love of family and friends, and his laughter, we feel joy for him and his new home. He stayed faithful and was always reassuring.

Our sweet friend, Debbie, died this year as well from cancer. There again, is the question of suffering. Yet when we remember her, we only see her laughter. her love of children, and her love of fun! This family have been friends since our daughters were in school together. Our daughters roomed at Ole Miss together, and we spent lots of good times in the grove. I can still see Debbie preparing her famous drink recipe, and us all laughing at the name of it. She always stayed faithful and upbeat.

Everyone of us has a name that is dear to us that could be inserted for the names I have listed above. The short answer to the question of why is there pain and suffering in the world appears to be: “Christ’s first coming was to save us from the penalty of our sin. His second coming is to save us from the presence of sin and restore paradise lost.”

The real question for us this day is, do we allow ourselves to give in to adversity or do we hold on to integrity as Job did? We either fall apart or we draw nearer to God. My prayer is that we draw closer and feel His presence and allow Him to comfort us until He answers our one question personally.

All things are possible for one who believes. Mark 9:23

A challenge is defined as a call to take part in a contest or an objection to the truth of something, often with demand for proof.

The times in which we are living are presenting some challenging days. We have watched as a devastating virus spreads through our nation and our world, we have lived through a contentious election, and now, in the aftermath, we are witnessing protests which are threatening authority, democracy, and our way of life.

Challenging days bring with them different feelings and emotions. We’ve heard people express anger, disbelief, fear, anxiety, and sadness. It seems as if there is a mountain that has been placed among us, and despite all our efforts, we as a people can’t make any progress in moving it!

Jesus said, Whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

If you have ever traveled out west, you know that when you behold the enormity of the Rocky Mountains – the height, the depth, the width -of them, no human mind can conceive asking them to move out of the way!! The closer you get, the more insurmountable they seem. Asking that mountain to move is a challenge far beyond human capability.

It’s noted that Jesus never physically moved or relocated a mountain in His ministry, so He was talking about the mountains of problems and challenges that we create or are thrust upon us in this life.

So, how do we as Christians go about doing our part to move the mountains in these challenging days? In the scripture above Jesus speaks only once about our need for faith, but three times He mentions our need to speak His word. Why is that? Because if we don’t have enough faith to move our mouth and speak God’s word, we won’t have enough faith to move these mountains in these challenging days and every day.

A dear friend reminded me lately of the ways our church came together in every tragedy since 911 to pray for God to move the mountain we were facing. As soon as tragedies of 911, the Gulf War, and Columbine occurred, the church came together for Holy Communion to speak God’s word and invoke His power to remove the mountains of fear, anxiety, lawlessness, and tragedy. There was much peace afterwards because we had renewed faith that God would listen to His people. We left with assurance that God would hear our prayers and move the mountains.

Something really wonderful happens when we verbalize God’s Word. Our ears hear it, our mind is renewed, our focus is changed, and our faith rises up within us. If we just hold onto that renewed faith, refuse to be discouraged or budge, and keep on speaking God’s word aloud, the mountain will begin to move.

Let’s put all the thoughts and doubts of our natural mind aside and stand on God’s promises. We must keep declaring, “We may not know how or when, but we know this mountain is moving.”

Keep the faith and remember, Before you can trust, you have to listen. But, unless Christ’s word is spoken, there’s nothing to listen to. Romans 10:17

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Ps. 25:4

It seems impossible to me that it is time to usher in a brand new year! Of all my many years, this is the first time I can ever remember being joyful about the end of a year! This year of our Lord 2020 has afforded us all challenges we never in our lifetime thought possible. Through it all, we have stayed faithful and most of us can find blessings even in the tragedies and hard times.

We are now standing on the threshold of a brand new year of the unknown. A new year that brings uncertainty, changes, experiences, and needs. Who knows what we will find as we move through it? We can’t see what loss, sorrows, or trials lay before us, but we can know for certain that God is with us through it as He has been in the past.

This year in place of the usual resolutions to lose weight, exercise and improve my life (most of which I don’t seem to be able to keep anyway), my New Years Resolutions are many, but there are two on which I want to improve! The number one resolution for me this year is to get out of the comfort zones or ruts in my life, and encourage those around me to do the same. The second resolution for this year is to find the joy in life and all the circumstances surrounding it.

