"When butterflies hatch at Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they do so in an indoor tropical paradise perfectly suited to meet their very need. The temperature is perfect. The humidity is perfect. The food is a perfect balance of calories and nutrition to keep them healthy. No need to go else where. Yet some butterflies see the bright blue sky outside the conservatory and spend their days fluttering near the glass ceiling far away from the plentiful food supply.
I want to say to those butterflies, "Don't you know everything you need is inside? The outside world is cold and harsh, and you will die within minutes if you get what you are longing to have." I wonder if that is the message God has for me. So I asked myself, do I look longingly at things that would harm me? Do I use my energy to gain what I don't need and shouldn't have? Do I ignore God's plentiful provision because I imagine that something just beyond my reach is better? Do I spend time my time on fringes of faith?
God supplies all our needs from His riches (Phil 4:19). So instead of striving for what we don't have, may we open our hearts to gratefully receive everything we've already been given by Him."
I thought this was quite applicable to me. Up till now, God have never short-changed me. He has always been faithful to me in terms of academic results, finance to even good company of friends. However, just like the butterflies, I tend to go by my means of doing things my way- which often a time, fails me. The reading ended with saying that our needs never exhaust God's supply. Amen!
Anyways, I have been giving myself some "higher-order-of thinking" in terms of things that matter to God VS things that matter to me. To be honest, many things don't make sense to me now. I really wish I could talk it out, but then again, I held back. Maybe because relationship are all on the surface.
I had a meeting with my church's youth leaders yesterday. Clement made a statement which stood up quite strongly to me which went something like.."I don't know and I don't want to know", maybe things are better left unknown? And then Becky made this statement which stumbled me a little..it went something like.."It probably better if they are not too dependent on us.." I was then really confused, which was also why I asked so many questions I guess. Why are we exactly trying to build here? Having everything in mind, I probably needed to know what it means to be accountable to one another and the true meaning of fellowship.
Nonetheless, I thank God for everything. And today's reading of Our Daily Bread seems to be in line...
"It is hard to be grateful in difficulties, but it is not impossible. Danial prayed and gave thanks (Dan 6:10), knowing that his life was in danger. Jonah called out "with the voice of thanksgiving" (Jonah 2:9) while inside a fish! These examples, coupled with God's promise that He will work all things together for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28) can inspire us to be thankful in all things.
I will be praying very hard now for answers, directions, revelations and breakthrough for TDY.
No comments:
Post a Comment