It snowed in Denver this week. A blowing, icy blast of crystals accumulated to 6 inches.
Cozy in their coop, my chickens (Reba, Dolly, Maybelle, Allison, Patsy, and June) were afraid to come out in the cold.
But here is the rest of the story.
Early that morning after shoveling snow, Rick decided to take a dozen eggs to our neighbor. That left us with 1 egg. Then Rick asked if we could have German pancakes for breakfast. "Really?" I thought. "You just gave all the eggs away!" Dismayed, I contemplated asking Rick if he could borrow a couple eggs back. But...we decided to wait on the hens. And by golly they started going to work. Instead of the normal 3 eggs per day, we had a whopping 7 by the afternoon. They more than doubled their daily egg production.
I think I am finally getting that we can't out-give God. When we generously give, He promises to give back in abundance. After we thanked God AND the chickens - we had a perfectly puffy German pancake.
Mark 6:41 - Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, gazed into heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread and the two fish and distributed them to his disciples to serve the people - and the food was multiplied in front of their eyes.
The thought that a path is lit up before me and that I am never alone as I set foot upon it helps me to be braver than I could ever be without this promise. I am a risk taker; an adventurer; a dreamer; and a woman who believes in impossibilities. Without faith, I could be none of these. I am so thankful to the illuminator of my path.
Psalm 18:28-30: God, all at once you turned on a floodlight for me! You are the revelation-light in my darkness, and in your brightness I can see the path ahead. With you as my strength I can crush an enemy horde, advancing through every stronghold that stands in front of me. What a God you are! Your path for me has been perfect! All your promises have proven true. (The Passion Translation)
My email and FaceBook feeds are inundated with messages trying to entice me to learn, buy, join, or stand for or against something. It is ultra-annoying and I am spending the morning unsubscribing to most everybody that is doing this. So now I am looking at my own business. How can I help people on the internet without burying them in sale-sy messages? I HAVE to be better than this. There must be a way.
In my own life, I want to simplify. I love what Henry David Thoreau said:
"Our lives are frittered away by detail. Simplify! Simplify!"
I don't want my life to be frittered away. Today, I will relish being still and will invite quiet into my life.
How are you doing this in your life?
Luke 5:16 - But Jesus often slipped away from them and went into the wilderness to pray.