Two of the biggest fears in life are failure and criticism. No matter how hard we try to overcome them, they have a habit of showing up when we think of branching out of our comfort zone. If we think back on times we have branched out and risked failure and criticism, we learn that most times failure doesn’t do any permanent damage – it actually makes us stronger.

An unknown poet once wrote: I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I couldn’t fail; the same four walls of busywork were really more like jail. I longed to do some things I’d never done before, but I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor. I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much, I said I didn’t care for things like dreams and goals and such. I claimed to be so busy with things inside my zone, but deep inside I longed for something special of my own. I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win; I held my breath and stepped outside and let the change begin. I took a step, and with new strength I’d never felt before, I kissed my comfort zone goodbye, then closed and locked the door.

The last year has presented many opportunities to lose the joy in life. Many of us have lost relatives, dear friends, cherished church members, and prayed with those who have experienced and are experiencing COVID first hand. We have sequestered, quarantined, worn masks, and socially distanced. We have hoarded toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, and food. We have lived in fear of the virus, and we have, on occasion, allowed it to suck the joy out of our lives.

This year, it is my goal to replace the fear with joy. Just like the angel said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 In the midst of the fear of 2020, we only had to look, and there was joy everywhere. Everyone has experienced joy if we only go back and recall special times.

Our joy was evident as our extended family celebrated weddings, we rejoiced at the birth of a much anticipated child, we got together at the lake and held a mini family reunion, we met new and interesting people walking, we watched children learn to ride bikes, we celebrated seeing other friends on Zoom, we lit candles in a group of friends while singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve, we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, we reached out to those sequestered and laughed and talked, we have celebrated the little things in life, we’ve found new interests and began new traditions, we rejoiced at news of a vaccine, we learned that most things are unimportant, and we have learned patience knowing God will provide.

As we usher in with the new, there will always be memories, both sad and happy, of the old year, but we must always look for the joy.

Oswald Chambers said it best, this year be willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.

Happy New Year and remember, Heaven is not beyond the clouds, it’s just beyond the fear. Garth Brooks

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11

There are many movies which I find it impossible to celebrate Christmas without, but one of my all time favorites is It’s A Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. The familiar movie of George Bailey who is so distraught with circumstances of his life, that he wishes he had never been born, and that wish is granted is a classic. An angel, Clarence, is sent to take him on a journey to see what effect his life had on the lives of so many and his town. He is able to see what the world would be like if he had never been born! He gets to see how much the world needed him and all the good things he was able to accomplish in his life.

Many times I wonder what our lives, our country and our world would be like if Christ hadn’t come into it. What would have happened if the wise men and shepherds had arrived to see an empty manger? Even though we find it hard sometimes to comprehend how, by the Holy Spirit, a virgin could conceive a child, how wise men knew to follow a star, how angels appeared to shepherds watching their flock by night, it’s not necessary that we know all the how’s about the birth of Jesus, we only need to know why He came. He came because “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

There is a story told of a minister who fell asleep and had a dream of a world where Christ had not come. In his dream, he walked through his home on Christmas Eve and there were no stockings hung, no Christmas tree, no angels or wreaths. He walked outside and there were no steeples or churches to be seen. In his library, there were no books about our Savior. Two days later, he stood at the coffin of a church member, opened his Bible to read familiar scripture in the New Testament, but the scriptures ended with Malachi. There was no message of comfort, no resurrection, no promise of a heavenly home. Christ had not come. He awoke with a start, and praised God as he heard the words from the hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful” drifting down from the church down the street.

If Christ had not come, we would not know God. The only promise the Bible could offer would offer would be “ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”

If Christ had not come, our sins would not be forgiven. Christ lived and died for our sins. He nailed them to the cross so that you and I could enjoy eternal life and forgiveness.

If Christ had not come, our prayers would go unanswered. We would have no advocate with the Father – no one to identify with the prayers we pray.

If Christ had not come the first time, we would have no assurance that He will come the second time and take us away to heaven with Him.

