What Does it Mean to Have Faith?

I have never been one much interested in debating the Bible or trying to understand those debatable questions that come up. In those debates and discussions you can have varying opinions about things that only God knows the correct answer. In fact, I would dare to say that in those discussions, no one is correct. I have to think of Job and his so called friends, that tried to explain why Job was going through the torment placed on him. When in fact, they didn’t have the correct answers for Job, no matter how hard they tried to reason it all out in their own minds. So, why debate, eternal security, pre-destination, or why God allows or causes things to happen? Pre-Tribulation? Post-Tribulation? And so many more debates that arise as differing opinions come into play. I have found more times than not, that the words that we use all come back to the same answer, just use different words to explain it. The common thread that we have is a simple 5 letter word that encompasses the answer to all of those questions, FAITH. I don’t like to debate these things because I believe that our faith needs lie in the One True God. A sovereign God who sits on the throne. A sovereign God who humbled Himself by coming to earth in the form of an infant and walked amongst man, taking on the temptations of man, enduring ridicule and shame, yet knew no sin, placed on a cross, crucified and buried, who rose again to bring Salvation to those that believe in Jesus, the Son of God. Nothing we go through in life is unique to us, because Christ took it all on Himself for us and experienced the pains of this world. I don’t have to understand or pretend to understand the entire ways of God, I just need to know God, have faith in His sovereignty, walk in His ways through His righteousness, not mine. If we understood everything about God, there would be no need to have faith. Hebrews 11: 1 – 3 explains it like this: 11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2011%3A1-3&version=ESV Hebrews 1 continues to speak of those from the past that had faith. The patriarchs that had faith in days of old. You can read about that as chapter 11 continues. How do we obtain this faith? Romans 5: 6 – 11 tells us 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205%3A6-11&version=ESV Romans 10: 8 – 13 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010%20%3A%208%20-13&version=ESV Is this faith for everyone? Isaiah 45:22 English Standard Version 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2045%3A22&version=ESV In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus tell us in Matthew 18:14 14 So it is not the will of my[a] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018%3A14&version=ESV 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2016%3A%2015%20-%2016&version=ESV With all that being said, yes, read your Bible, study His Word, ask Him for clarification. Do not be deceived by the wolf in sheep’s clothing but have faith in the Good Shepherd, our LORD and Savior, the Sovereign God who we might not always understand but whom we always trust, obey, and follow faithfully. Seeking Him with all my heart, Sheila

Glorious Light

I wrote this awhile back but had trouble getting it to post correctly.  I finally got it to work and want to go ahead and share it with you.  

Glorious Light 

Last night I was awaken as I started to dream about someone finding out they had a terminal illness.  Immediately my thoughts turned to a dear friend who is suffering with terminal cancer.  His battle has been very rough and it seems that the cancer is taking over.  I almost got up and started to write this blog right then and there but sleep seemed to be calling my name.  Oh how I wished that I would have gotten up because things are foggy this morning and I’m praying the Lord will bring it back to me.

Cancer is awful as well as many other diseases in this world.  I think of my mother who suffered with Parkinson’s and we saw her body slowly deteriorate until she could no longer function.  What is worse than any of those diseases is a soul that does not know the Lord.  The cancer of sin that invades the body and overtakes the functions of our Spiritual well-being.  When we no longer can see our own sin and refuse to accept the forgiveness of our Lord and Savior.  That is a cancer that produces death eternal.  

Life on this earth is short.  I found that out at a very early age when we lost my sister who was only eight. Some people go many years before they lose a loved one but time does not diminish the heartbreak of such a loss.  I hope these words are comforting to anyone who is losing or has lost a loved one, especially a loved one that knows the Lord.

In Colossians 3: 1- 4 we read:

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%203%3A1-4&version=ESV) 

For those who know the Lord and death approaches the door,  we are eternally entering the presence of the Lord.  What a joy that will be!  

Our final victory in life is being in the presence of our Lord and Savior where death loses its sting and victory is found in our eternal home.  The verse that came to mind when I woke up in the middle of the night was this:

I Corinthians 15: 54-57

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

    O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20corinthians%2015%3A54%20-%2057&version=ESV) 

We have victory in Jesus when we breathe our last here.  The same God that saw us through our difficult times will still be here to see our loved ones through their difficult times. 

I’ll never forget those days that I asked a lot of why questions.  Why did you leave me here Lord?  Why did you take her and not me?  Why won’t you raise her from the dead like you did that little girl in the Bible?  Why won’t you heal my mother?  But the answers didn’t come for many years.  Then, when I did hear the answer, it was simply, her time was finished and it was your time to begin. My sister saw Him first, my mother was ultimately healed when she entered His glorious presence. 

