Sunday, April 02, 2017
Peeling Back the Layers of Life
Life
is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes
you weep. ~ Carl Sandburg
Scripture:
A time
to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to
build up; A
time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to
dance; Ecclesiastes
3:3-4 New
King James Version (NKJV)
The
Merriam Webster dictionary defines life as the
quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead
body. Life is the essence of who we are on this earth and is further
defined by our
existence in this world. Life is the combined accumulation of our
experiences. Life is the
sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the
existence of an individual and can be one
or more aspects of the process of living. Life or live, is after
all, what we do.
The
above scripture from the book of Ecclesiastes
has been described as a book of perspectives. It is implied that it
was written by King Solomon who was considered a very wise man. King
Solomon’s ultimate purpose for writing this book was to give
Christians a chance to see the world through the eyes of a person who
is trying to find meaning in life.
Almost
every form of worldly pleasure is explored by the writer, and none of
it gives him a sense of meaning. In the end, the writer comes to
accept that faith in God is the only way to find personal meaning. He
decides to accept the fact that life is brief and ultimately
worthless without God. The writer advises the reader to focus on an
eternal God instead of temporary pleasure.
Life
teaches us that sometimes we choose those things that we THINK will
make us happy. However, true happiness can only be found when we
seek God first.
Be
Blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father
God, far too often we seek pleasure in all the wrong things and in
the wrong places. Lord, forgive us when we fail to see that eternal
happiness can only be gained by seeking first the kingdom of God.
Father, we realize that sometimes we make choices that are selfish
and self-serving. We allow worldly things to distract us and to
temporarily turn our attention away from You and Your word. Forgive
us. Lord, help us to keep You at the forefront of all our decisions.
Help us to keep our eyes on the prize of the most high calling.
Help us to not be swayed by him who seeks to destroy us. Lord, we
love You. We thank You for fresh grace and mercy. We thank You for
always allowing us to opportunity to turn away from evil and return
home to You. We thank You most of all for Your Son, Jesus Christ.
It is in His name that we submit this prayer. Amen
Saturday, April 23, 2016
God's Rare and Precious Jewel
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. ~ Chinese Proverb
Scripture:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 1 Peter 1:6-8 (New International Version)
Did you know that diamonds are made of carbon, one of the softest materials on earth? But when carbon is under extreme pressure buried deep below more than 75 miles of rock and is in temperatures more than 2, 192° F, it changes in to a diamond. What starts out as an inert object deep in the bowls of the earth, is transformed into a rare and precious jewel by pressure.
I often liken our lives to diamonds. We start out as; apathetic, asleep, closed down, dead, dormant, down, dull, idle, immobile, impassive, impotent, inactive, inanimate, indolent, languid, languorous, lazy, leaden, listless, motionless, numb, on ice, paralyzed, passive, phlegmatic, powerless, quiescent, quiet, slack, sleepy, slothful, sluggard, sluggish, slumberous, static, still, stolid, torpid, unmoving, unresponsive, (I’m using the thesaurus tonight), individuals who are usually full of themselves with selfish motivations and no real concept of who we are without God.
As things begin to happen in our lives that put us under pressure, we too begin to change. We start searching for that someone or that something that will be the catalyst for our transformation. Those of us, who are lucky, will soon discover that the something or someone who will be the motivating factor for our change will be God.
However, it won’t stop there. As we grow in faith, so will our situations. God isn’t content with us just being a Christian. God wants us to be the best Christian we can be. So in an effort to force out any impurities that may still remain in our lives, he keeps the pressure on.
The pressure is not to break us, but rather to make is into a flawless diamond; a rare and precious jewel.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it seems as though I am fighting a never ending battle. Some days are filled with stress and strife. Sometimes, I become weary from the war that wages around me. I realize that sometimes it is I who has caused the war from within. Lord, help me to be strong and resist temptation. Help me to develop patience, perseverance and peace within. Father, as I pause to spend time with You, I ask that you would quiet the conflict that rages within me. When I am faced with trials and tribulations help me to be still and remain calm and turn control over to the Holy Spirit. It's Your spirit Lord, that dwells in me. It that same spirit that can give me rest if I would just succumb to it. It’s in that spirit I can find peace, joy and contentment. It's in that Spirit that I can find the answer to the questions that plague me. Father, sometimes it seems as though satan’s entire army has come against me. But Your word tells me that no army can defeat me with the Lord on my side. Thank You Father. I know that as long as I follow You, I am on the right path. I also realize that as long as I follow You, satan will be there trying to discourage me. I rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. I call upon the name of the Lord, and I will surrender my will to His and allow the Lord to fight my battles. Thank You Father for the power and authority that has been given to me through Christ Jesus. Lord, bless my family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep me nearer God to Thee. Glory to God, Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah, Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Where Have All the Children Gone?