The good new is that He Did Come, and in His coming, he introduces us to God the Father, He forgives our sins, He answers our prayers, and He promises to come again and take us to heaven. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

The name Jesus means Jehovah saves! The manger isn’t empty, He is there. All we need to do is come boldly to the manger of our God in humble adoration and love. When we do this, we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help to us when we need it the most. Jesus came so that we would have life and have it abundantly. Let us come and adore Him!

O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant; O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem! Come and behold Him, born the king of angels.; O come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus to Thee be all glory given. Word of the Father now in flesh appearing; O Come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. John Francis Wade

My prayer is that Christmas was wonderful and the New Year will be one filled with the spirit of Christ and the joy He brings.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2

The birth of our Lord and Savior was anything but what we would expect for the birth of a king. It came on a starry night, in a stable, surrounded by animals, shepherds, wise men, and two very inexperienced parents. The bed of the Savior was anything but comfortable as He laid his sweet head in a manger.

The word, manger, comes from a Latin word for chew or eat. It refers to a trough where donkeys and cattle come to eat. It is cold, damp and unsanitary.

The manger that held our Lord as a baby was dirty. I know Mary and Joseph did their best to clean it and somehow pad it for their baby, but the fact remains it was a feeding trough for slobbering animals. Jesus laid in a cold feeding trough and not a royal bed.

God arranged the years leading up to the birth to fulfill the scripture in Micah 5:2. He had the most powerful leader of the day order a census which would bring all the characters in His drama to the city of Bethlehem on the same night. I hear people say constantly during this pandemic, “What in the world is God doing? Why doesn’t He get involved?” If we think He’s not involved in all that goes on in this world, think again. He has and is putting the pieces together exactly as He wants them.

He organized the birth of Jesus carefully. He had the angel appear to the shepherds to declare, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 Then He clarified the announcement by adding a sign so there would be no mistake. The sign was the manger: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Luke 2:12 If the shepherds and wise men found a baby in a manger, He was the king.

In the announcement, God uses three words to describe Jesus: Savior, Christ, and Lord. The words Savior implies that He will deliver us from our enemies. The word Christ implies He is the Messiah. The word Lord implies authority and power.

For God to use a manger to introduce His son to the world has a symbolism of its own for me. Animals could always approach the manger anytime day or night and there would be food there. The farmer was careful to always have the manger filled for them. The infant Jesus came to be sure His people are always fed. No one needs to be afraid to come to His manger for there will always be food for our souls there, He is the bread of life.

Throughout his life, Jesus used the manger of His humble beginnings to feed those who followed Him with healing, teaching, miracles, and finally the gift of eternal life.

As we approach the manger this Christmas, let’s not forget the humble beginnings of our Lord and Savior who came as a babe, yet lived to be King of Kings.

Merry Christmas!

Away in a Manger no crib for His bed; The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head. The stars in the sky look down where He lay. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. Martin Luther

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child; Holy Infant so tender and mild; Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent Night, Holy Night, Son of God, Love’s pure light; Radiant beams from heaven afar; Heavenly hosts, sing Alleluia; Christ the Savior is born; Christ the Savior is born. Franz Xaver Gruber

My soul glories the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. Luke 1:46-48

The Christmas story has been played out on live stages, outside stables, and churches everywhere for as long as we can remember. The characters are always the same; Mary, Joseph, the Innkeeper, the Wise Men, the Shepherds, the Angels, the stable animals, and of course, the baby Jesus.

When Randy and I served our very small churches, it became necessary for us to be in charge of the production on some years. Almost every young girl wanted to be Mary, and it wasn’t an easy job to choose Mary from a group of young girls vying for the starring role. I wonder if those girls would have been as courageous as Mary, and I wonder if she, herself, would have ever chosen that role if Jesus had not chosen her?

Scholars believe that the virgin Mary was only 14-15 years old when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and gave her the news that she was to bear a child that was the Son of God. This announcement turned her life upside down. She had planned to marry Joseph, then have a child, but God called her to a different plan. She was called upon to bear shame, reproach and humiliation for the Glory of God. Hers is the greatest honor ever afforded to a woman, yet it came at the cost of tremendous social disgrace.

History tells us that every Jewish girl of that time hoped God would use them as a vessel through which He would send His Messiah into the world. Despite the shame, Mary was willing to submit her life to the will of God and, in so doing, she became the Mother of Jesus.

