A Man Pays for Strangers’ Groceries at Store
A Powerful Video: “Random Acts of Kindness”
Water Walkers
Dare to step out into the deep!
Question: Have you stepped out of your comfort zone?
“Pit Stop”
Are you tired? Has the journey of life been so hard and tedious? Do you feel like you need a pick-me-up? If so, this word is for you today.
I was watching a movie the other week. The movie was about a famous race car driver. I paid particularly close attention to how the drivers handled their cars during the race. But I also noticed that during this fast-paced race around the tracks, the famous race car driver had to pull over at the “pit stop” and change out tires.
I thought this was very strange. Why would a race car driver pull over in the middle of a race? You would think that pulling over would cost the race driver the race. But I noticed that the racers that would pull over during the race to stop at the “pit stop” would do better in the race and had a greater chance of placing within the top final finishers. I soon learned that race drivers knew that their tires could burn out during the race and they could run out of gas, etc. If they did not pull over to get these things checked or taken care of, it could cost them the race.
I recently did a recap of my life, and I realized that during those times in my life when I had my greatest success or victories was when I rested up before taking on some of the most challenging assignments. Those assignments seemed hard and extremely difficult, and at times looked impossible to accomplish. But when I rested up before those big assignments, I noticed that I had my greatest successes.
Life without a “pit stop” can be dangerous and could cost you the race. Sometimes you may be running on fumes and not even notice it. Taking a stop from the race and resting up can revitalize you and help you run faster with more energy. Your mind will be fresher, you will have more creative juices flowing, and your body will thank you!
Think about it: Do you need to make a “pit stop” today?
God Has Chosen You…Stop Hiding
I was reading a passage in the Bible the other day about David the shepherd boy. While attending his father’s sheep, a prophet was given orders from the Lord to go and anoint the next king. The prophet Samuel was viewing David’s older brothers, and was probably hoping that God would tell him to anoint one of these fine men as king because of their outward appearance and statue. But God told the prophet to anoint the youngest one, who at that time did not have the outward appearance of being a king.
I am not the brightest person on the subject of sheep tending, but I do believe that when one is attending the sheep, you may be smelly and dirty because you are outside in the elements and with the animals. David would not have been the likely or favorable first choice for a king due to his outward appearance. David did not have time to spruce up or clean himself first.
Consider this: sometimes God has different ways of choosing people to do certain things. His choice may not be what you consider the most popular choice. I heard someone brilliantly put it like this: maybe God picked David at that specific time, while he was dirty and not looking his best, because David’s time of being revealed to the world or being anointed came sooner because of his assignment. God had need of David at this particular time because of what he needed David to do. He had an assignment to kill Goliath. (I Samuel 16)
When the prophet Samuel went to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king (David), at that time, David was yet in the field tending the sheep. He was dirty and smelly. Some of us may think that we are dirty and smelly right now. You may even think that you are not educated enough, you may think that you do not know all the right people, or that you lack experience, or just maybe you may feel that you are too old, too young, not the right size, height, or appearance.
Whatever you may think or feel, God has already picked you out of the crowd and said, “Yep, that’s the one.’ The one over there that no one has noticed, the one that everyone has said they would never be anything, the one that has been in and out of jail, the one that has been picked on and put down all of their life. You know the one. God is saying, “It is time for me to use you…the very one that everyone overlooked and rejected.”
You are the one God is looking for.
David’s time for anointing and being publicly revealed for his assignment, being the next king, had come sooner and when he was yet not cleaned up because he had a Goliath to kill now.
Think about it: Some of us will have to go now to the Goliaths we must kill now. God has anointed us to kill Goliaths, and he needs us to go now.
Article by Marquetta Smith
The Power of a Hug!
Have you hugged someone today? I can remember when I was living in another city and working at one of my very first jobs. Employees at this place would start the day off by embracing each other before they began carrying out their daily duties. I thought it was rather strange, and at times, simply crazy. When I look back at where I used to work, I think to myself it wasn’t such a bad place. People at that place were a lot happier and productive.
Even now in my life, I take notice when I am given a hug and how it makes me feel loved and appreciated. Sometimes I go weeks without receiving a hug or being embraced, and I notice that I may feel down in the dumps. But there is something about being hugged that makes me feel that I am loved and that I matter. Wow, the power of a hug goes a long way.
Think about it: Have you had a hug today?
Article by Marquetta Smith
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