There is nothing more precious to a parent than a child, and nothing more important to our future than the safety of all our children. ~ President Bill Clinton
Scripture:
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ~ Mark 10:14 (New International Version)
Monday just minutes before arriving home from work, a teenaged boy in my neighborhood was shot four times and left for dead. A couple of years ago in this same neighborhood, another fifteen year-old boy had been led, naked, out to an abandoned field and shot in the back of the head by his father. Earlier on that same day, I heard that a mother was charged in the death of her five year old daughter whom the mother had sold into prostitution for drugs.
As I have mentioned before, I work at a funeral home and it has become far to commonplace. Unfortunately, even my own family has been touched by this same type of violence that is threatening to destroy a whole generation.
Saints, I am heartbroken as I sit here and write about these atrocities being perpetrated against these babies. To make the crimes even more horrific is the fact that in some of these cases, the pain they suffered was at the hands of their own parents; their very own flesh and blood. But to me the saddest thing of all is there is no public outrage. People hear about these things, say they are a shame or maybe even shed a tear but do absolutely nothing about it.
Have we become so desensitized that we shed one lone tear and keep it moving? I am a single mother of two boys. My youngest son was outside on the porch next door when his friend was shot just two streets over. There were times when they made me so angry I may have felt like killing them or throwing a skillet at their heads, but the love I have for my babies far outweighs any desire I may have to ever cause them harm.
Our children are precious gifts from God. We are failing our children when we don’t take them to the alter and introduce them to God. Satan is after our children and here we are just giving them away.
I look around me at our children today and ask; where has the village gone?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Jesus Wept.
Scripture:
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ~ Mark 10:14 (New International Version)
Monday just minutes before arriving home from work, a teenaged boy in my neighborhood was shot four times and left for dead. A couple of years ago in this same neighborhood, another fifteen year-old boy had been led, naked, out to an abandoned field and shot in the back of the head by his father. Earlier on that same day, I heard that a mother was charged in the death of her five year old daughter whom the mother had sold into prostitution for drugs.
As I have mentioned before, I work at a funeral home and it has become far to commonplace. Unfortunately, even my own family has been touched by this same type of violence that is threatening to destroy a whole generation.
Saints, I am heartbroken as I sit here and write about these atrocities being perpetrated against these babies. To make the crimes even more horrific is the fact that in some of these cases, the pain they suffered was at the hands of their own parents; their very own flesh and blood. But to me the saddest thing of all is there is no public outrage. People hear about these things, say they are a shame or maybe even shed a tear but do absolutely nothing about it.
Have we become so desensitized that we shed one lone tear and keep it moving? I am a single mother of two boys. My youngest son was outside on the porch next door when his friend was shot just two streets over. There were times when they made me so angry I may have felt like killing them or throwing a skillet at their heads, but the love I have for my babies far outweighs any desire I may have to ever cause them harm.
Our children are precious gifts from God. We are failing our children when we don’t take them to the alter and introduce them to God. Satan is after our children and here we are just giving them away.
I look around me at our children today and ask; where has the village gone?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Jesus Wept.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
One Choice, One Decision
If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise. ~ Robert Fritz
Scripture:
To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:9-11 (New International Version)
As I look around me at the world today, I wonder, how did we get here? The world has literally gone crazy. People are losing their jobs. Fathers are killing babies. Mothers don’t protect their children the way they used to and those that have would deny those who have not.
It would be so easy to say, “that it’s not my fault. I wasn’t the one who caused these problems, somebody else did. I am not the one who took all the money and ran these companies into the ground. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs.”
Saints of God, whether you want to admit it or not, it is our problem and it is our fault. We are the ones who chose to live beyond our means. We are the ones who wanted more, more and more. We are the ones who wanted what we want and to hell with those who don’t want it as bad as I do.
We chose to ignore the warning signs that our economy was in danger. We chose to turn a blind eye to those who were less fortunate than ourselves. We wanted what we wanted when we wanted it and in essence, we chose silver and gold over knowledge and rubies instead of wisdom.
Now we are in a place that forces our hands and causes us to question our greed for the finer things in life that were bought on the precept of “buy it now and worry about paying for it later.”