In speaking of how Mary must have felt when her holy child was born, Max Lucado says “Mary didn’t know whether to give the baby Jesus milk or give Him praise, so she gave him both. She had to assume He was both hungry and holy.”

Mary exemplifies the characteristics that all Christians should show. She was faithful, obedient, and surrendered her will to that of the Father. Even at her young age, she realized that God was doing something wonderful through her life. After all, she was the vessel through which God entered His son into the world and into the history of the world.

As Christians, each of us have to acknowledge that God has done “great things” in and to us. Think of the changes He has made in our lives, and the blessings and benefits we enjoy as children of God! Think of the glory that awaits each of us as God’s child. We have been blessed abundantly. Like Mary, our soul glories the Lord.

In the cast of characters, which part would we choose to play today if we could go back to that time and place? Which part would we play in the Christmas story? Are we just content to admire Mary, or would it behoove us all to be more like her? Our role should not be that of the people who judged her, but rather of the ones who praised her for her role! I wonder if she ever knew the impact she has had on the Christian world!

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy would someday walk on water? Mary did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that Baby Boy has come to make you new? The child that you delivered will one day deliver you. Mary did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm the storm with His hand? Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God.

Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry and Buddy Green

So Jesus said to him, “unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe“. John 4:48

I read lately that every miracle must have a witness in order to be a miracle. Someone has to be there to record it and to report the results.

A miracle is startling, but it is simple. It is simple because it is a miracle. It is power coming directly from God instead of indirectly through nature or human wills says G. K. Chesterton Miracles appear in the scripture when God is speaking to his people through accredited messengers, and because of that, miracles in the Bible always have a purpose. Jesus’ sole purpose in miracles was to teach spiritual truth, demonstrate his own character and show His father’s power. Miracles had one purpose – to confirm faith. Jesus himself is the one convincing and permanent miracle. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, out faith is useless.

The miracles of Jesus serve as a glimpse and foretaste of what God will accomplish on a grand and glorious scale when Jesus comes to establish the New heaven and the New Earth. The miracles of Jesus offer a foretaste of that day-a glimpse of heaven on earth. Miracles show the compassion Jesus had for people. He used miracles to teach us to have faith.

The birth of Jesus is a miracle in itself! A virgin girl from a humble background chosen to be the mother of our Savior!! God sent a miracle in the form of a tiny baby who would save the sins of the world. God came down in human form to show the world His love and His willingness to show that love by living and teaching among us. He used wise men, shepherds and angels as witnesses of the miracle of the holy birth.

If miracles need witnesses, then what a great opportunity for us. This world needs a cloud of witnesses to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord. We can witness that a babe was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. We can be a witness that that Babe gave His life for you and for me. We can witness that He took away your sins and mine by His death. He gives a grace that not only forgives our sins, but offers relief from pain and grief. The church can be the kind of witness that reaches out to a world that is hurting.

Disciples were witnesses of the miracles of Jesus during His ministry as were others. They gave witness to the power of the resurrection. We, as Christians, have to be of one mind, one heart and one soul as we witness to the world of the coming of the light of the world born as a babe in a manger.

We need miracles in our lives today, and this Christmas I’m praying that we will see them. God wants us to have miracles of kindness, miracles of healing, miracles of forgiveness, miracles of answered prayer, miracles of joy, miracles of peace, and miracles of love.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s take the time to witness the miracles all around us every day!

Merry Christmas!

Miracles do happen, they happen every day. We don’t recognize them for our minds get in the way. We think we know what’s going on when something strange occurs, but when we try to figure it out, the vision often blurs. There is no explanation when God comes by our way and does things that are not possible on any ordinary day. We often say quite honestly, we want a gift from God, but when He gives us one we end up feeling odd. We see it or we feel it but we still don’t quite believe that this is indeed a miracle our minds just can’t conceive. But God’s so good, He loves us so and has such mighty power, He cares for us and fills our needs, no matter the day or hour. Elizabeth Thornton Watkins

Climb a high mountain, Zion. You are the preacher of good news. Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem. You are the preacher of good news! Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid! Isaiah 40:9 from The Message

The Advent season is already upon us, and thankfully, we can begin to turn our hearts and minds toward this season of light and love. I love this time of the year for many reasons, but I especially enjoy the Christmas story because it never gets old. It is interesting to me how important stories are, not only, to the Christian, but also to history, family, and remembrances.