As we journey through this life, death is always crouching at the door.  We could be gone in the flash of an accident, we can suffer years with a terminal disease, or we could simply lay down our head at night and wake up in glory.  We never know the time or the hour in which we will leave this earth.  It doesn’t matter when that time is, what matters is if we are ready to face the Savior.  

To all my dear friends and to their dear friends, my hope is that you are ready to face the Savior.  I hope victory is found when death comes knocking at your door.  Living a life for Christ, recognizing the Jesus, God incarnate, came to this earth to live, die, and rise for us as a sacrificial Lamb is waiting for our entrance into glorious light.  

May this song bless you today as you think of the wonderful gift our Jesus has given us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbCnh5Q2o1Y

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Hope in Christ

 As I sit here this morning I am reminded of the hope we have in Christ.  This is the beginning of the Advent and there is no better time than now to reflect on the hope that we have in Christ our Savior.  A hope that defies all odds.  A virgin birth, a young mother, and a couple that were devoted to the creator of this World, the One True God.  Because of their devotion to God, He chose them to be the parents of His Son.  There is not much said about Joseph in the Bible but we know that he obeyed the voice of God, first in his marriage to Mary, his obedience to not have relations with her until after the birth of Jesus, dedication of Jesus through circumcision to presenting Him in the temple, even to the point of fleeing his own country and traveling to Egypt to escape King Herod’s destruction.  (Matthew1 -2, Luke 2). Mary was referred to as “highly favored one”.  She too, followed the not only the customs of the faith but was obedient to God.  He chose them because He knew them and they knew Him.  

Does God know you?  Of course He does, He created you!  But more importantly do you know God?  Do you have the hope that Joseph and Mary had when they obeyed Him?  

We have to remember that it was surely not easy for them.  There were a lot of questions and they were most likely looked upon in a judgmental way by others that knew them.  Yet, for the Glory of God, they obeyed.  What about you?  Will you obey even when others look poorly upon you?  Will you obey when the ask seems utterly impossible?  Is your hope rooted in Christ, in self, or in others?

These are all questions I have been asking myself as of late.  Life seems, at times, almost unbearable.  I have to remember that my hope is not in this world.  My hope is not fixated on what others think of me but my hope is based on what Christ knows of me, what He has done for me, and on His unwavering love for me.  He will use my mess-ups for His glory, He will give me strength, He has a hope and a future for me that I cannot even imagine.  He tells me to “fear not” but place my hope in HIm.  What has He chosen for you to do today?  Will you place your hope in Him?

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

It's Not Always as it Seems

Luke 1: 46 -55 

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat 

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A+46+-+55&version=ESV      

When the angel Gabriel came to visit Mary as told in Luke 1:28 – 38, he brought her good news of a Savior that would be born to her through the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Highest would overshadow her and she would conceive a son who would be the Savior of the world. At this Mary was honored and willing to do as the Lord had instructed her through Gabriel. She was obedient even though she did not know the entire story yet. Have you ever been there? Have you ever taken a step of faith not knowing what was to come? Mary then visited her pregnant relative who had conceived in her very old age, another miracle of God. Elizabeth confirmed through the workings of the Holy Spirit that Mary was carrying a very special baby. Once this interaction was completed, Mary began her song of praise the Lord God Almighty, Luke 1: 46-55, as you read at the beginning of this blog. Mary had no idea at this point that this Son would be rejected, crucified, and buried. She had no idea that He would suffer for the sake of mankind, that He would take the weight of the sin of the world on His shoulders, and that he would rise again in all His glory, nor did she know that He would ascend into Heaven, going to prepare a place for those who believe and trust upon Him. Not until she encountered Simeon had she even heard of the heartache this Son would impose upon her. As told in 

Luke 2: 34-35. 

  34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A34-35&version=ESV 

I find it interesting that Simeon addressed Mary and not Joseph in this encounter. Could it be because Joseph would not be around for this part of the life of Jesus? She didn’t know when Gabriel came, she most likely didn’t understand when Simeon spoke, but she was obedient to God in her willingness to conceive, she felt honored that He chose her. She wept at the foot of the cross even after pondering all this in her heart. She was most likely heartbroken, confused, and surely frustrated at times yet she trusted. Have you ever been there? You don’t quite see the whole picture, you wonder if you understood God correctly. Hold on to what you know, trust the One you serve, and be obedient to His calling. In the end we will know and we will understand but for now, remember, it is not always as it seems. 

Seeking Him with all my heart, 

Sheila

What is Your Motivator?

 Ivan and I have been attending a Bible Study on the Awe of God.  It is a study from the book, The Awe of God:  The Astounding Way a Heatlhy Fear of God Transfomrs Your Life, author, John Bevere.  We are in the last week of the study and have been reading the benefits of exercising the holy fear God.  I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some of what I have been learning.  This helps me process the words I have read and listened to and gives me a way to not keep those words for myself but to share just in case it is something you may need to hear yourself.  

