Laced With Grace

July 3, 2009

“Sweetie, I need a few things from the grocery store. Let’s stop there after the eye exam.” I suggested to my husband.

With my daughter’s exam complete and glasses ordered, we headed to Dairy Queen. After ordering a cold Banana Split Blizzard, my teen daughter, headed for the car to wait while we I walked toward the grocery store.

Suddenly it dawned on me that the parking lot was a zoo and that’s the precise moment I .said, “Are we nuts? It’s the day before the Fourth of July holiday. Everyone in town is here. It may take an hour to buy the five items we need.”

He looked at me, “Do we have anywhere else we need to be?” such is the sarcastic response from the unemployed. *grin*

We headed inside.

People were everywhere. Thank goodness I didn’t need to wheel a cart around. I would have been caught in a traffic jam more dreadful than L.A. freeways at rush hour. We grabbed our five items plus ice cream for the man, fat-free to be exact, and made our way around the road-blocks of parked carts to the front of the store.

Behold, what a sight! Every, single checkout line was open for customers. Grocery clerks were stationed behind each one frantically pushing through cases of soda, boxes of hot dogs, pounds of potato salad, mountains of chips, watermelon and all things American. The baggers in the assembly were hardly able to keep the pace.

I stood and watched. Completely fascinated. Customers waited, five deep, in each of the 14 checkout counters. As I stood among the throngs the most amazing thing happened. An older man stepped in the line next to us. He had a cart and he held the hand of a young man who looked to be in his late teens. As I watched the unusual pair, the boy began to bellow some undistinguishable gibberish.

Patrons and clerks all turned to look. You couldn’t help it. The sound was so strange and loud your instinct kicked in and you look to see if everything is alright. After observing that the boy was impaired and unsupervised but also okay, most of the customers turned back to the business at hand. I noticed most of us then shuffled in place a tad bit uncomfortable with the unexpected distraction. Dad had walked away and the tall boy was yelling at the top of his lungs things such as, “I waaaant toooo swwwiiim.” Each word elongated as he spoke.

I looked at the customer’s in front of me. A Mom, with her two older teen boys rushed to finish up a purchase of at least a ten cases of soda. They looked tense because of the noise. The checker shot the customer a stiff grin.

Now here’s the miracle.

The boy who was still waiting for his Dad to returne with the chips began to sing.

Loudly.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

Guess what? I heard, CLAP – CLAP. The two kids at the end of my grocery line were smiling and were the clappees. Say what? No way… teenagers…. I wanted to hug them. The boy continued singing.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” (clap, clap)

Twenty people clapped. All around us. I was grinning ear-to-ear and looking around.
Everyone in my line was grinning and they were looking around too. The clerk was smiling. The customer’s three lanes down were all a grins. My hands were full but I wanted to clap too.

“If you’re happy and you know it, then your face with surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

The entire front of the store clapped, in unison! (CLAP-CLAP)

The store erupted with laughter and merriment. Pearly whites were beaming from our faces. The clerk in front of me was laughing out loud. She rushed over to the boy and said, “Thank you, you made us all happy,” and she clapped again.

Tears of joy brimmed. I wanted to laugh and sob and clap and giggle, all at the same time. The rushing of the store ceased. People were smiling, laughing and talking to one another. The store was transformed by a boy who was unashamed and unaware of his social faux pas. A boy that was happy.

I looked around. The thought came to my mind; I want to be just like that boy. I want to be a woman that is unashamed and uninhibited to share the source of authentic joy and happiness, the living truth of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

So, today, and each day from this day forward, I am committed to pray like this:

Lord, I know you have one person today who needs to be cheered and encouraged by your love and your grace. Someone needs hope. Someone needs a little joy.
Please prepare me for this daily appointment to be Your ambassador of joy. Each day help me to recognize the person you send and as always fill me with Your words. I want to share the hope and joy I have received through Jesus Christ. In your precious and joyful name, Amen.

We have so much! We have Jesus. Be blessed and be happy, Lynn

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I was talking/praying with a good friend this morning.  She is having problems in her marriage and was feeling angry, bitter, frustrated, “at the the end of her rope.”  I prayed for her, praying the armor of God over her and her husband.   The enemy is trying to wreak havoc in her home, trying to destroy her marriage, and steal her joy.  As I prepared for today’s devotion, I thought about my friend and my prayer and then God reminded me of this devotion I wrote last summer.  I hope you don’t mind that it is a “rerun” and my prayer is that it encourages and strengthens you!

Did you know you are in a BATTLE?  Did you know that you have a real enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy the things in your life?

Your family. Your marriage.  Your relationships.  Your finances.  Your health.

He loves to steal your testimony by tempting you back into patterns of sin that get a hold of you.  He enjoys destroying your witness of the power of Christ by capturing you in a gripping fear that is anything but victorious.  And, he is always there to kill your joy, bringing instead worry, doubt and anger.

Are you afraid?

Praise God, we don’t need to be!  Satan is a defeated foe.  Jesus already faced him and crushed him.  Jesus, who is in you, is greater than him.  Satan trembles at the NAME of Jesus.  You have the power through Christ to stand against the enemy.  Do NOT be afraid of him!

Are you armed and dangerous?

The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God and STAND firm and alert. (Ephesians 6:10-17) Notice that it doesn’t tell us to FIGHT, but to stand.  God will FIGHT the battle for us.  But, we need to equip ourselves with Jesus.