Now that it is later, what will you choose? What is the right decision to make?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, as I look at the world around me, my heart is heavy with grief. We chose silver and gold over the things that You taught us in Your word. We chose to turn a blind eye to those who were less fortunate than ourselves and now we find that we too have lost our way. Father God, forgive us for our sinful ways and desires. Help us O’Lord to return to Your teachings and to putting our faith and our trust in You. Lord, help us to see the trappings of the devil for what they are, a way to cause havoc and cause us to turn away from You. Lord, I come before the throne of grace asking that You would once again take me down the path that You would have me to follow. Help us Lord, to thirst after Your Word instead of the way of the world. Lord, thank You for keeping me and my household safe from all hurt harm and danger. Your word tells says I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Help me Father to return to a more righteous way of living. Now Lord, I ask that You would bless those who stand before You in need of a breakthrough. Touch that Father, that Mother who needs to know that the Holy Spirit is with us always, even in bad times and that He will never leave us or forsake us. It is in His most Holy Name that we submit this prayer. Amen.
Scripture:
To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:9-11 (New International Version)
As I look around me at the world today, I wonder, how did we get here? The world has literally gone crazy. People are losing their jobs. Fathers are killing babies. Mothers don’t protect their children the way they used to and those that have would deny those who have not.
It would be so easy to say, “that it’s not my fault. I wasn’t the one who caused these problems, somebody else did. I am not the one who took all the money and ran these companies into the ground. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs.”
Saints of God, whether you want to admit it or not, it is our problem and it is our fault. We are the ones who chose to live beyond our means. We are the ones who wanted more, more and more. We are the ones who wanted what we want and to hell with those who don’t want it as bad as I do.
We chose to ignore the warning signs that our economy was in danger. We chose to turn a blind eye to those who were less fortunate than ourselves. We wanted what we wanted when we wanted it and in essence, we chose silver and gold over knowledge and rubies instead of wisdom.
Now we are in a place that forces our hands and causes us to question our greed for the finer things in life that were bought on the precept of “buy it now and worry about paying for it later.”
Now that it is later, what will you choose? What is the right decision to make?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, as I look at the world around me, my heart is heavy with grief. We chose silver and gold over the things that You taught us in Your word. We chose to turn a blind eye to those who were less fortunate than ourselves and now we find that we too have lost our way. Father God, forgive us for our sinful ways and desires. Help us O’Lord to return to Your teachings and to putting our faith and our trust in You. Lord, help us to see the trappings of the devil for what they are, a way to cause havoc and cause us to turn away from You. Lord, I come before the throne of grace asking that You would once again take me down the path that You would have me to follow. Help us Lord, to thirst after Your Word instead of the way of the world. Lord, thank You for keeping me and my household safe from all hurt harm and danger. Your word tells says I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Help me Father to return to a more righteous way of living. Now Lord, I ask that You would bless those who stand before You in need of a breakthrough. Touch that Father, that Mother who needs to know that the Holy Spirit is with us always, even in bad times and that He will never leave us or forsake us. It is in His most Holy Name that we submit this prayer. Amen.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
When you Don't Know Where You Are
The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. ~ Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Scripture:
Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands. Psalm 119:175-176 (New International Version)
Have you ever been in a place mentally where you didn’t understand your own state of mind? Your thoughts are confusing, you have a sense of loss, suddenly not knowing or understanding your purpose in this life. You just can’t seem to get it together.
I find that when I don’t spend time in the presence of God or at the very least, study the word of God, I will find myself at that place. Not understanding why I feel bad or why things aren’t going right in my life are but a few of the symptoms I might be experiencing. I become withdrawn, unable to communicate my thoughts and feelings because I’m not sure what they are.
Saints of God, partaking of the Word of God and spending time in his presence is a necessary part of life if we are to sustain our spiritual life and grow. The word of God says man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Not feeding our faith causes us to feed those negative things in our lives.
Be blessed and be blessing
Prayer:
God, sometimes I lose my way and forget where I am. There are moments when the burdens of life tend to get me down. I suffer in the late night hours, crying tears of anguish, beseeching You to take away my burdens. I sometimes pray for a mate, not realizing that I must first develop a relationship with You. I want more for my family and don’t realize that we have more than most. Forgive me Lord, for my selfish spirit. Father, I come asking for the patience of Job, the faithfulness of David, and the commitment of Paul. I pray that You would forgive me for feeding my fears instead of my faith. Help me Lord, to be still and listen for Your voice alone. Lord, I ask that You would answer the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, I don’t know all of their needs, but you do. Some have not the strength to endure. Strengthen them Heavenly Father, speak a word into their spirits so that they too would be encouraged. Thank You father for Your many blessings. Thank you Lord for the death and resurrection of Your son, Jesus Christ. It is in His name we pray, Amen.