Throughout Scripture we are told to fear God, in both the Old and New Testaments.  Yet in our society today, we see less and less of the teachings to fear God.  We hear more about a loving God that wants only the best for us.  We begin to think, if we don't have the best, that God must not care about us.  We try to earn His love by doing things that please Him without really fearing Him but rather we do it to gain something out of it.  When we still don't get what we want, we may question if God is really there, or we thin that if  He really loved us He would do this for us.  We can see how wrong of thinking this is in our lives as human beings.  When we see someone forcing themselves or their ways upon someone who does not agree with the action.  We hear, "If you really loved me, you would do this for me".  God doesn't work that way.  He sees our heart, He knows our motives or our motivations.  Is our motivation based on our desire to please God, please man, or please ourselves?  Psalm 112 reads: 

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

112  Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
    he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
    his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
    until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever;
    his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
    he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
    the desire of the wicked will perish!

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20112&version=ESV)

It is out of the fear and the love for the Lord that should motivate us to do good acts for without the fear of the Lord, our actions are done for our own glory.  

In your quest through life, ask yourself what your motivation is?  Who do you fear more, God or man?  Do you exalt God above all or do you try to place Him in a box or a bottle and let Him come out when you have a request?  God is way to big for a box or bottle!  Always strive to put Him first in your life.  Ask yourself, am I doing this for God or am I doing this for myself?  Am I showing God how much I love and fear Him or am I just asking Him to love me and my desires?  

More later but that's it for now.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Who is in Control?

I started this post in February and had forgotten about it.  Today as I prayed for direction, I was taken to Ecclesiastes.  I decided I’d write a blog on it, as it helps me understand as I write.  For you see, I am not writing but Christ through me.  I hope this will help you, if you are struggling in your direction in life or even if you aren’t struggling that you will always remember who is in control.

Here’s what I began months ago and what God has completed today:

Reading in II Chronicles 24 - 26 today brought me some insight that I felt compelled to share.   I read about King Joash and Amaziah, and King Uzziah.  All of these kings began their reign doing good in the sight of the Lord.  Yet what was it that brought them to their end?  

King Joash - II Chronicles 24:19 - 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Have you ever been told by a trusted friend that you are going down the wrong path but you did not listen?  Maybe it was a family member that saw you making the wrong choices but you wanted to do it your way and you did not listen.  Have you ever regretted the fact that you did not listen?  Sometimes God sends those people into our lives that can clearly see the path that we are taking is not the correct path.  We may argue and disagree with them and pursue our own way or we can stop, think, and most importantly pray that the Lord would reveal to us the clear path.  Often times, we find ourselves trying to reason away why we are right rather than listening and discerning the will of the Father.  Joash thought he was right and he was not, which led to his end.

Amaziah - II Chronicles 25:8-9

8 But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” 9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”

When we step out of our comfort zone and into faith, the Lord will bless us beyond measure.  However, more often than not, when we find ourselves victorious we begin to think we were the reason for the victory, forgetting that it is the will of the Father whether to help or cast down.  Amaziah seemed to have this problem.  He was first fearful but he listened to what the prophet was telling him.  He didn't give him some great revelation of what was to come, he simply told him the truth, God was in control.  Amaziah eventually forgot what the Lord had done and began worshipping other gods and the result was not pleasant for Amaziah.

15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” 

King Uzziah  fell into this same trap.  He was a victorious King who reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem.  However, his victory was only possible by the Lord’s hand.   King Uzziah began to think he knew it all and he was the powerful one.  He took matters into his own hands instead of following God’s ways.  He defied God’s law by entering a place that he was not appointed to go, the temple.  Although he had many going after him and telling him that he was stepping in territory not given to him, he still went and became angry at them for telling hin that he was stepping in a place that he should not go.  God allowed him to enter the temple but struck him with a disease that would isolate him for the rest of his life.

II Chronicles 26:16

“But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.”https://bible.com/bible/59/2ch.26.16-21.ES

Anytime we think that we know it all, that we have control over our lives, when we think we can do anything we want, we step into trouble.  God may allow things to happen in our favor or He may protect us from the danger but when our response does not give glory to the One who is truly in control of our lives we will surely face destruction.  

Ecclesiastes sums up how we should live our lives.  

Ecclesiastes 11:13 - 14

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.12.13-14.ESV

Live your life in a way that will please God, not man, and certainly not for yourself.  

Proverbs 3:6 

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.3.6.ESV

Ultimately, God knows our heart, just like He knew Jobs heart when his friends tried to tell him why he was suffering.  God knew even when Job questioned.  As it is in our lives, we need to heed the warnings of Ecclesiastes and make sure our path is pleasing to God, not to man, and certainly not for our own glory.