First, put on the Belt of Truth.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”  So, buckle Jesus firmly around you.  Picture Powerhouse Gym with  bodybuilders squatting twice their body weight.  What do they put on first before lifting any weight?  A thick leather belt that supports, stabilizes, and protects their bodies while they lift.  Jesus does exactly that for us- supports, stabilizes, and protects us as we lift the weights of the world.

My son just started playing football.  You better believe I want him to wear that helmet to protect his precious brain!  We are to put on the Helmet of Salvation, or the Jesus Helmet,  to protect our minds against impure thoughts, worry, and negative, self-defeating thoughts.  We take every thought that plops into our minds “captive.”  If it is a lie, we replace it with the Truth.

Next, put on the Breastplate of Righteousness.  Righteousness only comes through Christ, so we put Jesus on as our shield.  What does a breastplate cover?  Our hearts!  Jesus protects our hearts when we allow Him to cover us.

Walk with the Shoes of Peace on your feet.  Everywhere you go, allow Jesus, the Prince of Peace guide your steps.  When you surrender to Him with every step, He will fill you with the peace that passes all understanding!

Next, lift up your Shield of Faith.  Think “Gladiator” here!  These warriors carried shields that were huge and covered their whole bodies.  When the attack came, they would fall to the ground, allowing their whole body to be covered with the shield.  It is your faith, believing in who God is and what He can do, that EXTINGUISHES the arrows of the enemy!  It is your faith that PUTS OUT every scheme Satan uses against you.

Finally, lift up your Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Again, Jesus is the “Word,” so lift up Jesus as your weapon!  Both the Living Word and the written Word  will cut through every lie of the enemy.  Read your Bible.  Wield your sword.  Call out to Jesus. 

Notice there isn’t armor covering your backside, so don’t run from the enemy.  Instead, stand firm, face him, covered in the protection of Jesus.  When you are feeling defeated, take your place as a victorious child of God and call on the Name of Jesus.  The battle has already been won and the victory is yours!

Father God, thank You that I am more than a conqueror  in Christ! Thank You that You are “for” me.  Thank You that You have equipped me with everything I need to stand against the enemy.  Help me to remember that the battle has already been won and that I am already victorious in Christ Jesus!  Help me to put on the armor daily.  In Christ’s mighty name we pray.  Amen.

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Anyone feel as though they are out on the raging sea of life in a leaky life boat and trying to bail water with a sieve?

Life right now with all its challenges, heartaches, pain, illnesses, trials, sorrows and despair is extremely difficult and stressful to say the least. I know firsthand what it’s like to feel as though you are sinking fast with no hope in sight. Sometimes we think that to be able to just survive in this world is enough; but our Lord has promised us LIFE… and have it more abundantly.

I had spent several years homebound, racked in chronic pain and illness taking dozens of prescription medications on a daily basis all having their toll on me physically, mentally, and spiritually. There even was a time I prayed to the Lord that if I was not going to be healed, “then please Lord, take my life!” Out of shear desperation and I’m sure the leading of the Holy Spirit, I opened my bible and glanced down at the passage of scripture in Psalm 42.

As I began to read, I came to verse 4, “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be….” ‘Yes, Lord, I certainly can relate.’ I continued to read, I came to verse 5, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad?” I stopped right there and I said to myself and to the Lord, ‘Well let’s see…there is….’ And I started to list all the things that had me discouraged and that I was battling at the time. After I was finished venting on the Lord and telling Him how disappointed I was in Him, I continued to read the verse, “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!” ‘What did I just read?’ I continued to read, “Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember your kindness..” I stopped again. I thought to myself, ‘Hum, I need to contemplate on this a while.’ I really didn’t want to think about God’s loving kindness; after all, I did not feel that He had been very loving and kind to me for quite some time now. Then I felt this knot in the pit of my stomach and a yearning in my heart, the next thing I knew I began remembering His kindness toward me! This brought comfort to me along with reassuring thoughts of God’s love and kindness.

David, man after God’s own heart showed me that I can be real with God, share my bitterness, rejection, pain and sorrow openly with God. Yes, the darkness, deep depression and pain had overwhelmed me. But I was reminded once again that though I cannot still the winds of adversity and waves of grief and pain; I know the One who can calm the raging sea– And even while in the midst of my pain and grief, the God of my life, the Rock of my Salvation has not forsaken me because I have made His tender mercies, everlasting truth, and mighty power my Refuge. As the psalmist reminded me as he repeated his thoughts in verse 11, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!” My mind thought of what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 94:19, “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” With tears streaming down my cheeks, I chose right then, even though I was still in the midst of the storms of life, I will put my hope and trust in my God and my Savior – I chose to praise Him again, I chose not to be just a survivor, but to THRIVE in whatever state I am in, because my God has brought me life, and to have it more abundantly! (John 10:10).

Dear gracious heavenly Father, if there is someone who is reading this today, and feels like I did, that their hope is gone, and they are discouraged by the challenges and trials of this life; may they be comforted by your Word and loving kindness. May they say as the psalmist wrote, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!” May they find renewed strength and hope in YOU.  In Jesus precious name, Amen.

“So I pray that God, who gives you Hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him.  May you overflow with Hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13

This devotion is taken from my devotional serries THRIVE, to view previous devotions on THRIVE, please view my blog and click THRIVE.

Beelieve You Can… THRIVE!

http://michele-risingabove.blogspot.com