Scripture:
Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands. Psalm 119:175-176 (New International Version)
Have you ever been in a place mentally where you didn’t understand your own state of mind? Your thoughts are confusing, you have a sense of loss, suddenly not knowing or understanding your purpose in this life. You just can’t seem to get it together.
I find that when I don’t spend time in the presence of God or at the very least, study the word of God, I will find myself at that place. Not understanding why I feel bad or why things aren’t going right in my life are but a few of the symptoms I might be experiencing. I become withdrawn, unable to communicate my thoughts and feelings because I’m not sure what they are.
Saints of God, partaking of the Word of God and spending time in his presence is a necessary part of life if we are to sustain our spiritual life and grow. The word of God says man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Not feeding our faith causes us to feed those negative things in our lives.
Be blessed and be blessing
Prayer:
God, sometimes I lose my way and forget where I am. There are moments when the burdens of life tend to get me down. I suffer in the late night hours, crying tears of anguish, beseeching You to take away my burdens. I sometimes pray for a mate, not realizing that I must first develop a relationship with You. I want more for my family and don’t realize that we have more than most. Forgive me Lord, for my selfish spirit. Father, I come asking for the patience of Job, the faithfulness of David, and the commitment of Paul. I pray that You would forgive me for feeding my fears instead of my faith. Help me Lord, to be still and listen for Your voice alone. Lord, I ask that You would answer the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, I don’t know all of their needs, but you do. Some have not the strength to endure. Strengthen them Heavenly Father, speak a word into their spirits so that they too would be encouraged. Thank You father for Your many blessings. Thank you Lord for the death and resurrection of Your son, Jesus Christ. It is in His name we pray, Amen.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
It's All in Divine Order
Whenever I feel that I am confused or that my life is in disorder, I remember these words from the book of Proverbs: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart ... In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths."These simple words reaffirm what I know in my heart is true: He is always with me, enfolding me in love and assuring me that all is in divine order. Divine order is His plan for me. Relying on my Higher Power calms my thoughts. I feel secure because I know that He will lead me to the people and events which will contribute to my spiritual growth and fulfillment. All is in divine order because He is the order that supports and surrounds me. ~ unknown
Scripture:
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
Saints of God, so often we give pause and reflect on the direction our lives are headed in. We seem to be moving right along through life, when something or someone happens to derail us from our chosen course. Well Saints of God, I am here to tell you; “It’s all in Divine Order.”
The job or career that you have chosen hasn’t worked out the way you thought it would. The house you wanted so much to buy was bought by someone else. The man or woman that you thought you were going to marry marries someone else. The dreams and goals that you had in life seem to have fallen by the wayside. I just want to tell you, “It’s all in Divine Order.”
So often the things that we want in life aren’t the things that God wants for us. The path that we ourselves have chosen isn’t necessarily the road that God wants us to travel. Even the person we thought we would spend the rest of our lives with, aren’t inevitably the person we are supposed to be yoked with.
Too often we go through life trying to do everything on our own without seeking a word from God. We set our sights on things that may turn out to be detrimental to our overall well being. We even fall in love with people who we will give our all to, but who themselves aren’t capable of loving us the way God wants them to love us.
I say all this to say, that no matter what obstacles are in your way. It doesn’t matter if your heart has been broken, that you lost your job, or that you are not at the place in your life you think you should be. “It’s all in Divine Order."
Sometimes things have to be the way they are because your plan for your life isn’t God’s plan for your life. Learn to be still, listen for His still small voice, and realize;
That’s it’s All in Divine Order!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come once again with praises on our tongues and humility in our hearts, seeking Your face, Your grace and Your mercy. Lord, forgive us for doubting You when the things in our lives are not going according to our plans. We realize that everything that we want isn’t necessarily what You want for us. Help us to recognize the bad choices that we have made in our lives, correct them accept them and move on. Help us Father, to find our way. Lord, we pray ask for a spirit of discernment so that we can recognize when our will is not inline with Yours. Help us to remember to always seek you in everything that we do, before we make life altering choices and to be still in the midst of our storms. Thank you Father, for reminding us that You have provided the way out of darkness and into the light. Your Word and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer. It is in His name that we humbly submit our prayers. Amen
Scripture:
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
Saints of God, so often we give pause and reflect on the direction our lives are headed in. We seem to be moving right along through life, when something or someone happens to derail us from our chosen course. Well Saints of God, I am here to tell you; “It’s all in Divine Order.”
The job or career that you have chosen hasn’t worked out the way you thought it would. The house you wanted so much to buy was bought by someone else. The man or woman that you thought you were going to marry marries someone else. The dreams and goals that you had in life seem to have fallen by the wayside. I just want to tell you, “It’s all in Divine Order.”