Seeing Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

A Kiss of Humility

I don’t know what my emotions really are these days.  I hear conflicting reports from people.  I see a group of people I thought I identified with clearly now on a side of things I don’t agree with.  I see myself agreeing with people I generally don’t agree with.  I think that I see things clearly while I perceive others as thinking I am overreacting.  I just don’t know what my own emotions are right now.  So, today, as I felt the urge to write something I asked the Lord once again to show me something to write about.  I then opened my Bible, headed towards the back, thinking, maybe there is something in Revelation for us today.  I fell a little short of Revelation, landing in I Peter 5:14, “Greet one another with the kiss of love.”  NIV.  Very funny Lord, right now, really?  With social distancing?  My eyes then went to the preceding verses, which eventually took me back to the beginning of chapter 5.

The first part of the chapter speaks to the Elders and how they should shepherd their flock but beginning with verse 5 I found where I needed to start reading and I found the source for this blog. 

 

  1 Peter 5:5-11

  New International Version

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^[a]

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+Peter+5%3A+5-11&version=NIV)

The Kiss of Humility

These verses packed a punch to me.  They were the words I needed to hear in a time of such uncertainty and many questions.  These are words we all need to take into consideration before our mouths open and our opinions are made known.  I have bolded the words that hit me the hardest.  Words that I need to remember as I live this life.

The first word that struck me, was “humble”.  As I looked the word up in the dictionary I found some synonyms for the word humble: unpretentious, meek, submissive, polite, unassuming are a few.  Then there were the antonyms, just the opposite of the word humble: proud, noble, exalted, rude, insolent to name a few.  Do any of those describe me and my actions as of late?  I can identify with some on both sides.  I may not intend to be rude, but at times, when I speak my mind, it may come off as rude and inconsiderate of someone else’s feelings.  Which is definitely not being humble.  If I think that I am in the only one that matters, I am not being humble but if I take other people into consideration despite my own inconvenience, that would humble!  When I think it is my way or the highway, whether I am a leader or a participant, I am not being humble.  Peter encourages us to be humble towards one another, speaking to those who are Christ followers.  You would think that should be easy for believers but when this was written and still today, there are different opinions even amongst believers.  The next thing that caught my eye was, “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion”, yes, that’s correct, the enemy is not those of differing opinions, I have differing opinions with some of my friends but we still love each other, we still value our friendship but if the enemy gets a hold of either of us, things could change rapidly.  As a child, we had an evangelist come to our church during the time that Flip Wilson coined the popular phrase, “The devil made me do it!”  That evangelist made it very clear to me that the devil doesn’t make us do anything.  He may prowl around, stir us up a bit but it is our sin nature and our choices that make us do it.   Do you think if we were humbler towards one another, we might actually begin listening to one another?  Are we too proud to admit that we might be wrong or that at the very least, someone might be right?  The enemy is not each other, the enemy is satan who wants to divide and conquer.  Are we going to let him by the choices we make or are we going to stand firm in our faith and humble ourselves to the Lord and to each other?

What a wonderful God we have!  Even when we mess up, say stupid things, act crazy ways, become the antonym rather than the synonym of humble, we have “the God of all grace” loving us and forgiving us.  Isn’t that amazing grace?  Like the old hymn says, “Grace that is greater than all my sin”.  When schools were closed and we as teachers had to start teaching online and depending on parents to make sure their children were online with us, a word that was thrown out to us was “grace”.  We would hear this over and over again.  Give the families and their children grace for this is a difficult time for all of us.  We, in turn, hoped that they would give us as educators grace as well.  The definition of grace, according to dictionary.com, 1.  favor or goodwill.  2.  a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior:  Sometimes we go through things that are just plain hard, we need to remember that whether it is extending grace or receiving grace, that grace comes from the Lord.  Harsh, mean, angry words are not grace but loving, kind, forgiving words are grace that our Lord bestows upon us when we humble ourselves to Him and think of others more highly than ourselves. 

Lastly, we are suffering like no other times in our lives.  This pandemic is not partial to any part of the world, we all own it, we all suffer through it.  As Christians if we do not learn to suffer together through a pandemic, how will we ever learn to suffer through persecution of our faith in Christ.  The word clearly states that we will suffer, even as Christians, we are not immune from the sinful world we exist in, at least not yet!  If we are living and breathing, suffering will happen.  We have a promise though, it will happen for a little while and then we will be restored and be made strong. 

In these days of uncertainty and sometimes gloom, we need to remember that very first verse that stood out at me, “greet one another with a kiss of love”, right now, that is a kiss of humility, grace, and understanding.  By seeking Him we know Him, by finding Him, we share His grace and forgiveness to one another with humble hearts and a steadfast love.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila