Good evening, as this Tuesday comes to a fast close I pray that you are not allowing the "perfection" of the CHRISTmas season to take away from you the true meaning. I have seen pictures of all the yummy treats that are being made, the dash to shopping centers to finish purchases, the wrapping and the planning, please don't wear yourselves out and forget what this celebration is all about!
In prayer tonight I found myself becoming very weepy, my emotions are running as if a river and the tears spilling over its banks. I feel so much sadness for the many who are suffering broken hearts from losing loved ones, it is never an easy time to lose a loved one. We all know that through God's sacrifice for each of us that we will be together forever and when God calls for us to come home, the ones that have gone before us will greet us with open arms and loving smiles. It seems that memories will not be enough to get us to that point, but they will, our loved ones live inside of our hearts and will forever be there. I pray for comfort to be laid upon each of you who are mourning, allow God to console you. I pray for those who are standing vigil over loved ones who are ill, that you allow God's strength to be yours and to lean in to him when you feel week. I pray for each of you battling disease and illness, may you feel the healing hands of God and allow him to work through your bodies, believe that he will heal you, have faith in his power. I pray that each of you know your value here on earth and feel the love that so many have for you, you are appreciated, you are important. Father I thank you for all that you do for me, I realize and accept the hard times for I know there must be hurdles for me to cross over in my quest for eternal bliss. I ask mercy and favor for all and do this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Take the wonderful blessed gifts that God has given you, polish them and let them be the best that they can be, it is fine to want perfection, but perfection does not come in the form of someone else's gift, it comes form you making yours the best that it can be.
"For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11
The Stone Cutter
There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"
Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.
He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.
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