BRINGING FRAGRANCE TO THE WORLD

You Drive me Crazy
Originally uploaded by Ben Heine

by Sheila Walsh* for The Women of Faith Daily Devotional - 2002

 

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. II Corinthians 2:14 - New Living Translation

"September 11 has become a day that will forever stand alone in our calendar. It is a day when the unthinkable came into our homes through the media and the unbearable  visited New York and Washington, DC and altered the once familiar beloved landscape through the brutal force of terrorism. For many is was a wake up call to the reality that evil exists in our world. For those of us who love and trust God, it was a reminder that our enemy is not simply in human form, but he is a constant spiritual reality, one who roams around seeking whom he may destroy.

When the fires were out in New York, the memorial services over. books written, and songs sung, what was the lasting legacy that God birthed out of the ashes of destruction? People turned to God to not only bless America but to heal our great nation. At Women of Faith we saw unprecedented numbers of women make first  time commitments to Christ. Perhaps we began to treasure each day a little more, to tell those in our lives we love them, and to let go the little petty frustrations of life.

There has never been a greater time to live as the people of God, to show what it looks like to know peace, grace, and love in the midst of fear. For too long in our nation the Church has been defined by what we stand against. It is time to show in whose lovely name we come with arms stretched out to love. As we will never forget this day, let us never forget that other day of utter barbarism when the Lamb of God took on himself the worst that we could be free.

Evil will never have the last say in our lives or in our nation because of his sacrifice. There will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until that day we bring his fragrance to a world that has lost hope, that has lost heart. In his name we come."

*Sheila Walsh is the creator of Children of Faith and Gnoo Zoo, a ministry to children that communicates God's love to them. She is the author or co-author of several books, including Honestly, Gifts for your soul, Living Fearlessly, and The Best Devotions of Sheila Walsh. As an accomplished musician, Sheila has recently released the CD Falls Down. Sheila, her husband and their son live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Farewell to Emma

The rain calms down a bit outside but inside of my daughter's heart it continues.

Emma, the dwarf rodent was gone and needed to be buried.

For the first time in almost 3 years I had it in my hands. I always want to do that -  hold it - but my fear of a bite was bigger. For a hamster she was old, a senior already still a tiny hamster and the Silva's pet number 3. Actually my daughter's pet who bought it with her own allowance and so many prayers.

I don't like rats, guinea pigs and hamsters. Neither was my choice to buy a rodent with two cats in our home. But I  loved Emma our tinniest pet .. .and  a promise is a promise. Mine was that Tuca can have a hamster when we moved to a house. And there she came with a silent wheel and a minuscule home inside the cage. The cats were curious and our dogs were surprised by little Emma, who always wake up in the middle of night and starts to run in her wheel. Seeing it was always a funny thing!

My daughter wrapped Emma with a page of newspaper waiting for her father to dig deep on the ground. The umbrella cannot hold the drops of rain in our backs.

The cage needed to be clean and Emma needs fresh food. She had been outside so many times, but yesterday she got overheated. Because she was a 'senior hamster'' she didn't resist the thermal shock or drink too much water or was her time to die. Who knows?

I said 'goodbye to Emma', not very sure what to do to not upset more my Tuca. The mosquitoes were biting us and the burial was done.
My heart is broken for my daughter. I sense the acute pain right way in her voice: 'was my fault mom!' As a mother I need to say was not, and I did. Emma was old and I hugged my Tuca trying to console her.

On next day we waked up with sadness and I started to remember all my losses. What a connection between my rodent and my dear ones !Actually was the 'feeling' that I couldn't  take the pain away from my daughter (long ago from my mom and siblings) and doesn't matter what I do, she will feel hurt in the end of the day. Each of us handle losses and recovery in our unique way. This time will be nothing different.

But the 'old guilty' that tries to make me responsible for other people's feelings is here... the fear too. If I let  the  insecurity will came. It will install inside me and I'll be the one running fast... without a silent wheel.

How to win in our losses? That was the question on my CD through the familiar voice...
 I was thinking about the 'real' losses in my past that sometimes talks to me as a ghost in my heart . Then I heard my God saying to me through Paul's letters 'That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.' (Romans 8:28 - The Message) - and brought me a new light again above the circumstances of my life - to the tiny ones too.

I don't know why these kind of things happens but one thing I know: the continuous suffering about it is not the answer... ever. As a good writer said 'That's why it is so important to continue to have faith and trust in God in the very midst of trials and tribulation.' *

I was blowing her hair but instead I want to blow away all the  pain memories of her heart and say "The disbelieving will be gone some time... just wait."

How fast we can go to the 'dark place of fears' if we just look the natural world... How hard is to look beyond the normal stuff of life... How amazing  is the decision we make to rest  in God's hands when 'good and bad things' happens... all the time with all people!

'Tuca how was your day at school, are you still sad ?

Yes mommy, a little bit.'

Let's grieve our little, tiny, sweet Emma and move on.

Dri with Emma

*citation from Joyce Meyer for devocional on Sep.10/2010 - 'Producing Patience, Character, and Hope'

Pursue a Life of Excellence

Don't you get it?? I had always hate shortcuts anyway!I believe laziness and shortcuts walk together and for sure doesn't bring anything good.


Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
— Matthew 7:13-14 The Message
 
Many people are trapped in a mediocre lifestyle. They seem to lack personal motivation, so they are easy targets for those who promise an easy way to success that requires little effort on their part. They do just enough to get by, but they never go the extra mile.

Living that kind of life is a poor substitute for the real rewards in life that can only be found in being a person of excellence, which was God’s plan for you from the beginning.

Learn the truth about God’s good plan for your life and vigorously pursue it. You will sense a wonderful fulfillment and the fruit of your life will be abundant and bring glory to God.   


From the book Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer.