There is a path not far away from our house which runs at the side of a stream. It’s called Sandybrook and it meanders slowly through a series of woods. In the picture you can see one of the paths at the side with many buttercups.
Sunday is a day to spend with God and family. I’ve said this before but I do think it is important that as a family we do things together. Spending time together, and real time, or talking preferably in person, not just being in the same town and “facebooking”.
Experiencing the joy of being with each other is love.
I remember a friend phoning me with some bad news and I didn’t really know what to say. So I met up and just listened.
Listening to someone is another way of showing love.
So why do I find it so hard in the day sometimes to just sit down and listen to God, and not rattle off a list of requests? I need to devote more time to God. Walking down a path and listening and dwelling on God I think can be described as spending time with God.
The buttercups at the side of the path remind me of a little game we used to play as children where we would hold a buttercup up to our chin and if it made our chin yellow, then we would think we would have money. As we walked down this path we passed some children playing. One was pulling the leaves off a daisy and saying;
“He loves me,
he loves me not,
he loves me,
he loves me not”
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thankfully we do not have to play guessing games with God. He loves us all and is waiting for us to just call on him.
Reading reports of former ISIS members converting to Christianity and many other people who where far from a sinless life just shows the extent to which God will go to get us back into his fold. I feel He wants everyone to be saved, and the parable of Jesus as a shepherd seeking the lost sheep explains that he just constantly seeks out the lost.
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Just like Jesus, we are called to seek these sheep through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit listening to Jesus Christ.
Lord I know that you love me, and you love everyone on this earth, even though at times it seems that so many people are being hurt but others that are lost. Bring your miraculous power down through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us, listening to your Son who gave his life for many, so that the whole earth can rejoice and proclaim your Holy name.
Amen
365 Exhortations 