The following is a blog written by a CH staff member from Barrie. you can also find it on her website devotedtothelamb.com We love to hear from staff serving all over the place so if you have written something please send it a long. I am sure others would be encouraged by what God is teaching you.
The
Gift
2
Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (NIV)
Not only do we all love to get gifts, but we
also want to be givers of gifts. Gifts come in many forms: cards, flowers, and
packages wrapped and unwrapped. Random acts of kindness are also forms of gifts.
When a gift is given, the giver is blessed, as is the receiver of the gift.
Sometimes, it takes time for the giver of the gift to see the blessing.
Such is the case in the event of my fiftieth
birthday in January, 2011. My husband asked my aunt from California to come for
this event, which she did, and she spent a week with me. Coming from California
to Canada in the winter is a challenge for someone not used to our cold and
snow. My aunt shared with me that she had to think about this decision, and she
looked upon this as an adventure which she embraced. Neither of us knew at the
time what impact that this visit would have.
In the weeks following her visit, the real gift
was revealed and continues to be a blessing to this day. After she had gone back
to California that January, I could not wrap my head around the fact that she
had come to spend time with me and to do it in the winter. For many weeks, I
pondered this and was drawn to the Scriptures numerous times.
The result of this visit is that I
have been forever changed. If she could come and spend a week here for me, then
I owed it to myself and my family to get healthy. The direct result of her
coming and giving is that I have embraced a healthy lifestyle and have lost
ninety pounds. She visited me again recently, and I told her this during one of
our walks. She had no idea about the gift that she had given me in that week,
until we talked. Yes, she knew that I had lost weight, but she had no idea how
it had started.
God took a situation in my life that I thought
was beyond help and used my aunt to speak life into me. This event has truly
shown me to continue to trust in Him.
Though we may never know the direct results of
our acts of kindness and compassion to others, let us never fall into thinking
that we aren't sowing seeds of making a difference in others' lives.
James 1:3 - For when your faith is
tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (NLT)
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the
people that You put into our lives who speak life into us. Help us to do the
same to others. Words cannot express our gratitude for the gift of Your Son,
Jesus. Amen.
Julie Bowles
Biking from Toronto to Niagara Falls,
June 8th and 9th 2013, with the Enbridge Ride To Conquer Cancer. Did I say
200+k. Please pray about sponsering me as I raise 2500.00 for the Princess
Margaret Hospital.
Lord may You increase as I decrease
Biking to towards a goal of 1500k, read
about my journey on my blog, click on Biking Journey
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