A story is a conversation which gives us a way to get to know others, to explain relationships, and to find a connection with others. As Lewis Grizzard always said, “How’s your Mama and them?” In other words, tell me about them. Stories give a context to our lives and help us make it through the days.

You can tell a lot about a person from their conversation. If that person answers Yes or No to questions asked them with no elaboration, then obviously they are not interested in hearing or discussing any stories that others might relate or entering into conversation. If they eagerly add to the conversation. a world of stories and information can happen among people. During this time 2000+ years ago, there were those who didn’t want to hear the story of a babe that was to be born in a manger, but there were those who believed and wanted to hear more!

The world today is trying to say that the birth of Jesus, the cross, the Resurrection, and the Kingdom of God doesn’t matter. They are also interested in telling us that there is no right or wrong in this world today. People can do whatever makes them happy, and we will all go along and get along. They don’t seem to be interested in the stories that the Christian world is eager to tell.

Stories of Jesus are needed more than ever in this world of today. The world needs to hear that a Savior was born, lived, died, and rose from the grave. We need to hear that He was born for all of us no matter our station in life. It is through these stories that Jesus knits the the Kingdom of God together for us.

There is nothing like a pandemic to let us know that the stories we would like to tell or thought we would be telling this time last year will probably be different than what we had planned. It reminds us once again, that when we make plans, God laughs. He is in control.

During this time of year, our hearts just seem to turn to memories of family, friends, and loved ones who aren’t with us. There is nothing so dear as family members gathered together to relate stories of a loved one. It’s how we keep their sweet memory alive.

God sent His son to restore order out of the chaos of our lives, make sense out of the senseless, and connect the dots to piece things together. Not all of the stories in the Bible are easy to understand and some can be labeled as strange, but together they intertwine to tell God’s bigger story.

The story of Jesus is a beautiful story of love that came down to provide redemption for the people God dearly loves. They show His glory, reveal His character, and proclaim the truth that leads us to Him.

As we prepare our hearts to receive Him this season, remember to tell the stories of His love! So many in our world today need to hear them!

Forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

For many years, the Mt. Bethel church family had a special way to close out each service on Sunday. We as a congregation, held hands across the aisles and pews and sang together our trademark benediction. The words went like this: May the good Lord bless and keep you, whether near or far away. May you find that long awaited golden day today. May your troubles all be small ones, and your fortune ten times ten. May the good Lord bless and keep you til we meet again. It was our blessing for each other for the week.

The word blessing or Makarios literally means happiness. It was a wish for happiness, health, and living in God’s favor until we met again. It was so special, and it bonded us as a church and as God’s people. Who wouldn’t want to start your week with a wish for happiness?

Now we come again to that season of the year where we thank God for His blessings, ask to experience His happiness, and for His favor to be upon us. The year 2020 has not been a year which offered us many chances to reflect on our blessings; yet gratitude isn’t a natural response to adversity, it’s a discipline you develop!

In the midst of reflecting on this year, it would be easy to think that God hasn’t blessed us, but if we sit back and think back, I bet we will find many reasons for counting those blessings. Think back on His faithfulness through the years to us, our family, our friends, our country, and we’ll soon be filled with so much gratitude and joy! An attitude of gratitude in the midst of the adversity all around us will bring us to our knees. Tough times don’t end over night as we have seen, but there is much hope for us this Thanksgiving.

Habakkuk says, “Though fig trees may not grow, though there may be no grapes on the vines; no olives; no food growing in the fields; no sheep in the pens, no cattle in the barns, yet I will still rejoice in God my Savior.

We succeed in rejoicing in God always by staying focused on our blessings and not our troubles. When we take time to remember our blessings, it will change our attitude and our outlook. Stay focused.

We, as Christians, have the blessing of being able to take everything to God – the little things, the tiny things, and the trivial things of life. We pray earnestly, petition, and wait. God will answer.

