At age two, Madelyn is one of the most decisive people I've encountered. She knows what she wants. Exactly. No hesitation. Her decisions are made with an anticipation of what will happen, as, if, she is on the verge of receiving a great gift, and as far as I can see, she is right.
Choices are presented. Apple or banana? Blue or pink? Outside or inside? Decisions are made. Immediately. And, then, she stops to experience what has been decided for the moment. The thing is . . . Madelyn chooses . . . to experience the gift of the moment.
But.
God had a gift for the woman. It began with a connection with the Savior of the world . . . which led to a life-changing decision . . . when Jesus offered the gift of life. Think about it. She most likely had stopped trusting the words of men long before she encountered Jesus.
But.
She decided to trust, receiving the gift of life.
And.
Everything changed; the woman told her story to the community. It may have been the first time, at least in a long while, that she had a meaningful conversation.
And.
Many received the gift life.
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
Choices are presented. Apple or banana? Blue or pink? Outside or inside? Decisions are made. Immediately. And, then, she stops to experience what has been decided for the moment. The thing is . . . Madelyn chooses . . . to experience the gift of the moment.
It has made me think how I need to experience life. If, I believe the God of the universe is present in each moment, then, I need to decide, on a daily basis, to be fully engaged with what is presented to me in the moment, experiencing the gift of life. It is a decision that is often put aside because life can get so complicated.Consider.
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." . . . (John 4:9, NIV)A moment.
Jesus sat down at a well, beside a woman.We know the woman was alone.
Usually women went to the well together to draw water for the day, not only to experience community, but to be safe.We don't know the woman's name.
Names were important then, as they are now, indicating an individual's worth.We know the woman had been in several relationships with men.
It is assumed by the reader that she gave herself away to survive, which would result in being shamed by the ancient society.Think about the way the woman's story is told. Alone. Nameless. Shamed.
But.
God had a gift for the woman. It began with a connection with the Savior of the world . . . which led to a life-changing decision . . . when Jesus offered the gift of life. Think about it. She most likely had stopped trusting the words of men long before she encountered Jesus.
But.
She decided to trust, receiving the gift of life.
And.
Everything changed; the woman told her story to the community. It may have been the first time, at least in a long while, that she had a meaningful conversation.
And.
Many received the gift life.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42, NIV)When we come to the place where we connect with the presence of Christ, we realize that He not only offers the gift of life . . . but . . . has given us the ability to experience it, moment by moment. Regardless of the circumstances we face, the gift of life, changes who we are and how we manage each moment.
Make a decision. Experience the gift of life in each moment of the day.Learning to Kickstart the day choosing to experience the gift of life in each moment,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)