Never Abandoned

I've learned many things by seeing life through Madelyn's perspective.  This week’s lesson has been thought provoking.  Madelyn discovered her shadow a couple of days ago.  Depending on the direction we walked, we could see the shadow was behind her, beside her, and in front of her.  She was visibly distraught when the clouds moved over us and the shadow seemed to disappear. The presence of her shadow was so real to Madelyn that she had a moment of hysteria when I stepped on it.  She claimed I hurt her.  I apologized.

I confess I'm able to find a spiritual lesson in almost everything.  Madelyn believed her shadow to be a part of her.  And, when you get down to it, her shadow is a reality of the way the sun reflects its light, which will continue all the days of her life on earth. But.  Her discovery has given me a fresh perspective of the presence of Christ’s Spirit in me.

Consider what Jesus said:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  (John 14: 16-20, NLT).

When we ask Christ into our life, we receive His Spirit, reflecting Christ to the world, revealing we're not alone.  Jesus promised,  "I will not abandon you as orphans.  You are in me and I am in you."  We no longer live on our own, but we are enabled to live fully connected and engaged with the living presence, power, and peace of Christ.  Think about what this means.  It literally changes our perspective, mindset, attitude, and response to all things. 

The thing is . . . the power of Christ is as close as His presence . . . which enables us to do all things, regardless of the storms that rage against us and the battles we fight.  

Even so, there are times we allow circumstances to overwhelm us and we respond as if we're abandoned, as if the Spirit is more like a shadow than the living presence of Christ in us.

So.  First things first.  Keep connected.  Begin the day by engaging with Christ through prayer and meditation.  Listen to what the Spirit says and remember it:  "I will never leave you."

There's nothing we can't do when we connect and engage with the Holy Spirit's presence, power, and peace--all things are possible!

Learning to Kickstart the day connected to the Spirit, realizing I'm never abandoned,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)