Saturday, April 23, 2011

Luke 1

6 comments:

Unknown said...

"Did Luke have any idea that millions of us would benefit from his study? I doubt it. All he did was share the truth with a friend.

Can you imagine what would happen if we all did the same?"

(from the intro to Luke in my Max Lucado devotional bible.)

those words really hit me in my soft spot this morning. Last night I was once again wimping out on Prairie Passages. It's such a discipline to come here, and one that doesn't really benefit ME when noone else is here. I wonder why I spend all this time coming here and writing day in and day out, but then something like this reminds me... you have NO idea how the testimony of your life will affect eternity. You have NO idea what is going on behind the scenes, or what domino effect will occur because you took the time. Luke had no idea.

I read a short story in Chronicles of Avonlea the other week about "The Brother Who Failed". By all accounts, to the onlooker, they thought this one brother of five was the big failure of the bunch. The others had gone on to be bank managers, renowned authors, famous elocutionists, I don't remember what all, and he stayed home, quiet and steady, running a not very successful farm that allowed him to just squeak by.

One weekend when all of the siblings are reunited at the home of their childhood he overhears his aunt telling a boarder in her home how it was such a pity that he, of all of them, was such a shame to the family name. He was the brother who failed. Who never amounted to anything. The brother of no account.

He went away feeling wretched and shamed. Did his siblings really feel this way about him? Did everyone look upon him in such a light? He hadn't felt the failure, but to know that people viewed him as such...

the poor boarder saw him slipping away and knew that he had overheard the aunt's wretched words. She informed the siblings of what had taken place as soon as she could and they rallied together to go in search of their brother. That evening at the dinner table they stood one by one to honor him. It was a story to bring a knot to your throat and tears to your eyes. Basically each one of those siblings said they never could have done what they had done, or become who they had become, if not for that brother. He had sacrificed to put them through school, had believed in them when noone else did, had stood up for them, fought for them, encouraged them, supported them.

This story touched me so deeply. How often do we look at our lives and say, none of this counts for anything, when really, we have no idea. Who knows if one day one of my grandchildren might stumble onto this site, and start reading the bible and my daily thoughts because they are here. Who knows if this in the future won't prove to be a means of evangelism when I am no longer here. Who knows. But these thoughts give me the fortitude to keep up with the discipline even when I question "but why am I doing this?" Who knows. It's a way of planting seeds, and I will continue to sow.

Unknown said...

"since I myself have studied everything carefully from the beginning... it seemed good for me to write it out. I have arranged it in order to help you know that what you have been taught is true."

If we want grow in faith, if we want to know what we believe, we need to study carefully. Writing things down is such a great way of enforcing what one learns. Another confirmational nudge for me to keep on keeping on.

Shailey said...

"Mary responded,'I am the LORD's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants.May everything you have said come true.'"v 38

If I were Mary I would be very scared when the angel of the LORD came to her.It would feel strange to know that you were to be the mother of Jesus,one of the most important person,who would die so that we could live.To know that your son would be the son of the LORD God almighty.

Elisa said...

Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come and set his people free! vs-68

I think we should give praise to the Lord for everything that happens to us, if something bad happens to us god always has some good reason for it. There are many reasons why you should praise the Lord. Elisa.

Lois said...

As usual, I am one day late with my comments, so I hope you read this, PC.
I am so glad that you do this! I generally come here after everybody else, sometimes a day or two late if things have been busy, so I don't often post, but I appreciate your wisdom and insight so much! And to see how Shailey and Elisa are following in your footsteps in reading the Word and letting the Holy Spirit speak to them is so precious!
I'm sorry so many of us are silent, and that is discouraging to you, but that doesn't mean that we aren't listening, and learning and growing.

Unknown said...

:) Don't be sorry, dear Lois. It was one of those days of testing but I was so encouraged in the Lord the morning I did this devotional. It wasn't that I was even "discouraged" more just feeling lazy and tired of the discipline of coming here and questioning if it was really worth the effort (pathetic, it takes me 5 minutes... like I said, it was just laziness!) but God met me where I was at and spoke to my heart and encouraged me and strengthened me to keep sowing. It was a beautiful experience and I am thankful to have documented here.

But thank you also for your words of encouragement, they bless my heart to know you are here, to know I am not alone :)