The Grip of God

Don't let anything worry you today! Listen to what scripture says about the grip that God has on us once we become His:

John 10:27-30 – The Bible (KJV) – "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one."

I have lost many things in my life.  The worst time happened to be in the Sears store located at the Capital City Mall in 1974.  Joel and I had stopped briefly beside a washer and dryer set just to dream a little!!  How is it that salesmen come out of nowhere when you don't really need them???  As we tried to explain to the helpful man that we were really just looking, I realized that Kelly, our 2 year old daughter was no longer beside me. 

My fears ramped up when I noticed a set of automatic doors right next to the display.  Those doors led directly out to the mall parking lot and it had already become dark outside.  As I began to hyperventilate, the salesman ask if we should make an announcement over the loud speaker about a missing child.  At first I said no, because that meant that our daughter was REALLY lost.

Very soon I heard, "We have a missing two year old little girl.  She is wearing green shorts and a yellow shirt.  She has brown hair, and her name is Kelly.  If you see her, please bring her to the Appliance section of Sears where her parents are waiting."  As I listened, that's when the tears began to fall and the guilt was almost unbearable.  Why hadn't I held more tightly to her hand?  Why had I let myself be distracted?

Immediately after the announcement, we heard this tiny little voice saying, "Mommy.  Daddy."  And, the voice was not that far from us.  We responded to her and told her to keep calling our names.  We found Kelly trapped between two storm doors that were on display in the area.  They had been bolted together with just enough room for a two year old little girl to open the door and walk in.  The door had closed with her arms pinned to her side, which made it impossible to reach up and let herself out.  It took her father to open the door and release her.

The Scripture from John promises that God is not as unmindful of His responsibility to us, as I was with my daughter.  He will not be distracted.  His grasp is strong, and He will not release our hand from His grip.  Once you place your hand in His, He will hold on until eternity is yours.  So, let go of your worry about the world and its uncertainties!  When you fully grasp the Truth of these verses, you will be free to live your life for Christ, with the purpose of sharing this Truth with all you meet!

How Do You View Your Cup???

The optimist says, the cup is half full. The pessimist says, the cup is half empty. The child of God says, my cup runneth over.

(from Kristy House Snyder, a former student)

That's what Kristy posted this morning on Facebook.  That's a big reason why I love being on this social network.  It gets a lot of criticism, but many days I am caused to think about my own Christian walk, and attitude.  Today was one of those days!

How do people see me as I view what I've been given by God?  I'm pretty sure that my friends would say that I am an optimist!  My husband tells me that I live with my head in the clouds, and not in reality.  I always see the best in every situation.  God has a plan.  And, I always thought this was the best way to look at things.  UNTIL TODAY!

Kristy's statement caused me to reconsider!  It's not only good to be an optimist, but my cup should be "running over".  The state of mind that creates this response can only be a reaction to the realization that God has blessed me beyond what I deserve.