Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5,6 (NRSV)
What does it mean to trust in the Lord? Do you? How have you tried to rely on your own insight? What happens? How will you acknowledge God in all ways?
The following was e-mailed to me and is called “GOD'S Rosebud”
A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.
The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact.
It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...
"It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine."
"The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so easily,
But in my hands they die."
"If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?"
"So I'll trust in God for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance
In each step of the way."
"The path that lies before me,
Only my Lord knows.
I'll trust God to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose."
Mother Teresa said, “I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.” Oswald Chambers said, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the one who is leading.” We are God’s beauties, and God will make us bloom when the time is right, if we are still following. So let us follow with faith!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label God's Beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Beauty. Show all posts
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Monday, July 20, 2009
Missing The Glory of God
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again. – Psalm 19:1-2 (NCV)
How have you seen the glory of the God? What declares this glory? Can you see it before day after day? Do you hear the proclamation night after night? Have you met anyone who lives into this story? What are they like?
The following story was e-mailed to me:
It's the Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
Four minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
Six minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A three-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments .....
How many other things are we missing?
Everywhere the glory of God is declared! Thomas Carlyle said, “The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss.” God created a world where not only does beauty abound, but also more beauty is to be discovered everyday! Let us with eyes of wonder discover the beauty of God’s glory in all areas of life, otherwise we may never know what we miss.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
How have you seen the glory of the God? What declares this glory? Can you see it before day after day? Do you hear the proclamation night after night? Have you met anyone who lives into this story? What are they like?
The following story was e-mailed to me:
It's the Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
Four minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
Six minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A three-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments .....
How many other things are we missing?
Everywhere the glory of God is declared! Thomas Carlyle said, “The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss.” God created a world where not only does beauty abound, but also more beauty is to be discovered everyday! Let us with eyes of wonder discover the beauty of God’s glory in all areas of life, otherwise we may never know what we miss.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Lord's Beauty
I ask only one thing from the Lord. This is what I want: Let me live in the Lord's house all my life. Let me see the Lord's beauty and look with my own eyes at his Temple. – Psalm 27:4 (NCV)
Is this what you want? What does it mean to live in the Lord’s house? If someone asked you about the Lord’s beauty what would you say of it? Do you want to see the beauty of God? Where do you think you would find such a wonderful thing?
The following story found: http://www.inspirationpeak.com/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?record=34
A small boy once approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" he asked. Busy with other things, Susie curtly replied: "No, of course not silly. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him."
Time passed, but his question still lingered so he approached his mom: "Mom, can anybody ever really see God?" "No, not really," she gently said. "God is a spirit and he dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see Him." Somewhat satisfied but still wondering, the youngster went on his way.
Not long afterwards, his saintly old grandfather took the little boy on a fishing trip. They were having a great time together. The sun was beginning to set with unusual splendor and the grandfather stared silently at the exquisite beauty unfolding before them. On seeing the face of his grandfather reflecting such deep peace and contentment, the little boy thought for a moment and finally spoke hesitatingly: "Granddad, I--I-- wasn't going to ask anybody else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time. Can anybody - can anybody ever really see God?”
The old man did not even turn his head. A long moment slipped by before he finally answered. "Son," he quietly said. "It's getting so I can't see anything else."
The Lord’s beauty surrounds us! If we want to see God all we have to do is look around. In the beauty of a flower, in the smile of a baby, in the majesty of a sunset, in the glory of an ocean, in the spender of the moon, in joy of our friends, and the kind eyes of a stranger there God’s beauty can be seen. Open your eyes and you will see that you live in the Lord’s house with God’s beauty everywhere!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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