We are blessed when we stay faithful. It’s easy to stay faithful when everything is going well and all is comfortable and right with the world. However, when we hit a time when our world seems to be falling apart right before us, that’s the time to look up and declare, “I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.” (Acts 27:25) Blessings don’t trickle in if you are faithful to God, they come in abundance.

My Daddy was a farmer, and when he planted a seed, it didn’t resemble the mature plant. Sometimes we don’t recognize our blessings because they are still in seed form, and we don’t recognize them for what they are when God is finished with them. Look around for those seeds we might inadvertently miss in our lives every day.

Jesus taught His disciples to be distributors of blessings to those around them. This Thanksgiving, my prayer is that we will be distributors and that there will be showers of blessings around each of us.

We can praise God too little, but we can never praise Him too much!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There will be showers of blessings, This is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing, Sent from the Savior above. Showers of blessings, showers of blessings we need; Mercy drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead. Showers of Blessings by Daniel Whittle

Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time – pray that our God will make you fit for what He’s called you to be, pray that He will fill your good ideas and acts of faith with His own energy so that it amounts to something. II Thessalonians 1:11 from The Message

Years ago Randy and I had an extraordinary opportunity to visit Africa with some dear friends on a business trip of sorts. It was a case of ordinary people being able to do extraordinary things! How many people can say they went on an animal observation safari, saw the Big Five, traveled dirt roads and encountered animals in the wild, provided an impala to feed an African village, sat out among the gorgeous Northern Lights, camped while wild animals drank from a stream nearby, slept in a hollowed out cave, met an elephant mouse, saw the world from atop a mountain while spreading a cloth and eating a picnic, and even rode an elephant??!! Extraordinary!

Extraordinary is defined as very unusual or remarkable, and our to Africa to do a mission trip in Kenya where they ministered to children, baptized some children and adults, led in worship, and shared with them the saving grace of Jesus.

Upon the return, several of these people joined together and founded a new Mission and began a great work in Africa. It’s heartwarming to see Annie, her husband and their ministry with children in Kenya. It is a testament to me that God can do extraordinary work through ordinary people.

Extraordinary experiences happen every day, and it doesn’t have to be on a huge scale – it can be as simple as a phone call to a friend, a meal delivered to someone in need, a kind word to a stranger, or just doing an extraordinary work in your job. Every life can be transformed.

So, how do we allow God to do extraordinary things through ordinary people such as ourselves? I believe the first step in allowing God to do extraordinary things in us is to change our view of perfection. D. W. Winnecott said, “Being perfect is overrated”; there is no need to try to be perfect. It’s all right to make mistakes and even to apologize if we get it wrong, that’s where mercy enters in. Don’t be reluctant to ask for guidance, but rather rely on God to take a willing heart and use it.

In all the things we do, the next thing is to affirm others who are willing to take an extraordinary journey with us or on their own. Everyone needs affirmation and encouragement along the way. The story is told of a family gathering where children were allowed to sit at the adult table for the first time at a Sunday dinner. Almost immediately one of the children spilled their glass of tea. Silence ensued, then one by one the adults and other children at the table knocked over their glass as well. That’s affirmation.

Next, don’t quit once you begin the extraordinary journey. Quitting is often the easiest course of action when we encounter hardships along our journey, but quitting should never be an option for us when we are on an extraordinary journey to do God’s will. Most people who seek to do God’s will meet with discouragements, disappointments and continual opposition, but it’s just a temporary roadblock to reaching our goal.

Our grandson, Cooper is the center for his football team in Buford. He has the constant responsibility of hiking the ball and anchoring the offensive line on every single offensive play. Nobody moves until he hikes the ball! The key to his position is never to quit on a hike, a block, or tackle. Their team just won the state championship for their league. Extraordinary effort from an ordinary bunch of guys who dare to never quit!

We all have someone we know who does or has done extraordinary things with their ordinary life. They touch the lives of their family, their friends, their work associates, and others through the things they do or the example they set day by day. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things!

There are three things that we should remember as we seek an extraordinary life doing extraordinary things; rely on God for everything, always affirm others on their journey, and never ever quit! If we focus on the things God has planned for us, we will accomplish extraordinary things with our ordinary lives!