June 17, 2013 - Looking For The Small Things

It's a new week with multitudes of new possibilities. Someone needs to receive that today. That's good for me...how about you? I pray your weekend was amazing, your stayed on plan and enjoyed your Father's Day celebrations. Good planning often yields GREAT results. July 4th is coming and I am already planning to make some more BBQ sauce for my grilled chicken and my red, white and blue trifle. Start the planning now and see if the fireworks are brighter colored as you conclude the day with a victory celebration. I bet they will be. (wink) This morning I want to speak about the drudgery of following a solid plan (not a diet) day after day, month after month. Are any of you like me and get bored easily? Sometimes the journey becomes such a routine that my eyes could begin to wander and that, for me, spells trouble. However, doing the routine things that keep me within the boundaries is NOT a bad thing. I want to remind you that Jesus, the King of Kings came as a simple human baby. He could absolutely have come in a different fashion but I, we, needed to see someone in the natural who could give us hope that the simple routine of life can be accomplished for greater purposes. I wonder if you and I really understand that the victories of a huge, "spangled" weight loss can be less important than the simple obedience and "drudgery" of following the plan, without deviation, day after day and month after month? The greatest "display" of our health is really apparent when after 6 months, one year, two years, 2 and a half years, we are still following the simplicity of the plan and making our health vitally important. THEN, others can often see that health can be long-term and not simply a quick fix with no future. People are truly living longer and I don't know about you, but I plan to be healthy as long as possible. That is accomplished by the routine and not by the quick fix solutions. Be "star struck" by someone who has gone the distance, not simply someone who has apparently lost a lot of weight with no intention to be healthy. Put the magazine with the air-brushed models who want to share "the 10 steps to loosing 6 dress sizes in 6 weeks" down and embrace the LONG_TERM JOURNEY of health. Health is what we celebrate. Right? This quote from Oswald Chambers got my attention this morning and influenced my quiet time. I leave you with this. "We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples’ feet . . .”