So often the things that we want in life aren’t the things that God wants for us. The path that we ourselves have chosen isn’t necessarily the road that God wants us to travel. Even the person we thought we would spend the rest of our lives with, aren’t inevitably the person we are supposed to be yoked with.
Too often we go through life trying to do everything on our own without seeking a word from God. We set our sights on things that may turn out to be detrimental to our overall well being. We even fall in love with people who we will give our all to, but who themselves aren’t capable of loving us the way God wants them to love us.
I say all this to say, that no matter what obstacles are in your way. It doesn’t matter if your heart has been broken, that you lost your job, or that you are not at the place in your life you think you should be. “It’s all in Divine Order."
Sometimes things have to be the way they are because your plan for your life isn’t God’s plan for your life. Learn to be still, listen for His still small voice, and realize;
That’s it’s All in Divine Order!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come once again with praises on our tongues and humility in our hearts, seeking Your face, Your grace and Your mercy. Lord, forgive us for doubting You when the things in our lives are not going according to our plans. We realize that everything that we want isn’t necessarily what You want for us. Help us to recognize the bad choices that we have made in our lives, correct them accept them and move on. Help us Father, to find our way. Lord, we pray ask for a spirit of discernment so that we can recognize when our will is not inline with Yours. Help us to remember to always seek you in everything that we do, before we make life altering choices and to be still in the midst of our storms. Thank you Father, for reminding us that You have provided the way out of darkness and into the light. Your Word and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer. It is in His name that we humbly submit our prayers. Amen
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Is My Living in Vain?
If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. ~ Emily Dickinson
Scripture:
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. Matthew 25:23 (New International Version)
One of the many jobs that I have held over the years was in the programming/production department of a local television station. There would be times I would be called upon to answer telephone calls from angry viewers when their favorite soap opera or talk show was interrupted with breaking news. There was one very disturbing observation I noticed about many of these calls, these angry callers were often the elderly and I realized that television was frequently their only company.
I was reminded of this by a television special that aired here in Detroit a few years ago, about an elderly woman named Marabel Chanin, an 87 year old woman who died alone. The story so captivated the world that it spawned a need to create a news special to discover how something like this could happen. You see, Marabel had never married or had children. Her body lay unclaimed in the Wayne County Morgue for over four months.
As I listened to her story, I discovered that one of the reasons that she had been left alone, was because she had chased away family and friends. I find it heartbreaking to think that anyone could live to be almost 88 years old and have no one to care about them in life or death.
As Christians we have been charged with loving one another. Not just ourselves or our immediate family but all whose path we will cross. I challenge you to do to take a long hard look at yourselves and ask the question; Is my Living in Vain?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, sometimes we get so caught up with our lives and with ourselves that we fail to see the hurting world around us. My prayer to You this night is that I will see all humanity as my brothers and sisters. I choose to bless others as You have blessed me. Create in me a right spirit and help me to realize that it is not all about me. Help me O’Lord to have empathy to those who are in need and to give a portion of what has been given to me so that others can see You working in my life. Magnify the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit and allow it to light my path as I walk in a dark world so that You may be edified in the works that I do, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture:
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. Matthew 25:23 (New International Version)
One of the many jobs that I have held over the years was in the programming/production department of a local television station. There would be times I would be called upon to answer telephone calls from angry viewers when their favorite soap opera or talk show was interrupted with breaking news. There was one very disturbing observation I noticed about many of these calls, these angry callers were often the elderly and I realized that television was frequently their only company.
I was reminded of this by a television special that aired here in Detroit a few years ago, about an elderly woman named Marabel Chanin, an 87 year old woman who died alone. The story so captivated the world that it spawned a need to create a news special to discover how something like this could happen. You see, Marabel had never married or had children. Her body lay unclaimed in the Wayne County Morgue for over four months.
As I listened to her story, I discovered that one of the reasons that she had been left alone, was because she had chased away family and friends. I find it heartbreaking to think that anyone could live to be almost 88 years old and have no one to care about them in life or death.
As Christians we have been charged with loving one another. Not just ourselves or our immediate family but all whose path we will cross. I challenge you to do to take a long hard look at yourselves and ask the question; Is my Living in Vain?
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, sometimes we get so caught up with our lives and with ourselves that we fail to see the hurting world around us. My prayer to You this night is that I will see all humanity as my brothers and sisters. I choose to bless others as You have blessed me. Create in me a right spirit and help me to realize that it is not all about me. Help me O’Lord to have empathy to those who are in need and to give a portion of what has been given to me so that others can see You working in my life. Magnify the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit and allow it to light my path as I walk in a dark world so that You may be edified in the works that I do, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
