“Life’s major trials seldom send a memo telling us they're on the way.”

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-10) from his book, Spirituality for the Rest of Us: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Knowing God (p. 61). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book)

Larry continues the thought, “Instead, like an uninvited guest, they just show up, leaving us no choice but to let them in.”

That is the truth isn’t it? I mean, we start the day with really no idea what is ahead.

He then says, “Those who tend to isolate find it hard to get the help or support they need in a timely manner. Often it's because no one knows. But even when they do, unless it's a heart-wrenching scenario, no one seems to care all that much. Help and support tends to be too little, too late, or perfunctory in nature.” And that is true of some of you who are reading this. You live an isolated life.

He then goes on, “But those who have close and transparent relationships experience a completely different reality. When a crisis hits, they usually find people quick, even eager, to help.”

So where do you find those? Two places I would suggest are a small church or if you go to a large one, a small group.

Larry says, “Developing close and transparent relationships is an important part of preparing for life's inevitable calamities. It can happen in lots of ways. Going to church helps. Hanging out with other Christians helps. But for most of us, the best tool will be a small cluster of friends who covenant together to meet regularly and share the spiritual journey.”

“In New Testament days, this kind of small group was called a church. Early Christians had no large buildings to meet in. Most worshiped in what we'd call a ‘house church.’ Everyone knew everyone. It was a tough place in which to hide. Today, with larger churches and the explosive growth of super-sized churches, the closest parallel to the experience of the early church would be a small group or home Bible study where the consistent attendance and smaller size makes it once again possible for everyone to know everyone.”

So what group are you close to who is going to be there when you need help?

Comments

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog