Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her. Luke 1:45
One of the secrets of a happy life is fulfilling our purpose and accepting our blessings with gratitude. When we recognize our need for a Savior, we make the very best of what He has given us. In doing so, we bloom where we are planted and we live out of the abundance that God has shared with us.
Little did I know-that this was the beginning of a long and winding path which led me into the pastorate and a call as a preacher/evangelist, but I can remember falling really hard for Jesus when I was 18. I was young and I didn’t have much to share except my heart and my own personal experience with a relationship with Jesus. I had barely any resources, but I wanted to minister to people and tell them about God’s promises. I wanted to share how amazing it felt to know that my Savior could bear all of my burdens and theirs as well. I went to the 5 and dime store and bought a couple dozen lapel pins with crosses. Everywhere I went, as the Spirit led me, I asked people if they wanted a free lapel pin and to learn about Jesus. People were very receptive and some even cried because they were so thirsty for hope. I can remember my sister marveling and giggling at my boldness to tell people about the Lord and to approach strangers, but I couldn’t help it! I wanted everyone to feel as loved and accepted as I did. I wanted everyone to know that they were never meant to bear their burdens alone.
God will fulfill His promises to us, but we must believe and begin. His desire is always for His people. That’s why He died on the cross. Don’t hide your light under a basket. Share it and watch it bloom. As we age, our eyes may grow dim and our bodies may fail us, but the Spirit of the Lord, which lives in our hearts, is forever young. Make it a goal to let your light shine and be a light bearer to others. Do you remember the old Sunday school song, “This little light of mine”? We are the light which leads others to His Light.
Start right where you are with what you have and give thanks for your blessings. There has never been a better time than now to bloom where you are planted. Use what you have to bring a cool cup of water in a dry and thirsty land. People need to hear words of life, truth, God’s promises and be assured that He is in control.
God gives us momentum as we take initiative to share His living hope with others. If you feel as though you have no light to shine, perhaps you have lost your connection and need to recharge. His strength is made perfect in weakness, so just begin. How much more creative, joyful, loving, generous and spiritually rich would the world be if we all believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to us???
Bloom.
Shine.
If you want to develop the practice of living in gratitude, here is my Gratitude workbook:
